The Digital Bindery

In on-demand finishing, the make-ready is more important than the run. Low-cost finishing systems from Standard, Bourg and other manufacturers are designed to minimize makeready time and waste, with speeds more appropriate to the short runs in an on-demand environment.

Before turning to the commercial printing industry, most of the digital printing equipment manufacturers sold their products in data-center printing and mailing operations, where the long runs, homogeneous work mix and simple finishing requirements (for products such as statements and insurance policies) were easily handled by in-line finishing systems. Although many vendors continue to advocate automated, in-line finishing for publication and commercial printing applications, the fit can be a difficult one. The range of stocks, trim sizes and binding styles in these applications is a challenge for an integrated printing and finishing system.