Don’t be laid out by your files | File Preparation

Are you stuck in your page layout program? Does it feel like a foreign adventure for you to layout your book or your business card? Do you fear that you have made a mess you can’t recover from? Call us - we can help! We are familiar with almost all design-related software and can assist in most circumstances to get your file ready for print, or take what you’ve started and turn it into the masterpiece you were striving for.

We recently had a client working in PageMaker who had never used that program before. She was worried that she messed up her page layout to the point of no return. Upon meeting with her, we were able to put her at ease and offer some coaching. Sometimes an experienced eye is all it takes when a computer program is making you feel like you are on another planet. Use us as a resource to help you in preparing/building your next file for print!

Beyond assisting with troublesome files, we also offer a full array of design services to take your project from a simple idea to a creatively designed piece. Ask your sales rep or CSR for more information today!

Binding Your Book

Have a book project? Wondering how it should be bound? Here are your options...

• Saddle Stitching - With this option, the book is folded in half and stapled along the spine. Just remember, if you choose this style, the total number of pages in your book needs to be divisible by four. Think magazine!
• Perfect Binding - The inside pages of the book are printed and glued together. The cover is designed to include the spine, which then wraps around the insides of the book. A good example of perfect binding is a softcover novel.
• Tape Binding - With this book, a thermal tape that holds the book together is heated and glued to the spine of the book. It has a perfect bound appearance, only it includes a textured piece along the spine. The tape used along the spine comes in a variety of color options. This is a cost-effective method, but you may find that for heavily-used books, the tape wears out over time.
• Comb Binding - This book has wide holes punched on the bound edge and a wide-toothed plastic “comb” placed through the holes. This is an older method now becoming outdated as companies that used to own equipment for the technique found that, with use, pages snagged on the combs. Training manuals are often bound this way.
• Plastic Coil Binding - Small holes are punched on the bound edge of the book and a spiral plastic coil is then fed through the holes. The plastic coiling used comes in a variety of color options. Recipe books are a good example as spiral binding allows books to lay open easily. This method is the fastest-growing as it replaces comb binding.
• Wire Binding - Holes are punched along the bound edge of the book and a wire coil is fed into them. Although more expensive than coil, it adds a bit of class to your book and is not easily removed. From the old school days, this was how a teacher's grade book was bound.

Contact your sales rep or your customer solutions representative today to discuss the different binding options and what will work best for your project. Whether it be budget, time, or design that is dictating the finishing touches of your project, we can help you choose the best option!

Formating Your Project

Do you have any formatting problems?
Let us come up with a creative solution!

Recently, a customer dropped off a Word file for the printing of a very professional book. The file they sent us was a bit of a mess. The headers, spacing, type size, and page numbers were inconsistent. We gave their book to our Microsoft expert who re-worked the entire file to create a crisp, clean, and consistent look. In addition, we were able to keep the file in Word for the client, so they could easily make future changes for the next printing.