Digital Booklets - Inline or Offline

[csudman]

We do a decent amount of color Booklets. 3-10k per month and that number is increasing. Mostly 8.5x11 finished, sometimes with full bleed.

If you were buying a new machine today. And weighing inline vs offline finishing, which would you choose? We are 95% digital, so I "think" we need a air assited booklet maker? Or will friction feed work ok?

I would like to buy used as it seems likes theres alot of good deals out there for 5-10k.

I would assume the benifits that would be gained by precutting the sheets for bleeds would save a consider amount of bindery time.

Thanks
CJ

[Al Ferrari]

For a traditional quality finish it is best to fold individual sheets separately off line, gather the signatures, stitch and then trim 3 sides. More time consuming, yes, but this method of production yields a quality product.

The product produced on line could include stitching and 3 side trimming, but will be of lower quality because multiple sheets can never be folded as tightly as single sheets.

Al

[csudman]

For a traditional quality finish it is best to fold individual sheets separately off line, gather the signatures, stitch and then trim 3 sides. More time consuming, yes, but this method of production yields a quality product.

The product produced on line could include stitching and 3 side trimming, but will be of lower quality because multiple sheets can never be folded as tightly as single sheets.

Al

Well, we are not going to be gearing up to do fold, collate, stitch. I'm thinking 1-2 tower collator/stitcher/trimmer.

[Al Ferrari]

Well, we are not going to be gearing up to do fold, collate, stitch. I'm thinking 1-2 tower collator/stitcher/trimmer.

Well that's fine. You know best how to serve your customers. But "booklets" usually means two or more folded sheets inserted and stitched at the spine. Where is the folding getting done in your future set up?

Al

[csudman]

Booklet maker IM talking about with fold sets then stitch.

[UnlimitedBT]

Hi. It is surely a lot more convenient to have in-line bookletmaking. We had a Ricoh Aficio 9000 with Plockmatick bookletmaker in-line. Beautiful set-up, all that operator had to do is load paper and unload ready booklet. Now when we had upgraded to Ricoh MP-9000 I was unable to do the same hook up and we saddle-stitch offline.
If you go with In-line finishing (being said that you have some full bleed jobs) your system must be able to trim top and bottom (I saw duplo system capable of that) which will save you a lot of time and effort but will cut your ability to produce jobs printed elsewhere (say if anyone will ask you saddle stitch the job he had printed somewhere else. I mean, I am sure the system should have a by-pass tray but you will not have a collator...
Also you said that amount of your orders are increasing... how about quantity of runs? Say someday you will find yourself in situation where adding an offset or DI press will be sense-making a system with Collator will be a better choice but keep in mind - this is from experience - all air fed systems - collators, folders, etc are quiet unhappy to feed laser printed stock due to paper being distorted from fuser heat (paper out of laser copier will newer lay flat at least not as out of offset press)
To sum things up - if stitching out of you digital copier/printer is the only thing you're planning on doing - in-line finishing is better, simpler, efficient.
If you plan on growing to add an offset and may be in need to handle outside jobs than offline system is more universal.
If you go with off-line stitching system, friction fed will handle uncoated stocks mostly but will cost significantly less where air fed systems can handle glossy and coated stocks but priced a lot higher...

[csudman]

Their is no inline that I am aware of/can afford that can do a 3 side book trim. My goal would be to print uncollated sigs. Then using a tower collater/folder/end trimmer combo, create booklets.

I just envision this being cheaper for 2 reasons.

1. We do some 1/2 size booklets now that cost twice as much to create inline because of the clicks.
2. When creating booklets that bleed, I can but the sigs before collating/folding/stitching and save tons of time vs booklet trimming after printing.

[UnlimitedBT]

Hi, you right - if you on "per click" contract this is most efficient way. But I've got to tell you - when I had in-line hook up, system had a cover feeder so printing full color cover, B/W inside was awesome - there is nothing like having the right set-up for the right job, but I think having a regular off line collate/stitch/trim system will serve you really well.

[JayDA]

After screwing around with various inline booklet makers, we've just invested in an offline solution. The amount of options available to me now far exceed what I could do inline. I still run my fair share of books on lighter weight stock with my inline finishers, but anything with a separate cover or on heavier stock goes offline.

[arossetti]

Well that's fine. You know best how to serve your customers. But "booklets" usually means two or more folded sheets inserted and stitched at the spine. Where is the folding getting done in your future set up?

Al

I'm not 100% sure since I do not own the equipment but during a demo of a c6501 with the booklet making (and I'm sure this would still be true for the newer KM boxes) the booklet maker folds each signature before collating and stapling. Maybe a KM user can confirm this. We use the basic finisher with booklet maker on 2 of our digital boxes however we also use a horizon offline stitch fold trim system. Depends on the turnaround, quantity and size of the book.