I remember a customer that came to us last year after investing thousands into a “do it all” mega printer and copier. It was a school in Indianapolis who quickly realized that their “do it all” printer and copier couldn’t bind, laminate, cut the paper down, create mail outs, shred or really do much of anything other than copy and collate.
This school had close to a thousand students, so when information went home that meant a thousand mailing packages had to be put together – that’s a thousand sheets of paper to fold, a thousand reply cards to insert and a thousand envelopes to assemble and seal. And though their super printer could do a simple tri-fold, it couldn’t assemble packages or seal them for mailing, mean monthly mail out time and a monthly assembly line for administrative staff.
LoI to the Rescue
We (the Lloyds of Indiana crew) helped set them up with a basic, but efficient tabletop document folder that could make different custom folds and the FD 6100 inserter that can insert two sheets and a return envelope into an envelope for mailing and then seal it. And while it wasn’t an “all-in-one” solution, it was a solution that actually worked.
On top of their mail-out problems, they were also having trouble creating booklets and binders. While their super printer claimed it could collate and bind, it could actually only staple together a limited number of sheets. It wasn’t adequate for printing readings or school publications.
So, we set them up with a Unibind Binding Machine, which is able to tackle larger jobs while creating a seamless, professional finish (perfect binding is adhesive-based and similar to paperback books) and a simple-to-use coil-binding system for smaller booklets. Again, it wasn’t part of an “all-in-one” or “do it all” solution, but it worked.
Something to Think About
Think about it this way – you can buy a machine that does many things poorly, or you can buy equipment that does the jobs you need to be done well. And while a high-quality and high-capacity printer is necessary for many businesses and institutions, so are all the little pieces of equipment involved in the document finishing the process.
If you find yourself in this situation, give us a call. Our knowledgeable staff is here to help you discover quick & easy solutions that will fit your budget!