Barcodes are simple and adaptable. They can be easily printed via imposition subroutines, and they can contain lots of information, depending on the symbology used. Barcode readers are both capable and affordable. A barcode printed on a sheet, signature, or cover can trigger actions on a finishing system and record important data such as job number and collation order at the same time.
You know it’s coming. Flights and hotels (hopefully) have been booked, and the world’s largest graphics event is not far away.
Virtually all of the major bindery systems' manufacturers are now concentrating on digital print. And they're introducing new offerings at a rapid pace. This year's drupa will see an eye-popping number of new and innovative bindery offerings designed specifically for digital.
Quick! Name two consumables that are indispensable to operation in the bindery. If you named adhesives as one, you'd be on the mark. But...if you included knives, (yes, they are a consumable), you would be quite savvy. Cutting and trimming are part of almost every finishing operation. And the quality of those cuts are essential to the quality of the finished product.
Industry savants, equipment vendors, and printers, have all piled on the "book-of-one" model for the book printing sector. This manufacturing model uses an inventory-less book manufacturing process. This is where sophisticated software manages retail and wholesale inventory levels in a continuous feedback loop to manage re-stock, or initial production orders.
Sitting less than 30 miles from my modest home office is a print and publishing powerhouse. Thomson Reuters, in Eagan, Minnesota is involved in so many areas of electronic and print media it's hard to tell how many. Founded as West Publishing Company, it eventually grew into the largest printer of legal material in the U.S.
InfoTrends' Group Director Jim Hamilton shares eight short videos (each is between two and five minutes long) that highlight some interesting print samples from GRAPH EXPO 15 in Chicago.
It was heartwarming to read last week's New York Times article "E-Book Sales Slip, and Print is Far From Dead" that was published on Sept. 22. E-book sales continue to slip, and publishers are building new warehouse distribution centers for, yes, REAL BOOKS.
Modern digital finishing systems have developed to become quite reliable press partners, and the overall savings in both time and labor from combining print and finishing are compelling. It's becoming clear, the best combination of digital print and finishing usually wins the deal!
