5 Tips for Digital Printing Document Binding

When purchasing a new document, be it a book, journal, or a notebook, we often aren’t paying attention to how it was made. Instead, the primary focus is usually on the functionality of the item. You may pick it up and turn the pages, perhaps even pull the front page all the way around the back to see how the binding holds up. Even if you aren’t directly thinking about the binding, it is often the reason you choose one notebook or journal over the other.

For that very reason, the document binding is one of the most important parts of a product. A document’s binding provides a finished and professional look, and allows for a more functional product than something like a three-ring binder or a stapled binding. When thinking about offering document binding services, or even if you are already offering them, there are five tips to think about that will optimize your products.

1. Variety

Producers using binding machines in New Zealand need to be able to offer a variety of bindings. This means they must own or have access to the machinery, as there are several binding options currently on the market. Some of the options that a growing business should consider are the plastic comb binder, wire binding, fastback binding, calendar binding, and Velo binding.

• Plastic comb binding uses plastic spines with rings that fit through punched holes in the pages. The binding machine pulls open the plastic rings off the spine and then punches the pages in smaller bundles and inserts the plastic comb into the holes. This is often a manual process and can take some time, but is typically a more cost-effective option.

• Wire binding is often seen on notebooks you buy at the store. With several different varieties, wire binding allows you to open a page all the way around the binding and lay flat. Wire binding works similar to plastic comb binding; holes are punched through the pages and the wire binding is wrapped through the holes and closed manually or by the machine.

• Fastback binding refers to a taped and glued binding, often what you see on regular hardback books. This is a durable method that should last for quite some time.

• Calendar binding can come in multiple forms. Often, wire binding is used so the pages can flip 360 degrees over, but stitched bindings are also used depending on the type of calendar

• Finally, Velo binding, often used in textbooks and training manuals, uses a mixture of punched holes and adhesive to create the binding.

All of these options serve a different purpose, and the more variety that you can provide will increase your customer base.

2. Consumer’s needs

The needs of a consumer are the top reason why variety is important to producers. Consumers are used to, and expect options when looking at any product.

Having an in-person consultation with the consumer can be extremely helpful. It can sometimes be difficult to determine exactly what the consumer is looking for if your communication is over the phone or email. By bringing the customer in to the store, you can provide examples and allow the customer to really see their available options instead of researching online or using what they have always used in the past. Paperquip, a leading digital printing and document binding business in New Zealand offers several different contact options, including social media and a physical address to be more accessible to customers.

Digital printing has grown quickly in the modern world, as convenience and saving time have become more important. Being able to offer high quality digital printing along with similar quality binding will bring in many different types of customers and expand your business. At the same time, being able to offer offset printing will allow you to keep both types of customers. An easy way to see the advantages of both digital and offset printing can be found here.

Offset printing is still quite common for high volume jobs, as it retains a high quality and is less expensive when done in bulk. Find out what your customer base is looking for in their printing and binding needs to help you make the decision about what you will offer.

3. Binding in bulk

Just like any product, making a lot of the same thing will cut down on costs dramatically. Make sure your machinery is up to date and working efficiently, so you can easily cater towards the customers looking for bulk orders.

Another option is to automate as much of the binding process as possible. If your business is not currently set up to be automated, it may cost more initially to buy necessary equipment, but will save time and be profitable in the future.

4. Offer specialty binding

Hand binding, while a much longer and tedious process, can be a way to differentiate yourself from competitors. Before machines began to bind documents in bulk, most documents were hand sewn by a professional bookbinder. By offering these services, even when a customer is providing their pages via digital printing, you can expand the materials you use such as cloth or leather, and give a distinctive edge to the document. Take a look at this tutorial for help with hand sewing your bindings. It is a good idea to keep a range of materials on hand for each type of binding offered.

5. Cross train

Finally, the last tip for your digital printing and document binding business is to make sure your employees are well trained, and know how to operate all machinery proficiently. This way you’ll always have an employee on the schedule who can perform any task, and can assist any customer who calls or walks in the door.

These five tips will help set your business up for success in the short run and the long run, and easily distinguish the business from the competition.

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Digital Printing Trends to Be Aware Of

Digital printing continues to advance at an amazing rate. Experts predict that by 2020 it will account for 17.4 percent of value and 3.4 percent of printed and print packaging volume overall. This is due to the numerous advantages it provides for users, such as short runs, fast turnarounds, and low costs. Combine this with the new markets that are continuing to open and it is easy to see why businesses need to be aware of digital printing trends and options available to them, such as thermal laminating in NZ.

Production Inkjet Technology

More and more businesses now turn to production inkjet for their printing needs, as the devices have improved in terms of quality, the approved media lists continue to expand and more segments can now be served by this technology. Inkjet, in the past, was only suitable for certain markets, but this is no longer the case. In fact, most industrial printing can make use of the production inkjet technology today.

Business Models

Not only will businesses look for the most economical way to produce items, they will help customers determine the appropriate options for their needs. This allows the customer to save more money, which is sure to be appreciated by all. As a result, print shop efficiency improves and customers receive their items in a short period of time. Companies offering multiple items find they are able to increase their customer base as they stand out in the crowd.

Ink Options

One problem with certain inks is they clog the print heads. The industry continues to search for new ways to produce inks that dry quickly yet won’t clog the heads. Areas being addressed to achieve this goal include jetting consistency and higher pigment loads. In addition, the industry works to ensure compliance with regulations set forth by the food packaging industry to ensure customers don’t have problems once their items are delivered.

If you are interested in thermal laminating machine in NZ, you need to remain aware of these and other trends. A thermal laminator machine NZ is of great help, but only when it can be used to enhance the digital printing process. Before purchasing binding supplies in NZ, be sure to ask about all available options and how they fit in with different printing options. Contact us at Paperquip (www.paperquip.co.nz) for all you Digital Printing needs.

The Benefits of Journaling

Individuals often assume a diary and a journal are the same thing, yet there are actually distinctions between the two. Diaries have a tendency to focus on a person’s reactions to what is taking place around them on a day to day or week to week basis. A journal, in contrast, allows a person to record these reactions, but it also provides a place to include information about the things that inspire them or catch their attention. People find the journal lets them experiment while also growing in terms of their creativity and journaling is becoming more and more popular throughout the world.

How To Journal

Take paper everywhere. This makes it easy to write down thoughts and feelings. If no paper is handy, use any scrap that is available, including receipts, napkins, or the back of an envelope. Transfer these notes regularly to the journal so nothing is lost or forgotten, and handwrite the journal. Although it may seem easier to use a computer, people tend to edit their thoughts when using this method. The inner critic comes out and censors things, defeating the purpose of the journal. Furthermore, a person’s handwriting can tell a great deal about their emotions when they entered the information.

Don’t obsess over spelling, grammar, and other rules. A journal is only designed to be seen by the writer unless he or she chooses to share it with others. In addition, leave a page or two at the beginning and create a table of contents when the journal is full. It makes it much easier when a writer decides to go back and look for something they put into the journal at an earlier date.

The Benefits Of Journaling

People often overlook the benefits of journaling. They tend to see it as a means to an end, yet this isn’t the case. There is actually value in journaling, and following are a few examples of why this is the case.

Journaling Promotes Self-Discipline

Individuals need to set aside a time every day to write in their journals. This helps to ensure the task doesn’t get overlooked in a person’s busy life, but it does much more than this. It also helps the person make this a priority in their life, as it promotes the mental equivalent of muscle memory. Writing becomes a habit, and the person’s self-discipline benefits as a result.

Boost Your IQ

Research shows that writing can help to stretch a person’s IQ. A University of Victoria report found that writing, when included in the process of learning language, correlates positively with the person’s intelligence. The journal helps a person explore the language as they look for words to accurately describe their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Vocabulary increases, and this is one of the best measures of a person’s overall intelligence level.

Journaling Helps A Person Achieve Their Goals

Goals are harder to accomplish when they aren’t written down. Although the actual words put into the journal don’t help the person get to where they want to be, they tell the brain that these goals are important to the person. The mind then looks for tools and opportunities that may help the person reach their objectives. The more detailed the goal is in the journal, the more it serves as a map for the person achieving their dream.

The Healing Process Benefits From Journaling

People often find when they write down their thoughts and emotions it helps to clarify them. Furthermore, Dr. James Pennebaker states expressive writing helps to boost a person’s immune function. People who journal find it helps to decrease their stress and anxiety as well as sleep better.

Learn To Control Emotions

Journaling helps individuals improve their emotional intelligence or their ability to perceive and manage emotions, both their own and those of others. When a person writes in a journal, they become more self-aware. As a result, they develop more empathy and are better able to connect with others.

A journal is a very personal item, thus make yours unique with the help of wire binding supplies NZ. Paperquip (www.paperquip.co.nz) offers print finishing equipment and wire binding machines NZ, among other things. Be sure to check out the wide selection of items they offer when you decide to start a journal. Your biggest problem may actually be deciding among the numerous options open to you, as all have benefits you will definitely want to check out. Once you find these items, however, you will discover you enjoy journaling even more.

Tips for Preserving and Displaying Old Documents and Photos

Important documents and precious photos often end up stuffed in a drawer somewhere or placed in a file cabinet only to be forgotten until they are needed. Unfortunately, a failure to protect these items can lead to them being damaged or destroyed. Don’t make this mistake, as there are numerous options available to store and preserve these items for current and future generations. Following are some tips that may be of help during this process along with tips for how to display certain papers and photos to share with all. Print finishing supplies in NZ may be of help in protecting these items.

Make sure documents and photos are stored at a low temperature in an area with low relative humidity. Most experts recommend the items be kept at a temperature that is below 75 degrees Fahrenheit, as this helps to reduce any insect activity around the documents and photos and slows the chemical activity rate. Furthermore, try to keep the relative humidity above 15 percent, but below 65 percent. When the humidity level climbs above 65 percent, mold growth may occur.

In addition, papers and photos may become brittle if the humidity level falls below 15 percent. The area where these items are stored needs to be easily accessible in the event of an emergency, yet don’t make use of the attic, garage, or crawl space for this purpose. These areas are prone to temperature fluctuations and water damage and the items may be destroyed as a result.

Document safes are a great way to store the items, keeping the above information about temperature and humidity in mind. These safes tend to be fairly inexpensive, and most have a minimum fire rating of 30 minutes. They have been designed to protect the contents from direct sunlight and moisture, both of which can do damage. In the majority of document safes, the items are now acid-free as well.

Certain items should not be used when storing photos and documents. For example, a glue of low quality may leave stains on the front of a photo or document when it seeps through the back. Any synthetic, hot glue, or other glues with unknown ingredients shouldn’t be used for this purpose either. Pressure-sensitive tape, rubber cement, rubber bands, magnetic albums, staples that are not made of stainless steel, and unknown plastics should be avoided as they can damage documents and photos.

Many individuals make use of a paper lamination machine NZ to protect these items. Thanks to the low cost of a quality lamination machines in NZ this is one solution everyone looking to preserve documents or photos should consider. The machine ensures the document is protected from further damage that may occur with handling. Only laminate one paper in each sleeve, taking care to ensure all parts of the image or text are clearly visible. Make certain the entire document is contained within the laminating sleeve to prevent damage also.

Consider binding the items in a book to keep them protected and easily accessible. Thanks to the wide selection of binding supplies in NZ now offered, doing so is a simple task, yet care must be taken here also. Acid-free paper needs to be used to prevent fading, and the paper should not contain lignin. Choose from spiral, ring, clamp, and post binding options or go with the traditional sewn binding. It’s a matter of what you want the finished product to look like. When creating the album, don’t stuff the album. Keep items on a page properly spaced and don’t put too many pages in the album. If you do so, you’ll find the pages or items sustain damage or cannot be viewed as desired.

If prints, slides, colour negatives or acetate negatives are to be stored, certain steps need to be taken to prevent deterioration or fading, a problem commonly seen when these items are stored at room temperature. Cold storage is best in this situation, yet the items must be prepared properly, such as storing the documents and papers in vapor-proof double bags. Furthermore, it must be determined which type of cold storage will be used and how the items will be monitored and accessed. These things must be figured out before this option is used.

When time is short, and items need to be stored quickly for whatever reason, plastic storage boxes may be used to protect the items for a limited period of time. The boxes must have a lid and be lined using acid-free card stock and acid-free tape. Once the items are in place, take silica gel packs and place them in the container, using acid-free card stock to keep them separate from the documents and photos. This method can be used for long-term storage as well, yet the silica gel packs must be replaced every six months to ensure the items remain safe.

Print finishing supplies in NZ can be of great help in preserving treasured photos and documents. With many options currently available, every individual should be able to find the right solution for their unique needs. If help is needed in determining which items should be obtained, Paperquip can be of help, as they work with clients daily to figure out which products are best suited for the items to be stored. All you need to do is provide information on what you are storing and preserving and their friendly staff can help you get what you need. Just visit the Paperquip website at www.paperquip.co.nz to find out more.

Office Outsourcing That Can Save Your Company Money

Outsourcing is employing a contractor or a business outside of your own company to ultimately save money. Outsourcing will not necessarily make you money but it will free up your time and that of your employees to work directly on your business rather than being tied up with administrative jobs. You can outsource to other companies within New Zealand (NZ) or you can go offshore for some services.

Administrative jobs are those most commonly outsourced. You don’t need to be paying your professional, highly skilled or technical employees to type up reports or design new company brochures. Yes they should proof all documentation but editing takes far less time than actually writing. Likewise, creating or updating your company website is best outsourced to a company who specialises in web design. A web design company will have their own team of specialists who can complete the necessary tasks in a much more timely fashion.

Websites such as ffiver.com are a great resource for getting logo designs, graphics and marketing articles written. Whilst you may think you can design your own logo or business cards for example, you may spend hours ‘playing’ around with a design when your time would be best spent giving a graphics team a brief and paying them to come up with a design in a quarter of the time!

Accounting and banking are two areas where it is best to outsource to specialists in their field. Your bank will have a team dedicated to improving the profits of the businesses who choose to bank with them. They can assist with finding the best accounts and services for your business to maximise interest earnings and keep running costs down.

An accountancy firm can help with all your accounting needs and have access to current software that can all save you time. You will save money by not having to pay for software upgrades directly and time by not having to learn about all the new systems. Just send your files to the accountant and let them deal with all the paperwork and send you reports.

You may find that over the year you have busy periods and times when your employees work load fluctuates. So, rather than having more employees who sit around bored during a quiet period it is best to employee temporary qualified staff from a recruitment agency. This is a form of outsourcing of employees to keep costs such as holiday and sick pay down as well as insurance contributions.

Business documentation can require a full time administrative employee or you can outsource this work when necessary especially if your requirements are not consistent. You need a new advertising brochure written, designed, printed and delivered? Outsource it! Hire writers, designers and printers to get the work done – you just need to proof it all, and it’s so much quicker to check and edit than it is to write volume yourself.

One area that can easily be outsourced is document protection and production. Unless you have large volumes though this may not be a cost effective solution. Therefore, it can still be really handy and convenient to have a coil binding machine NZ in the office. For document protection and a professional look you will need laminating machines NZ. Visit Paperquip at www.paperquip.co.nz for all your document binding NZ supplies.

Fun Ways to Document Your Travel Adventures

You may remember the days when the neighbours or great aunt Ethel would return from their holiday abroad and you had to visit to watch the slide show of their holiday snaps or look through 100’s of photos – showing my age now! Those were the days when you had to print off your photos to see what they looked like and yes I mean no digital and instant delete of the ones where your grandmother chopped everyone’s heads off – ha ha ha!

So, technology has moved on and you can now be a little more creative with your travel memories. Whether you are into photography, scrapbooking or not really all that creative there is an idea for you. Here are just ten ideas to get that creativity working for you and avoid boring everyone who cares to listen with 100’s of slides!

1. Video montage – take a few seconds of video at each tourist stop or destination or view and run them all together as a video. If you are very clever you can even set the video to your favourite holiday tune, add text and upload to You Tube. Don’t forget to share the link with all your Facebook friends!

2. Create a Pinterest board or three and share not only your holiday snaps but everyone else’s as well! Create boards to research and plan your next dream holiday.

3. Print out your favourite images and scrapbook them with souvenirs (ticket stubs, plane tickets etc). text and lettering.

4. Print out all your favourite images and store them in a photo album – remember to write the destination and date on the back or alongside if you have room so you don’t forget where and when you went when you share this album with your grandchildren!

5. Make a shadow box – pick your favourite image and display it in a box photo frame with a fridge magnet or other souvenir of your trip for a great 3D effect for your walls. Make one for each destination and theme a whole area of your home.

6. Send yourself a postcard from each destination you visit and keep them in a scrapbook.

7. Attach an enormous world map to your wall and add a push pin every time you visit a new country, you could add photos or name tag or the postcard you sent yourself in number 6.

8. Keep a journal – old fashioned but actually consider buying a nice notebook (leather if you want to go old school and traditional) and record images, thoughts and memories of your travels.

9. Start a travel blog and share all your images and adventures online!

10. Create a travel binder – fill it with images, scrapbook pages, mementos, maps and more….get it professionally bound for a great look and laminate items to protect and preserve them.

If you choose number 10 and decide to record all your holiday memories in a professional looking binder contact Paperquip www.paperquip.co.nz for cost effective solutions for document binding NZ wide. They have fancy coilbinding machines for NZ images and documents. They have laminating machine for NZ wide delivery. Next day delivery available depending on your location.