November 2006 - Little Planning Details Can Yield Big Savings

Project planning involves the exchange of dozens of details from customer to printer and bindery. With that amount of information going back and forth, seamless communication is essential to the success of your project. Last month, we outlined how differences in terminology can cause confusion during project planning. This month, we’ll review a few frequently-overlooked, yet vitally important, pieces of information to communicate before production begins.

Layouts for odd-size projects – Books with standard trim sizes are often straightforward to lay out for printing and binding. Odd-size projects, or those that will be printed on an unusual paper size, can pose problems during binding that aren’t apparent when printing.

If a layout is optimized for a certain paper size or press format, it may require offline trimming or slitting if the head, foot and face trim areas are overly large. In addition, a layout that results in text pages that are bound cross-grain can lead to unsatisfactory results, especially for coated or heavy text stocks.

To avoid these and other potential problems, consult with Muscle Bound before you print to be sure your layout is as efficient as possible.

Glue traps – Cover layouts for softcover binding applications should include an extra 1/16” glue trap at the head and foot to overhang the untrimmed signatures. Without this extra margin, glue can seep onto binding equipment and other books, reducing production speed and compromising quality.

Complete packing details – Whenever possible, offer complete packing and shipping instructions prior to production. This is especially important for projects requiring several shipping breakouts. These breakouts can be performed right off the binding line, saving time and money. Shipping breakout requests submitted after production may delay delivery and add to the project cost.

The Muscle Bound Advantage
At Muscle Bound Bindery, we help you manage every detail of your important projects. We are happy to offer layout guidance that helps you take advantage of both print and bindery production efficiencies. Contact Muscle Bound today to put your next important book project in our knowledgeable hands.