How to avoid cracking of folded UV coated greeting cards?

[GeorgeS]

Hi,
I design and print short runs of 1000-5000 of 5x7" (folded) greeting cards that have pretty intense and dark colors on outside.
4over.com cards look fine flat but 80% of them crack really badly upon folding.
Customer service rep told me that this is a very common problem and I can't use any dark colors on the folding line but even without any ink there some cracking should be expected.

Another company that I use is PrintSafari. They printed exactly the same card on the same 14pt stock with UV and none of the cards cracked. Their customer service told me that they never had this problem.

4over is ~ 25% cheaper than PrintSafari.
My distributors are not happy with the price increase.

Any suggestions on how to avoid cracking then folding cards?
Is 4over over drying UV varnish or doing scoring wrong?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Slice]

Grain direction will affect cracking. I worked at Hallmark cards for ten years and on the coated cards we would do a cut score. It would actually cut into the stock so you would see a white cut line but at least it was a nice clean line so nobody complains.

 

[GeorgeS]

Thank you but cutting is not an option for me - it would take forever if I'd do it manually.

 

[Al Ferrari]

All customers are desirable. But do you think you are such a desirable customer to 4over.com so that you could prose a deal with them that you would pay half the cost of a Tri-Creaser for them if they would guarantee you they would faithfully use it to score your cards?

Here is a link to the Tri-Creaser movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P8_TV2Fhco


It may be worth exploring this idea.

Al

 

[GeorgeS]

Thank you Al for your input!

I have already sent a link to the same video to 4over ~3 weeks ago - no response.

In regards to splitting the cost there are 3 main objections:
1. I'm not in any way "a desirable customer" - my volume is too small
2. 4over has 5 plants in different states and buying 5 Tri-Creasers at $1,500 even at the half of the cost would be a bit too much for me
3. I am not sure at all that Tri-Creaser would help if 4over is over drying UV coating...

 

[Kees]

Hi,
On card stock you really have to crease before folding, but even than it can crack sometimes when printing intense dark colors. In some productions we use spot-uv, on the folding line we knock the uv out.

 

[ondemandbindery]

Tri Creaser is a done deal. Technifold has the market on the Composite Scoring Systems. Tri Creaser tried to duplicate a system already in place and they didn't have their ducks in a row. Both systems worked the same for me. Oh well....

On to your problem. What I recognize first is the you are paying 25% less from 4over. In life you get what you pay for. Remember in Manufacturing you have speed, price, and quality. You will only pick 2 of the 3. Which ones do you want??

UV is quite the bugger at times. I really do not see your problem with the curing of the coating honestly. What comes to mind is the grade paper each of the Printing Plants are using, respectively. That comes back to the get what you pay for. I would have to see samples to make a informed decision for you. I am a huge fan of the Rotary Creasing systems and I am more than sure that both companies mentioned are creasing in line at some level.

HTH,
JW

 

[Al Ferrari]

Tri Creaser is a done deal. Technifold has the market on the Composite Scoring Systems. Tri Creaser tried to duplicate a system already in place and they didn't have their ducks in a row. Both systems worked the same for me. Oh well....
JW

I can't figure out what that means. Tri Creaser is by Technifold.

Al

 

[ondemandbindery]

Let me back that statement up. In my world I keep thinking Tri Creaser was the company who Technifold sued. I am use to either seeing Technifold or the wording used. Good catch and carry on Lol.....

JW

 

[GeorgeS]

I would have to see samples to make a informed decision for you.

HTH,
JW

I'd be glad to send you samples from both companies.

 

[GeorgeS]

In life you get what you pay for. Remember in Manufacturing you have speed, price, and quality. You will only pick 2 of the 3. Which ones do you want??
HTH,
JW

Actually, I want just 2 out of 3: price & quality - I don't care about speed at all.
They may spend 5 weeks on printing/scoring instead of 5 days...

It is just amazing that 4over allows you to order the product with such options that guarantee it to be defective after folding.
But I'm not using them anymore.

 

[GeorgeS]

In life you get what you pay for. Remember in Manufacturing you have speed, price, and quality. You will only pick 2 of the 3. Which ones do you want??
HTH,
JW

Actually, I want just 2 out of 3: price & quality - I don't care about speed at all.
They may spend 5 weeks on printing/scoring instead of 5 days...

It is just amazing that 4over allows you to order the product with such options that guarantee it to be defective after folding.
But I'm not using them anymore.

 

[Buntpapier]

When I worked as a bookbinder (nearly hundred years ago) we had no machine to crease. We where fixing a wire underneath the false clamp of the cutter and a soft board on the table. Using the food paddle we could crease. This is not good for a million post cards. But it is good to learn from which side creasing works the best, to make samples and for short runs.
Buntpapier