Jack Rickard

BY JACK RICKARD During uncertain economic times, prudent graphic arts companies formulate reasonable strategies to combat underutilization of production capacity. There are right and wrong ways to accomplish this goal. In my opinion, fighting for market share by lowering prices is fraught with danger. The more thoughtful of the price discounters at least try to set prices such that each job contributes a reasonable amount to existing overhead. While there may be some merit to this line of reasoning, it is only applicable for the very shortest of time frames. When the printing market contracts, those who believe that the demand for

BY MARK SMITH Bindery automation has long since ceased to be an oxymoron, but the back end of the process hasn't seen quite the same digital revolution as in the prepress and press arenas. Touch pads and automated setup features have become commonplace, but operators are not sitting around looking at computer screens all day, as one trade binder owner put it. The fundamental nature of the work hasn't changed all that dramatically. Faster makereadies and more efficient material handling have been the primary focus of efforts to automate binding and finishing operations. Cutting and folding probably are the two areas that have