Old School Bindery Tricks That Still Rule in the Digital Age

Transcription

1 Old School Bindery Tricks That Still Rule in the Digital Age As long as we continue to print, cut and fold paper, these old school bindery techniques will be handed down. The most complex automation in the world can pale in comparison to one of the oldest and most sophisticated machines around the human hand Featured Articles in This Edition: Scoring Paper on Guillotine Cutters - a New Twist How Can I Do a Gatefold without Gatefold Equipment? How to Fold Digital Printing Jobs Fast Without a Folding Machine How a Counting Method Will Save Time in Your Print Shop by the staff of Tech-ni-fold Global Leaders in Print Finishing Solutions Technifold USA Inc

2 Scoring Paper on Guillotine Cutters a New Twist This bindery tip from the why didn t I think of that category is a clever update on an old-timer trick that will save you lots of time when you need to score a handful of samples, mockups or even shortrun digital jobs. The original version of the scoring technique goes like this: * Bring the clamp down on your guillotine cutter. * Slide one sheet of chipboard or other cover stock up against the clamp. Anything from is usually sufficient, and it should be wider than the sheet being scored. * Tape the chipboard securely in position and release the clamp. * Set the back gauge in position for the score, position the stock against the back gauge and bring the clamp down. Presto instant paper score! With a computerized cutter it s easy to program multiple scores if needed. The technique works for nearly any kind of stock. Experiment with chipboard/cover stock thickness to compensate for the weight of paper you are scoring. Use a magnetic sheet... Guillotine Cutter... The high-tech version goes like this: In place of chipboard, use a magnetic sheet. Simply stick the sheet to the cutter table and use a jogging block if needed, to tap it into position against the clamp. This comes to us from Joel Teel, Production Manager at Calagaz Digital & Offset Printing in AL. Teel uses a vinyl magnetic sheet about 11x15 and.035 thick that originally came to him from a vendor who produces magnetized business cards. This technique eliminates the need to clean up tape residue afterwards and literally takes seconds to set up and dismantle. Make sure the magnet has enough area to maintain its grip for the size sheet you plan to score. A bigger sheet will require a larger magnet. Teel also recommends cleaning the magnetic surface periodically since paper dust and dirt will diminish holding power. For easy access he simply stores the magnet on the face of the cutter directly underneath the cutting table (right photo)....continued on next page Cutter Crease Magnet Storage Technifold USA Inc

3 ...continued Scoring Paper on Guillotine Cutters a New Twist Although he uses a magnetic sheet with vinyl adhered to it, the vinyl may not be necessary if the magnetic material is hard enough. There are plenty of vendors online who can supply you with a variety of magnetic sheets or rolls, with a range of thicknesses and coverings available. Simple Scoring Technique.. If this scoring technique is new to you, you owe it to yourself to try it out. Once I learned this old-style tip many years ago, I wondered how I ever got by without it. There s no easier way to get scored samples to a customer as soon as they come off the press, before they have time to be processed normally with scoring and folding. It s also great for mock-ups (dummies) of folded brochures or books going to ad agencies and designers for approval prior to printing. And in today s fast-turn digital printing age there s no doubt that this scoring technique can be put to good use to deliver any short-run or emergency print job faster than ever. How Can I Do a Gatefold without Gatefold Equipment? A double gatefold as shown in the figure to the left, requires a special folding machine attachment for automatic high-speed production. There is an easy way to do this without the attachment, but it does add a manual labor step to the process. Step 1: Use your folder to make an 8pp accordion fold with panels A on the outside. This fold uses 3 fold plates, usually #1, 2 & 3. Be sure to cut and fold A at least 1/32 shorter than the center panels. Step 2: Manually fold the accordion inside out with panels A now facing each other on the inside of the fold. An alternative: Do a double parallel fold (2 folds, first fold in half, then in half again) and then manually refold as a gatefold. While not as fast as the method above, it is probably a bit more accurate Technifold USA Inc

4 How to Fold Digital Printing Jobs Fast...Without a Folding Machine (Video Tip) Using your folding machine for digital, short-run jobs can be a nuisance. It often takes longer to set up the folder than it takes to run the job. And if your folder operator makes a mistake, an entire digital print job can be ruined in the blink of an eye! Here s how to fold these jobs fast without use of a folder. The technique works best on cover stocks, from around 6-7 pt. and up. The job has to be pre-scored in some fashion, whether on a scoring machine, printing press or hand creaser. Once you get the hang of it, you ll find it simple to fold hundreds of printed brochures in just minutes. This is especially useful when dealing with lots of short printing runs that have different trim sizes. Visit the Link Below to View this Video Tip: How a Counting Method Will Save Time in Your Print Shop Here s a useful Basic Training tip for anyone in the bindery or pressroom. At first glance it may sound too simple to be effective but once you ve mastered it, I promise, you ll use it forever if you re working in any kind of bindery, pressroom or print finishing environment. This is not a replacement for electronic counters. But when you need to cut a couple of hundred sheets of stock for the press, or you need a limited number of samples, or you ve got a short-run job that needs to be distributed in certain quantities, this works great. Counting in Fives Will Save You Time Here s how to do it... Jog a convenient lift of stock. Fan it out from the jogged edge Holding the lift with one hand, separate 5 sheets at a time with the thumb on your other hand. Resist the temptation to count 1, 2 or 3 sheets at a time. You re going to train your brain to think in fives! Counting in fives There are two easy ways to count in fives , etc. until you get to the desired quantity. Or count , etc for each batch of 5, and if for example you need 50 sheets, you ll count out 10 batches of 5. If you re counting out 100 sheets, 20 batches. Yes it takes practice, it s even awkward at first, but it s well worth the effort. Use which ever method comes easiest to you. I learned this from a book bindery veteran nearly 30 years ago, and he had learned it about 40 years before me. So it goes way, way back to the pre-electronic age, when you often had no choice but to count by hand and to do it fast Technifold USA Inc

5 FREE Resources to Put Your Bindery into Overdrive! Weekly Bindery Tips, Tricks, Videos and Business Strategies to Keep You Profitable Bindery Video Tips Page Quick Video Tips for operators of all skill levels. Click the Link to Visit: Bindery Success Strategies Weekly enewsletter Join more than 8,000 weekly readers of Bindery Success Strategies enewsletter. For business owners, managers and equipment operators who want to improve their post-press operations or printing business. Equipment Tips and Tricks, basic through advanced Production Strategies Tips on employee training Resources to make your work life easier And a sprinkling of fun stuff too! Bindery Success Strategies 20-Part How-To Course 20-Part "How-To" Course loaded with "Tips & Tricks" to increase your bindery efficiency and achieve maximum results from your bindery and finishing efforts. Bindery Success Print Newsletter Everything above in print after all, we are the printing industry! Mailed every 4-6 weeks compliments of Technifold. Connect with Technifold USA on Facebook to receive exclusive Tips, Tricks and Business Strategies to keep your bindery business running efficiently. Post comments and questions for our specialists and share with progressive, like-minded industry colleagues. Bindery Success Print and enewsletter Archive Online An extensive oline Archive of all of our past Print Newletters and enewsletters. Don't miss out on previous "Tip and Tricks" that will help your business succeed For a Personalized Strategy that could save tens of thousands of dollars in Spanish Archive of Bindery Success enewsletter YOUR shop, Call today or info@technifoldusa.com An extensive online Archive of all of our past enewsletters translated into Spanish. For a Personalized Strategy that could save tens of thousands of dollars in YOUR shop, Call today or info@technifoldusa.com Tel: Fax: info@technifoldusa.com Tech-ni-Fold USA, 4 Wisteria Road Lafayette NJ Technifold USA Inc