Welcome to our Award Winning Bindery Success Blog!

This week we have another simple thing to check to get better results fast on tabletop folding machines or on small rotary scoring or perforating machines. As with last week’s bindery video, I’m referring to the type of scoring or folding machines that don’t have a register table.

Last week we talked about how improperly trimmed or seriously curled paper will hurt the quality of the finished product coming off these machines. Of course poor paper will worsen finishing quality on any machine, even the most sophisticated. But on more complex equipment there are ways to compensate for poorly trimmed paper. With direct feed machines it’s almost impossible to compensate for bad cutting.

Bindery equipment operators, especially newcomers, sometimes mistakenly blame the machine for a problem. Yet there is one important but frequently overlooked item which, when handled correctly, will fix a variety of common ‘problems’ with direct-feed scoring, folding and perforating machines.

Here’s a simple bindery equipment troubleshooting video tip for both experienced and novice operators alike. Despite all my years running a variety of equipment, I used it just last week to overcome a problem on a Baum 714.

Quite a few people have expressed surprise that we write about bindery and printing issues that don’t directly relate to the products we sell. For instance why would I write about guillotine cutters when our products fit folding and scoring machines, saddle stitchers, perfect binders and web presses? The question is a reflection of the tendency in printing to isolate ourselves departmentally—post-press, press, pre-press, production, sales, shipping, mailing, and so on.

Yet when you look at the big picture, it’s obvious that all these departments are connected. The first few times I had to “fix the job in the bindery” showed me clearly this was true! When one department does poorly, the business as a whole suffers. Our tendency to isolate within our department or specialty can quickly blind us to the big picture. It sometimes causes us to ask the wrong questions which lead to the wrong conclusions.

We are regularly asked if it’s possible to crease and fold cover stocks two-up on a buckle folding machine. The short answer is, “Yes, it's possible and in fact it’s done all the time.” The more detailed answer is, “Yes, but there are a few things to consider.” Since we are all in the business of getting more productivity from the bindery equipment we have to work with, it is well worth taking a few minutes to review these possible ‘gotchas’.

Oh no, not another year-end Top Ten list! I bet you look at it anyway. Based on the number of views, the fact is that these are a reflection of some of the more common every-day problems faced by various bindery equipment operators. These new articles from 2014 illustrate some effective solutions to these problems. So if you missed any of these bindery tips, check them out and share them with your colleagues.

The first inkjet printer I purchased was a promising marvel of technology. In the first months of running a startup business, I was thrilled that I could now print a few full color letters or brochures in my own office. Then as I began running various designs, different types of paper and envelopes, along with attempts at mail merges, the luster of the new technology quickly turned into frustration.

During this time of year there is always a bit of mild craziness hanging in the air. At your print shop there could be year-end deadlines to meet with fewer work days to meet them and perhaps a party to arrange (or attend). At home you’ve got your list of gifts to buy and family functions to arrange and attend. Sometimes the stress leaks out in less than positive ways.

Have you ever produced a saddle stitched or perfect bound book only to later find a mark hidden somewhere inside? If you’re lucky you find it during the actual folding and binding production and you track down the culprit to eliminate it. Otherwise all you can do is hope the customer doesn’t notice. This type of finishing problem is often associated with matte and dull-coated paper.

Do you ever wish you could get more done in a day? It’s a suitable topic for the frenetic world of post-press operations, where a multitude of things must be done with never enough time to do it.