I never repeat a product in my weekly Eblasts unless we have developed new improvements in the product such as new size or new colour etc.…  In this Eblast I’m repeating a product from just a few weeks ago…namely April 3.  But this “repeat” isn’t about a new size or colour of a product but rather the added “video” better…

What is a flipper book?  To explain what a flipper book is I need more than pictures, but the addition of a video to show the “page” movement or “flipping” a “flipper book” is no longer patented!  They come in dozens of different sizes. The “page” or “flipper panels” ranges from 4 to 16.  A flipper book can house a…

Dust jackets are the “loose” paper (cover) wrapped around the cover of a hard-bound book (rarely a perfect bound book).  Originally the purpose as the name implies was to keep dust off the books.  Now the main purpose is advertising.  Dust jackets are frequently printed multiple colours, whereas the printed pages are always black printing only.  All dust jackets have…

What is Steel Rule Die-cutting?  It is useful to use the words “steel rule” to describe one type of die-cutting because 2 completely different kinds or “styles” of die-cutting are Laser die-cutting PMC die-cutting Laser die-cutting “cuts” the paper with a laser “beam.” PMC die-cutting “die-cuts” three-inch-high piles of paper in one cycle.  The process includes making cuts in a…

What is Embossing? Embossing is the process of using male and female etched dies (typically made of magnesium, brass or copper) and heat to raise or push letters or a design above the surface of a sheet of paper; it creates an eye-catching three-dimensional effect. The embossing die is made with a reversed image of the design. When this process…

Button & Tie – Several months ago I did an eblast about “button & tie,” (sometimes called “button & string”).  We are seeing more jobs requiring a “button & tie string” increasingly.  We are getting calls to colour match the two “circles” or colour match the string or…colour match the eyelet!  Ninety-nine percent of the jobs have a common diameter…

One of the most important parts of the sales process for both graphic designers and printers is the procession and use of finished samples.  The old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” is still very true.  Could I suggest that a sample is better than a thousand pictures! We have the largest sample department for finish/bindery products in…

What do sleeves mean in the context of a bindery?  Sleeves in the bindery world are meant to house 1 or 2 or 3 books, or a ring binder, or a tray or smaller box. I’ve seen sleeves made out of literally hundreds of different materials; different colours, textures, gauges, patterns, velvet, suede…the list goes on.  Ask me what is…

In 2016 I did an Eblast about menus and why they should be of interest to graphic designers and printers.  The restaurant menu market continues to grow!  Increasingly people are “eating out.”  Increasingly people want something new.  Increasingly people want a better experience.  Part of the “restaurant experience” is the physical menu. Our supplies are consistently expanding the number of…

Perfect bound books, as far as the bindery is concerned are fairly boring. 99% of them are simply a front cover and back cover with a printed spine.  The following pictures shows creative ways to make a cover interactive, stand out, get noticed and invoke a real spark of interest! Pictures #1 and 2 show some creative ways to make…