You might not realize it but there are two completely different meanings to the word “creasing” as it relates to bindery work. The definition we most often use here relates to the creasing tools we sell such as the Tri-Creaser®. We talk about what that definition and why it’s desirable in more detail here .
Various dictionaries refer to the other usage as “a line or mark made by pressing or folding.” In print finishing you also hear it called “wrinkling”. Of course this is
Ever notice how the world of bindery work is full of paradox? Maybe you’ve felt the thumping of a sprawling, battleship-sized saddle stitcher shaking the foundations as it runs, but which requires the lightest of feather touches when loading 4 page signatures. Perhaps you’ve seen a huge armor plated tank of a guillotine cutter, slicing through 1,000 sheets of paper in a single heartbeat yet requiring the fingers of a magician to move the tiny cut labels off to the side table in neat piles for packing.
Here's a technique for running cover stocks 4-up on a folding machine without having to trim on your guillotine cutter.
The introduction of aqueous coatings in the late 70’s was a plus for a few reasons, one of which was that aqueous coated jobs could be sent to the bindery for cutting and folding within minutes. But that great looking high-gloss finish often makes the folding machine operator’s job more difficult. The fold rollers simply have a tougher time gripping the super slick surface.
Dog ears can be a thorn in the side of folding machine operators. Sometimes a simple turn of the dial to adjust the inside panel fold length is all that’s needed to fix it. Other times it seems nothing will work. For some it may feel like it is a conspiracy with everyone from the designer through the press room participating, to see how creative, clever and experienced the operator really is. In true adherence to Murphy’s Laws, the problem was always at its worst when there was the least amount of time to fix it.
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“I can’t get my folding machine score (or perforation) to run straight." It’s a question we hear from operators of folding machines and scoring machines on a regular basis. We’ve seen the problem stump the experienced bindery pro as well as the novice.
One sound you really don't want to hear in your bindery department is the sound of a hammer on a machine, unless you have a mechanic working in-house. Yet any moderately experienced bindery equipment operator will confess to using a 'convincer' to make an 'adjustment' at least once in his career.
If you are micro perforating or trimming on your folding machine with Technifold's Multi Tool, watch this video to find out how you can add creasing capability with this Upgrade Kit.
There are several factors which affect the quality and performance of a crease. These include the rule width (male component), the depth of crease, the width of the female channel, and the 'critical distance' (the distance from the side of the male rule to the edge of the female channel.)