41 January / February 2024 - Issue 346 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk From booklets and magazines to catalogues and calendars, binding is used for all manner of applications in print. Print service providers (PSPs) of all shapes and sizes run some form of binding machine for this reason, allowing them to take on work from across a wide range of markets and industries. Having quality binding technology in-house allows PSPs to not only turn work around quicker and serve more customers, but also oversee the quality of finished work and ensure it meets the high standards of both their own staff and customers. Here, Print Monthly takes a closer look at some of the latest binding machines available on the market and speaks with both manufacturers and suppliers to find out more about how their solutions can help PSPs enhance their finishing offering. Keep up with the Pace Plockmatic Group-owned Morgana Systems is one leading supplier of finishing equipment, including binding kit. Ray Hillhouse, vice president of sales and marketing for the Plockmatic Group Offline Business Unit, says with printing technology for book and booklet production undergoing such radical change over the last decade, it has been essential for the post-press suppliers to make equally large leaps forward with regard to the capabilities of the product being produced. “Many printers have grown by adding the latest digital print engine, but a failure to keep up with the post-press end of the process can easily negate such investment,” Hillhouse says, adding: “As a wise old print sage once put it, nothing is finished until the finishing is done! It is therefore important for any growing business in this sector to recognise that an investment in in-house binding is a major ingredient in future success.” With this in mind, what should PSPs be looking at when investing in a new binding machine? Hillhouse says companies are often misled down the ‘best price’ route and the old adage of ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ has to be remembered. “Cheap, poor-quality binders, with little or no on-the-ground support will be considered, and sometimes purchased by printers,” Hillhouse explains, adding: “Only when such a product breaks down at a critical production moment will the printer recall this phrase. Quality counts and quality can tend to cost just that little bit more. “Ease of use is becoming ever more important as the skill base in our industry continues to decline, and on-the-job training becomes ever more important. In BOUNDING TO THE FINISH A crucial part of the production process for many print service providers, we take a look at the latest developments in binding and find out how new technologies can help businesses grow BINDING TECHNOLOGY ► Morgana’s binding machines can be used to help finish a range of applications such as booklets and books
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