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What paper can a paper creaser crease? –

Don’t be caught out by paper stocks, read our latest blog to learn one of the pitfalls of creasing solutions…

Even the least print-minded person out there knows that when you buy paper, you don’t just buy “paper.” More thought goes into the purchase than that, depending on the customers’ requirements, you need a variety of different stocks, but then when it comes to running them through your paper creaser, you need to know if it will create the result that leaves both you and your client happy? What works well creasing one stock might not work the same on another, so with this in mind, what does the ultimate paper creaser need?

Could your creaser handle a variety of stocks with ease?

It is safe to say in today’s digital printing environment no two jobs are the same and volumes can vary dramatically. Therefore a “one size fits all” paper creaser is no longer an option. Applications within the paper creasing process need to have the ability to be altered, or at least have some flexibility, to cope with a multitude of jobs:

• Feeding the sheets:

Within this there are factors to consider; if the creaser has a feeding system that processes 80gsm matt with ease and consistency, what if it struggles with 80gsm gloss, or completely seizes when loaded with 350gsm? What if the feeding method requires extra power, can you adjust the force applied by the vacuum pump for example? You also need to think about the widths of jobs, can you easily change the feed tray (if your paper creaser has one) from the A4 job you just ran ready for the A3 format you’re processing next?

• Applying the crease:

Obviously the most important job of a paper creaser, and again has variables thrown in. The size of crease needs considering, a thick piece of paper needs a wide crease, but apply the same size crease to thinner stocks and the fold may not be easy to apply consistently. With so many paper and print combinations out there, multiple choices of crease are fast becoming a necessity. Both the male and female aspects of the creaser (be they matrix or rotary) need the ability to change easily.

To go into this topic in even greater detail, and to learn about the other issues you may come across when deciding on a creaser, why not download our free report entitled “5 questions creasing machine suppliers won’t want you to ask them”:

Developing a creasing solution that feeds and creases every type of stock in the fastest and simplest of fashions is something we felt the digital print industry needed, this is why we worked hard for over four years before launching our own successful solutions, you can learn more by browsing our website.