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Digital printers need scoring machines
One of the problems with any kind of print is that if you try to fold an ink-heavy page, like a solid black cover, the ink will crack and break. Folding puts a lot of pressure on a sheet and stretches the ink laying across its surface. The last thing you want is an unprofessional finish to an otherwise slick piece, right?
To ensure a crackless fold and to maintain image integrity, pages need to be pre-scored before they’re folded. Scoring weakens paper fibers by indenting fold lines. The direction of your paper grain is probably the single most important factor to take into consideration when scoring paper. Scoring across the paper’s grain encourages the sheet to crack rather than the ink. This makes your fold look clean and allows sheets to fold flatter.
When shopping for a scoring machine, you want to consider the number it can be programmed for on a single sheet, its speed, and of course, the width of paper it will accommodate. Lloyd’s has some nice machines to choose from, and our staff is knowledgeable enough to help you find the scoring machine that will keep even your heaviest folds, crackless under pressure.
Why BIG Print Shops Should Use a Small Hand Scorer/Perforator
\Your shop is multitasking. When business is good, you’ve got 80% of your machines running 80% of the time. Your sales force is lining them up and you’re knocking them down. It’s a mix of new business and repeat customers and you’re very pleased with meeting everyone’s needs with a diversity of services. The big machines pay for themselves and are easy to justify in your business plan. But, what about the those hand-operated gizmos in the back corner? Do they ever get any use?
Big Payoff from a Small Job
Not every project justifies the use of a big machine. Sometimes the setup time alone is the same or longer than it takes for the actual run. And, are 500 pieces worth waiting in the queue if someone could knock them out manually in a couple hours?
You need to take a minute to reflect on the old theater adage, “there are no small parts, only small actors.” Sometimes the smaller jobs are the “rush” jobs. They’re frequently jobs you’ve charged a premium for, AND they’re jobs that a loyal repeat customer has brought to YOU instead of to the chain that’s closer to their office. Do it quick, with the same quality as a high-volume machine, and those customers stay loyal. Keep your bigger machines running without interruption and everybody wins.
Essential Gizmo – The Hand Scorer/Perforator
One must-have tool in the shop is a hand scorer/perforator like the HS-100 Handi-Scor. There’s virtually no setup and you’ll have the capacity to score and perf tent cards, brochures, menus, greeting cards, sales tickets, raffle tickets, business forms, carbonless and more. We’ve got this model and others at Lloyd’s. Check out the selection, and be ready to truly multi-task with efficiency in your shop.