Bindery - Finishing

In all the hoopla over print-on-demand, little attention is given to the bindery demands that help realize on-demand's potential. By Marie Ranoia Alonso Obviously, an on-demand printer that relies on digital printing technology must be able to assure customers that deadline-sensitive print jobs will be produced on time. After all, there's little advantage to digital color output if a job cannot be finished quickly. As a result, in-house finishing capabilities are necessary for an on-demand printing operation, which must decide if in-line or off-line finishing, or more commonly a combination of the two, will bolster its digital printing effort with enough postpress power. The

When purchasing a new collator, ask yourself what is best for your shop. is it time for you to start looking for a new collator for your in-plant? If it is, there are several important questions to ask yourself before making a decision. First off, can you afford to purchase the collator that you feel is best for your shop? If it's not in your budget right now, it may be better to wait until you can buy the equipment that you want. This is an investment that should last 10 to 15 years, so make sure you don't purchase an inferior device just

Automation and compatibility with digital printing equipment have revolutionized stitching equipment, making operator involvement almost obsolete. "Automation, automation, automation," declares Rick Trapilo, general manager and executive vice president of C.P. Bourg. This, he says, is the primary trend typifying today's stitching equipment. Since operator skill levels vary greatly, Trapilo says, stitching equipment companies are making significant changes to reduce operator involvement. "Threading a stitch head could be difficult for some operators," Trapilo explains. "We're virtually taking that setup issue out of the equation for an in-plant manager." Some automated features now include self-loading, self-threading and operator warning systems in the event of

Computerization is making cutters easier to use and helping in-plant managers deal with the steady decline in skilled operators. For cutting machines, technological innovation seems to have reached a point past which most further improvements and features seem superfluous. Indeed, today's machines operate about as quickly, efficiently and safely as anyone can reasonably expect. One factor, however, promises to influence the design of these machines for the foreseeable future: The lack of skilled operators to run them. "I haven't yet spoken to a single plant manager who hasn't said it's hard to find skilled help," says David Spiel, vice president of Spiel

Before picking a new folder, research your options. New capabilities are boosting productivity, putting workhorse equipment at your fingertips. Do you know what kind of folding equipment you want? You may think you know—but sometimes your equipment vendor knows even better. "I just had a customer that started out wanting a tabletop folder but wanted the capabilities of continuous feeding," says Mark Pellman, sales engineer for Baum USA. "He didn't realize he needed a floor-model because a tabletop is what he always used. He just didn't know." Not knowing could prove a problem for your shop. In order to combat that, know

What are you looking for in a collator? Find out what manufacturers suggest. WHEN YOU complete a printing job that meets your client's specifications, adding the finishing touches are like putting the icing on a cake. It adds oomph. But when an otherwise beautifully perfect-bound book is botched up with sloppy and seemingly careless stapling and stitching, elegance goes out the door and disappointment comes flying in. Nowhere was this more apparent than during the recent judging of In-Print® 98, the joint In-Plant Graphics/International Publishing Management Association printing contest. The judges, meticulous and discriminating in their approach, eliminated many otherwise beautifully printed

Today's saddle stitchers require a lot less effort to operate and offer much higher productivity. Find out how they can help you keep work in-house. TRENDS COME and go in any industry. But in printing, automation is one trend that has staying power. Take saddle stitchers. Many models boast features like faster makeready, easy operation and quick changeovers for booklet making. Quick set-ups and the ability to handle short runs also provide efficiency. Add user-friendly bells and whistles and production runs even more smoothly. "People that are hired to run the machines are not as skilled as in previous years," points out