What Kind of Folder Would You Recommend?

[J_DVRS]

Hey everyone,
the company I work for is looking for ways to expand our newsletter mailings. We typically do booklets that end up being flat rates, and we are trying to save our customers money by folding a one signature (with possibly an 8.5x11 insert) 11x17 to 8.5x11, and then folded again to 8.5x5.5 to get the postal rate to letter. The paper we use would either be 100# or 80# text gloss. Printed, 3 knife trim, and folded in-line on canon image presses. Any one have a folder they would recommend that would take the finished piece from the printer to then fold 8.5x5.5?

Thank you in advance!

 

[MailGuru]

Pretty much any folder with a right angle attachment should work.

Setup the main folder to feed your folded newsletter from the folded (11-inch) leading edge with the upper and lower gates closed (flipped around so there are no folds) and exit perpendicular to the right angle attachment.

Then the piece is actually folded by however you set the gates on the right angle.

 

[TJPrinter]

The 8½x11 insert changes what you would need. If you didn’t do the insert, you could actually get just the right angle folder section and place it at your output of the press. It would take your folded 11x17 and fold it in half again down to 5½x8½. Don’t know much about the capabilities of your press but many shops would not do an insert, but rather a 6 page (stringer) newsletter and fold it down to 8½x11 and then 5½x8½.

If your quantities are small, you can feed a folded newsletter into a standard friction feed folder and it will fold it in half. I used to do a tone of newsletter and had a 18x24 folder with a right angle attachment and it was nice to have but takes up a lot of space. Now I just have an air feed folder and a friction feed folder to do the work. It takes a little longer but I don’t do nearly as many newsletter as I once did. I can right angle fold an 8 page newsletter on the old Challenge friction feed folder that I have so I know it would work for your 4 or 6 page newsletters.

 

[J_DVRS]

Thanks y'all!

 

[Shawnd]

If you are folding thicker newsletters you will want to look at a knife folder to get that crisp fold to 5.5 x 8.5, it will help when it runs through the tabber.

 

[Shawnd]

BTW, if your newsletters are over 4oz you will REALLY want to get this in place before the July 15th rate change (folding to FSM), if you are mailing flats over 4oz you will see a 20%+ increase in postage costs with this rate change.

 

[MailGuru]

Bless your heart Louis DeJoy.............. keep up the good work!

Just keep raising the prices....and....trying to figure out why people aren't mailing as much as they used to......