Here’s a bindery trivia question about trimming saddle stitched books that will get you thinking, bring you back to junior high school and probably stir up a little debate. A Bindery Success Blog reader sent us this photo in the hope that with all the experience out there, we could put to rest an argument he is having with a colleague. And it could even affect the value of the comic in question!
Here’s an ingeniously simple tip on how to eliminate marking problems on a Horizon SPF10 stitcher and folder. It could work on other similar machines too. If you work in a bindery department, it’s safe to say that eventually you’ll have a job with a marking problem, especially on coated, matte or dull coated papers. It doesn’t matter what kind of collator, stitcher, folder or other bindery equipment you’re running. We’re always stretched to the limits of machine, material and labor!
Printers generally are a notoriously skeptical lot, me included. Many years ago when I was managing a small commercial printing company, a couple of clean-cut fellows in suits entered our shop. They said they were from the FBI and wanted to talk to the manager. I laughed a bit too heartily and replied “OK, sure you are, show me some ID.”
Most of us who work on bindery equipment get pretty good training on how to use the equipment itself, typically through a mix of on-the-job training and instruction by manufacturer’s reps. I suspect that most get very little, if any, training on how to troubleshoot and repair that same equipment. This sort of knowledge is typically a result of experience.
I periodically get letters from bindery equipment operators and others in the printing industry who feel stuck in their jobs, or are underemployed, unemployed or are at a loss as to how to advance their career. They want advice. Considering the very personal nature of their situations I realize that reaching out like this is a big, vulnerable step. I know because I’ve been in the same situation.
In a previous Bindery Success blog article we discussed problems that can arise when trying to feed thin, porous signatures (usually 4 pages) on saddle stitcher inserters or perfect binder gatherers. Details are here if you want to give it a quick review. Today we have one more quick fix on the subject sent to us by Todd Summers of Nittany Valley Offset.
No matter what we put on paper—inks, varnishes, coatings, foil or film—we must not forget to pay attention to one of the biggest factors in how well paper is printed and finished. That is, of course, the print shop environment.
I’m not sure what my work area says about me. If I were the boss of me I might have to say something to myself. Psychologists love to study all that stuff and tell us it means something about our personalities. I’m sure it does. But what really matters is how our work area aids (or inhibits) our productivity.
Experience is a double-edged sword. On the plus side, an experienced bindery equipment staffer can bring lots of skill and know-how to production operations. It saves time, training, mistakes and keeps things flowing smoothly. It’s only natural that owners and managers of printing and bindery businesses love such employees, especially in a region where they’re hard to find.
My first unforgettable exposure to the dangers of fork lifts goes back to before I ever set foot in a print shop. The experience was responsible in part for instilling the caution I later had when working around bindery and material handling equipment.