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Clients aren't shying away from using printed promotions to support their brands. And there's a lasting demand for invitations and announcements that convey the specialness of an event. Print isn't [...]

By Trish Witkowski Non-stop finishing is here for single copies from both digital and conventional printing. Automated finishing, hybrid finishing and inline and near-line finishing solutions are the hot topics [...]

By Trish Witkowski, Finishing Editor Technology automates production and amplifies impact of complex, targeted multipart direct mail programs. What level of sophistication is required to keep up with the unique [...]

By Trish Witkowski Educate clients on benefits of scoring jobs, or adding diecuts, and earn their loyalty. When it comes to scoring, there is much subjectivity as to whether it [...]

By Trish Witkowski Third-party finishing workflows from LithoTechnics, SoftSolutions, and your author. Most every new, automated finishing machine is JDF compliant, offering innovative software solutions to communicate job data. Machine [...]

By Trish Witkowski But fasten your seat belts. . .there are still a few speed bumps ahead. When researching July's cover story article, Folders: Wired for Success (p. 32), I [...]

By Trish Witkowski, Finishing Editor Folders are preloaded with a host of fold formats, link to workflow and learn on the job. So why no plans to upgrade? Half of [...]

By Trish Witkowski To keep customers from wrecking folding jobs, teach them how to build files right. One of the most persistent and long-standing speed bumps in print production is [...]

Byline: Trish Witkowski We do a lot of things on auto-pilot - sometimes it's just easier that way. Get a brochure project, use a tri-fold. Need some more space for [...]

Postpress The language of folding often has been miscommunicated, misinterpreted and misconstrued. The problem lies in the fact that folding largely is tactile, visual and dimensional. Folding terminology, like any [...]

Byline: Trish Witkowski How many brochure folds can you name? That's a question I often ask during my presentations to various groups in the graphic arts and I always get [...]

Byline: Trish Witkowski I have spent the past seven years of my life researching brochure folds. So when I say folding is my passion, I'm not kidding. You'll frequently find [...]

Focuses on folder requirements for printers. Common features of automated folders;Challenges in the application of folding digitally printed stock; Common folding problems. INSETS: Find the folding culprit;Common folding problems.

The article discusses the importance of eco-consciousness in designers' printed works as of February 2014. Particular focus is given to the choice of paper and its environmental impact. Also presented are green strategies including environmental-friendly printing processes, energy-efficient printers, and vegetable-based inks. INSETS: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES;GREEN FORMAT TRICK.

This article describes several classes of brochure folds. The Accordion family is one of the largest folding families, with almost 50 varieties. Accordions are also some of the most common folding styles used in brochure folding. They are an excellent choice for a variety of applications, but are notoriously problematic during auto-insertion into envelopes. This style of folding offers flexibility, with the potential to add as many panels as the limitations of press and folding equipment can bear. The Basic folding family consists of some of the easiest and most common folding styles. Great for low budget or simple projects, these styles are perfect for invitations, newsletters and brochures, and virtually guarantee stress-free production at almost any printer or bindery. Simplicity is what distinguishes these folding styles from others. The Exotic family is the most exciting. Filled with unrelated specialty folds that challenge even the most creative mind, many of these styles require a specialty bindery or hand-folding. They can be expensive, especially if they require manual labor. The Parallel folding family consists of styles with panels that stay parallel to each other. Parallel folds run the gamut from simple to complicated, and offer a variety of options suitable for almost any application. Roll folds consist of four or more panels that roll in on each other. The roll-in panels must get incrementally smaller to be able to tuck into the respective panels. One of the benefits of a roll fold is that it can have multiple panels, but rolls into a compact package.

This article offers tips to printers on paper folding. Planning for the job and setting up the digital document are essential steps in the folding process. It is much harder to work backward--that is when mistakes are made. Once a folding style is chosen, the next step is to determine the finished size so that one can set up the digital document. When designing for print, you must design flat. Take any folded brochure, unfold it, lay it out flat and see what it looks like. This is exactly how the document should be set up. If it is printed on both sides, flip it over and you have page two of the digital document. Common mistakes include making separate documents for each side of the brochure, or designing a piece that floats on a larger page with crop marks. Paper is three-dimensional, and therefore if one brochure panel is to fold into another, the inner panel must be slightly smaller. If the panel is not reduced in size, the folded sheet would not lie flat--resulting in a brochure with a roundish profile. The proper term for this is telescoping.