While digital print is the star, finishing is more important than ever. And there will be lots of new stuff on display in Chicago. It would take more than a few pages to highlight all of it, so I'll just pick a few that I think are worth a visit.
Before you decide to re-tool your commercial bindery gear for digital, take some tips from my checklist. Believe me, it's been gleaned from experience.
Quick, what's the most widely used form of binding? If you answered mechanical binding, you are correct.
Müller Martini is not the only finishing manufacturer facing tough times. As the printing industry consolidates, there is a small flood of very recent vintage saddle-stitchers, folders, perfect binders, collators, diecutters, and other bindery machinery on the market as the result of closed shops.
The more the printer professional "schools" himself, or herself, on finishing technology, methods and workflow, the more complete and efficient solution they can present to the prospect, and the more orders they will win.
Both the offset and digital community have much to offer each other, and much to learn from each other. I'm waiting for a new finishing community or organization to arise that will help bring them together.
It's no secret that the U.S. print and finishing sector has been quite a challenge for vendors over the past five years, or so. Economic conditions and the continuing consolidation of the print industry have completely re-shaped the landscape they were so familiar with.
There were many attempts to integrate press and finishing over the years. A few actually worked. But most were considered as a drag on press output. When the in-line finishing module stopped (for whatever reason), so did the press. And this was a definite no-no.
While the conventional bindery may be in a bit of danger (long-term), packaging faces a more robust future. It might be well worth it for today's "bindroids" to get up to speed on this market.
In a large finishing operation, the sharpening budget can be a major operating cost, so it's the knife life after sharpening that should be watched closely. Not many of us think of knives as being so critical to finishing, but they're essential in your ability to "make the cut."
