When it comes to change, humans are an odd lot, and not just in the printing and bindery industry. Who among us has not, at some point in our lives, resisted a personal or professional change that was imposed upon us? Yet we know full well that the world, especially technology, is constantly and rapidly changing, mostly for the better.
Last week we looked at the challenges and some misconceptions about shipping packages in a single-parcel shipping environment. Basically, an individual parcel is subject to huge stress during transit and we discussed several ways to increase its survival odds. (Go Here for the related article.)
There is nothing more frustrating and costly in the bindery than finishing up a beautiful job and having it rejected due to transit damage. This type of damage refers to those scratches, smudges, tears, offset pages, bent corners, dented edges or soiled product that happens during shipping. There are two popular misconceptions about packaging printed materials which when understood, will help you avoid costly damage to high-value printed material.
It’s no surprise that letterpress printing seems to be on the rise. Paper still has power. There’s an undeniable appeal to the look, texture and feel of metal type and engravings imprinted on old fashioned or even homemade paper. Even the latest all-digital companies acknowledge that paper just might have its place. The online invitation company Evite recently began offering… gasp …paper invitations through Evite Ink.
Generally speaking, folding book weight stocks is a relatively easy folding machine task. Yet a new operator, upon encountering paper that is lighter than he is accustomed to, might find himself scratching his head wondering why fold consistency is suddenly a problem.
You can count on human nature being the same today as it was 100 or 1000 years ago, even in the printing industry. That’s why some of the oldest advice out there is still the best. Here’s a commentary on the problem of rush jobs in the printing industry that is funny and true. Well, maybe we have a strange sense of humor here at Technifold. We think that Gina, who runs Technifold’s sales office, speaks the way this fellow writes. That makes it funny. If you don’t believe me, you’ll just have to give her a call to buy something.
Although this tip might raise more questions than it answers, the real value lies in the fact that it reinforces creative thinking in the face of an unusual bindery problem. So while we might never be faced with this exact problem, it could inspire a solution for whatever post-press problem you’re facing today.
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.”