Creating the
-factor:
Creating the
-factor:
The Multi-Sensory Tactile World
of Bindery and Finishing Production
The Multi-Sensory Tactile Word of
Bindery and Finishing Production
Ken Macro
Graphic Communication Department
Friday, May 16, 2008
The California Polytechnic State University
Itinerary
Print Communication
3:45pm
Introduction
3:46pm
Ten Weeks of Bindery & Finishing
Processes (sans Distribution)
in 70 minutes or less
4:55pm
Questions
5:00pm
“Miller Time”
“
Print communication is multisensory,
engaging the eyes, touch, sound,
and even smell—print can be
simultaneously subtle and vibrant.
M. Keif, 2003
”
“Please remain seated with your seat belt on until the end of the seminar”
What is
Post Press?
“
What is
Post Press?
The right package incorporates form,
decoration, and distribution.
Postpress gives physical form to
one’s message and provides an
optimum distribution strategy.
”
M. Keif, 2003
• Binding
Process that assembles a product;
involving cutting, folding, bookbinding,
stitching, and packaging, etc.
• Finishing
Process that “adds the finishing touch,” such as
foil stamping, foil embossing, blind embossing/debossing,
die-cutting, laminating, UV coating, etc.
• Distribution
Process in which product is packaged, warehoused, shipped,
or disseminated.
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Bindery
+ Finishing
+ Distribution
= Post Press
Post Press Process Map
Design
Press
Prepress
Cutting
Proofing
Imaging/Output
Folding
Stitching
Important part of the print production process…why?
Finishing
• Last process in the production workflow
• Usually allotted the least amount of production time
• Usually involves multiple stations for job completion (cutting, folder,
stitching)
• Consumers the most make-ready
• Involves rigid quality controls and standards
• If a mistake happens, it can have devastating financial consequences.
Packaging
Shipping
Warehousing
Address and Mailing
Post Press Companies
• Commercial printer with in-house operations
• Trade bindery
• Trade finisher
• Mailing facility or mail house
Growth Areas
in Post Press
• Increase in Outsourcing
- Lack of skilled labor
- Reduction equipment maintenance budget
• Enhanced Automation
• Improved Efficiencies
• Print buyers are focusing on the price-per-response
as opposed to the price-per-unit, hence increase in
direct mail saturation
Imposition and Bindery Marks
2
The “CUTTER!”
Cutting & Trimming
Why cut and trim?
Used on flat sheets, folded sheets, book signatures, package materials and
Perfect Bound books.
Cutting is necessary to derive the desired finished size and aspect ratio (dimension)
Three Types of Cutters
1. Rotary knife slitter
Sharp wheel for slitting rolls or sheets
2. 3-knife trimmers
Found on automated binders
3 guillotine blades together that cut the head, foot, and
face of book after being bound
3. Rotary knife sheeter
Used on web presses to convert rolls of stock to sheets
Guillotine Cutter
3
The “Folder!”
Folding Fundamentals
I.
Knife Folder
Parallel Fold
Series of folds in sequence made
in parallel fashion
- Accordion Fold
- Letter Fold
- Double Parallel Fold
- Gate Fold
II.
Right Angle Fold
At least one fold at right angle to the other
- Signatures (90 degrees)
Buckle Folder
Buckle Folder Components
4
2 3
6
1
5
1. Stream feeder
2. Register table
3. Caliper
4. Buckle plate
5. Right angle delivery
6. Tom Goglio
4
Feed Registration and Caliper Detection
Lower Buckle Plates
Right Angle Unit
Upper Buckle Plates
Right Angle Unit
Types of Folds
5
Common Right Angle Folds
Optional Equipment
Rotary Perforation
Rotary Slitter
Rotary Scoring
Die-Cutting
Steel Rule Die Cutting
How are they made?
A. Plywood Base – 5/8” base
- plywood cut with jigsaw, laser, or computer
controlled router
[CIM = Computer Integrated Manufacturing]
B. Steel Rule
- cut, score, perforate, crease
- rule is bent before mounting
C. Ejection Foam
- glued to board after die is made
Steel Cutting Rule
A. Height
American Industry Standard is .918” [“Type High”]
European Industry Standard (.937)
B. Thickness -- 2 points
C. Bevel --- 60 degrees
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Die Board Laser Cutting
Die Cutting Methods
1. Letterpress
2. Rotary
3. Ram
Bobst Rotary Letter Press
Uses two curved wooded die boards (wooden rotary die halves)
attached to a cylinder.
Letter Press – Components
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chase
Quoins
Furniture
Reglets
Platen
Honeycomb toggle plate
Wooden Rotary Anvil Die Laser Cut
Soft Anvil Rotary Die
Steel Rotary Dies
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Ram Dies
Foil Stamping and Embossing
Letterpress and the die
Changing the surface of
a particular substrate to
give it a decorative
advantage or “sense of
appeal” using a die
and a counter die.
Foil Stamping vs. Embossing
Foil Stamping vs. Embossing
Foil Stamping applies foil
to the flat surface of the
substrate
Embossing changes the
surface of the substrate to
reflect either a raised
(embossed) or depressed
(debossed) appearance
Foil embossing applies foil
to a raised or de-bossed
surface of the substrate
Hot Foil Stamping Die
Embossing Die
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Embossing requires a Counter Die
1. Pragotherm Sheets (thermoplastic)
2. Phenolic Resin (powder that is mixed with water
and formed into a putty)
3. Pre-formed plastic counter die
4. Engraver’s board (layered cardboard that is hand
cut with a knife)
Die Metal Characteristics
Material
Hardness
Die Life
Soft
Short 10,000 to
50,000
Temperature
Conductivity
Zinc
Copper
Medium
Brass
Hard
Steel
Metal
Expansion
12"@250° F
Die-Making
Process
Die
Configuration
.037"
Magnesium
Hand-sculptured Brass Die
Cost
Fair
Based on
Square inches
of metal
Flat
.030"
Photoengraved
Medium
100,000 to
500,000
Excellent
.020"
Good
.013"
Medium/Long
500,000 to
2,000,000
Based on Manhours
Heat Treatable Long 2,000,000
Flat or Curved
Mechanically
Engraved
Steel Rotary Embossing Dies
DeCrevel Dies
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Binding Considerations
• Physical Appearance
Types of Binding
• Use of book
• Page count
• Mechanical
• Will pages be added after binding?
• Want it to lay flat?
• Wire Stitching
• Adhesive (Perfect Binding)
• Life expectancy
• Case Binding
Mechanical Binding
• Spiral wire
• Ring
• Plastic coil
• Post
• GBC Comb
• Velo
• Wire-O
• Tape Binding
Wire Stitching
Signature logs
Basic Stitching Methods
1. Saddle Stitching
2. Side Stitching
3. On-demand booklet making
Muller-Martini Saddle Stitcher
Signatures are bundled into
logs and fed into applicable
feeder pockets
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Muller-Martini Saddle Stitcher
Pockets
Caliper
Stitcher Units
Reject Output Tray
Three Knife Trimmer
Stitching Additions
Adhesive Binding
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Blow in cards
Tip-on signature/card
Loop-stitch
Hanger
Soft cover, rectangular backbone
Use for thicker books
Printing on the spine or backbone
Pages and cover are secured with adhesive
No hanger needed for single sheets
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Muller Martini Amigo Plus
Perfect Binder
Clamp
Muller Martini Amigo Plus
Milling Station
Muller Martini Amigo Plus
Cover Inserter
Muller Martini Amigo Plus
Spine Glue Pots
Muller Martini Amigo Plus
Nipping Table
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Fiber Roughening
Before Fiber Rougher
Bindery Line
At Hillside Printing
Mount Prospect, Il
Differences between Glue
1. Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) - Hot-melt
- Cheap
2. Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA) – Cold emulsion
- Water-based, cured by oxygen
3. Polyurethane Reactive (PUR) – Hot melt
- Flexible and durable
- Heavy stocks – good adhesion
Thread Sewing
•
•
•
•
Fastening sigs together with thread or cord
Smythe sewing (Round backbone)
Side sewing
Thread causes swell which must be flattened.
After Fiber Rougher
Case Binding
Book made with a hard case cover
Book block can be Perfect bound and/or Thread Sewn
Consists of three (3) processes
1. Making book block
2. Making case (offline)
3. Casing the book block
Smythe Sewing
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“Casing In” the Bookblock
Case Making Process
The Anatomy of the Book
FOR COMING TO THIS SESSION
I HOPE THAT IT WASN’T A BUMPY RIDE!
Ken Macro
Graphic Communication Department
1- book jacket
2- jacket flaps
3- book case
4- end-paper
5- fly title
6- title
7- spine
8- front of the book
9- round back
10- joint
11- gauze
12- reinforcement
13- signatures
14- headband
15- flap of cover material
16- boards of the book case
The California Polytechnic State University
One Grand Avenue
San Luis Obispo, CA 93402
Office: 805-756-2257
http://Kmacro.pbwiki.com
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