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Thursday, Feb 2, 2012
Andre Palko
Starting today Technifold customers now have a new resource page to visit for instructions and operating info on our line of bindery products. It’s not all there yet, but we expect to have a comprehensive listing within two weeks or so—we’re working on it daily! As of today we have FAQ’s for the EZ-Fit Tri-Creaser , Fast Fit Tri-Creaser and the Micro Perforator .
... Read More
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Friday, Jan 27, 2012
Andre Palko
Forget television for entertainment; check out the reality show taking place in your own shop. I had an interesting encounter with a Muller saddle stitcher operator that got me thinking about the psychology of bindery equipment operators.
The production manager of this shop (and the operator’s boss) had recently ordered our Spine Creaser to fit his Muller. A couple weeks after... Read More
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Friday, Jan 20, 2012
Andre Palko
When I was a bindery department supervisor, I’d occasionally hear this at our production meetings, “Don’t worry, Andre will fix it." 'It' could be any number of errors, large or small…a job backed up incorrectly, shortages, poor register, inks that didn’t dry, lack of production time or an incorrect imposition.
If you’ve been around bindery operations... Read More
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Friday, Jan 13, 2012
Andre Palko
Around this time of year the cold weather questions start to trickle in, with static being a perennial favorite topic. Here are links to a few articles (including resources) that could help you in the coming frigid months, especially as temps start to dip. For those of you in Hawaii, the Caribbean and other warm climes, go ahead...be amused! Static in the Print Shop & Bindery - Is There a... Read More
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Friday, Jan 6, 2012
Andre Palko
Even if you never get near any perfect binding equipment, take a minute to watch this short video. For those of us involved in bindery work in any way, it contains a simple, relevant lesson.
Sent in by Rodrigo Castellanos of Tech-ni-fold Mexico and filmed at Offset Universal, it demonstrates a problem they sometimes encounter in their perfect binding runs. Occasionally the folding... Read More
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Thursday, Dec 22, 2011
Andre Palko
Ask five experienced guillotine cutter operators how to trim a sheet and you’ll probably get five different answers. So who’s right? Unless one of them signs the paychecks, it depends.
Last weeks article, 5 Signs Your Bindery’s Paper Cutting Practices are Faulty , had me on the hunt for standards and best practices with regard to cutting paper in a print shop. I can best... Read More
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Friday, Dec 16, 2011
Andre Palko
A printing company production manager recently asked us about best practices for cutting paper on guillotine cutters. He writes, “ I have a few people doing paper "their" way. I want to come up with one standard that everyone uses. I know there is a right way and a wrong way of cutting paper. However, I am thinking that some of my ways are incorrect. ”
It sure sounds like... Read More
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Friday, Dec 9, 2011
Andre Palko
This is a bindery trick that is elegant in its simplicity. In other words, you really must see this at work on a folding machine, even if you never plan to use it!
The scenario is this: you have a job that requires additional fold plates in the first right angle section. This could be due to the number of folds, extra perforating, extra creasing or other inline processing. If you can... Read More
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Friday, Dec 2, 2011
Andre Palko
When you work with folding machines, it’s inevitable that you’ll be involved with a job that is “impossible” to run. Perhaps one fold just won’t fold consistently, or the sheet is ripping, or scuffing, or hanging up in a fold plate, and none of your regular tricks work. And because you’re the last guy in the production line, the time scheduled to... Read More
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Tuesday, Nov 8, 2011
Andre Palko
Chances are good that customer requests have gotten you involved in micro perforating, whether through in-house perf operations or through outsourcing. It’s common today for end users to run pre-perfed, pre-printed forms (supplied by their local printer) through their own laser printers, copiers or digital presses. Invoices and statements are good examples of this.
Perforating can be a... Read More
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Friday, Oct 21, 2011
Andre Palko
The package on my desk was odd in that there was no letter enclosed, just the word "really?" scrawled on the envelope in which our catalog had been returned. The headline "Your books ARE judged by their covers!" was circled on our cover. (photo at left) I'm well aware that a catalog mailing might be ignored or put on the shelf by most people. But re-packaged and shipped back? That took... Read More
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Thursday, Oct 6, 2011
Andre Palko
Have old, unused scoring tools sitting on your shelf?
Can’t get parts for your scoring tools?
Or are you simply ready for some serious creasing capability in your bindery?
If your folding machine or scoring machine work area is littered with un-used scoring devices, or if you have obsolete scoring tools for which parts are no longer available, you’ll want to check out... Read More
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Thursday, Sep 29, 2011
Andre Palko
As regular as the arrival of fall, there is a persistent myth that drifts around the post-press aisles of Graph Expo. This year was no exception. Its source is any of a number of well-meaning fellow exhibitors. Typically an attendee will approach with creased sheets in hand, breaking the bad news to us: “So-and-so says knife creasing is the only way to crease a sheet. Rotary creasing does... Read More
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Friday, Sep 9, 2011
Andre Palko
The old saw about "the more things change the more they stay the same" seems to hold true in the world of bindery and post-press. Sure, technology in our industry is changing on a daily basis, but one thing that never goes out of fashion is traditional hand-work and old-style techniques. Complex digital printing equipment allows for the production of high quality jobs in ever-smaller... Read More
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