MyBinding Blog - When Image Matters

Welcome to the MyBinding Blog

Welcome to the MyBinding Blog.  We have created this blog as a place to share articles, reviews, press releases and information with our customers and the world.  Over the past few years we have written over 800 pieces on topics related to binding, laminating and paper handling.  Plus, we publish over 100 new articles and reviews every month.  These articles and reviews have been published all over the web but until now we haven't been able to publish them all in one place.

Our goal is to publish a few articles every day until all of the pieces are posted here at the blog.  Check back every day for new posts relating to binding equipment, laminators, paper cutters, paper folders, shredders, index tabs, ring binders, binding supplies, laminating pouches and laminating film. Or, you can subscribe to our feed and get new articles delivered to your mailbox every day.

Important Considerations When Choosing A Paper Folding Machine

If you are in the market for a paper folding machine there are some very important things that you need to consider before you make your purchase. Considering these factors will help you to choose the correct paper folder for your application and will help you to ensure that you are fully satisfied with your paper folding experience. Here is a list of six things to consider when purchasing a new paper folder.

1. Paper Size: The first question that you need to ask yourself when choosing a paper folding machine is: what size of paper do I need to fold? Depending on your answer to this question your search for a paper folder may be narrowed somewhat. For instance if you need to fold 11" x 17" paper you wouldn't want to buy a folder that is only capable of folding letter sized documents.
2. Fold Type: The second question to ask yourself when choosing a paper folder is: What type of fold do I need to create. If you are looking for a simple tri fold, a half fold or a z-fold most folders will work for your needs. However, if you are looking to do a cross fold or a fold that is more complex you probably don't want to buy a lower end folder. You most likely won't be happy with the results.
3. Paper Stock: The third thing to consider when choosing a paper folding machine is the type of paper that you need to fold. Most lower end folders on the market (anything below $5000) will have a difficult time folding any type of cardstock or index stock that is not pre scored. Many of these folders will also have a difficult time with slick glossy paper stocks. If you plan on folding these types of materials you may want to consider sending in a sample to have tested before you purchase your folding machine (you should also look at the folders above $2000, you probably won't have a lot of luck with the smaller ones).
4. Variety of Folds: The fourth thing to consider when choosing a paper folding machine is the number of different folds that you will need to do. Many of the lower end paper folders are very difficult to set up and change fold patterns. If you are only going to need to do one type of fold it is not as essential that the paper folding machine be easy to set up and change folding patterns. However, if you work at a print shop and need to change folding patterns with every different job you should probably consider a paper folding machine with digital fold plate adjustments or at very least a paper folder with a fold plate that is fixed at 90 degrees to the paper path (some of the lower end folders such as the Dynafold Paper Folder models require you to square your fold plates during setup which can be difficult if you are constantly changing folding patterns).
5. Folding Volume: If you are going to need to fold hundreds of thousands of documents per month you are going to need a different type of folder than if you are going to fold 500 sheets per month. Most people with a paper folder will fall somewhere in between. Just remember to consider your volume when deciding what type of folder to buy. The more you are going to fold the better the folder that you are going to need.
6. Budget: If I could give you one piece of advice when choosing a paper folder, it would be to buy the best paper folding machine that you can afford. Most individuals tend to buy a paper folder that is less than adequate for their needs and are not satisfied with the results. If you can afford it consider an MBM or Formax paper folder. Both of these companies have simple to use designs and great reputations. Buying a paper folder is a little bit like buying a new car. Sometimes it is better to buy a better quality car up front to save you on hassles down the road.

Ingento Maple Desktop Paper Cutters Still Around and Still the Same

If you have been in the workroom of almost any school in the past ten years, chances are you have seen an Ingento Maple Trimmer. These excellent quality paper cutters consist of a hardwood maple surface with a ruler for determining measurements and a Guillotine Style Cutting blade. They do what they are designed to do and interestingly enough haven't really changed in years.

A few weeks ago, a local customer of mine asked me to help them replace their old Ingento Maple trimmer. Their 12" x 12" Ingento Maple trimmer was more than twenty years old and the blade had been sharpened so many times that there was hardly any metal left. It was definitely time for a new cutter. I went ahead and ordered them a brand new GBC Ingento CL500m Maple Trimmer. Much to my surprise when the cutter arrived and I took it out of the box, the new CL500m was identical to the twenty year old trimmer. The design hadn't changed.

All of the Ingento maple trimmers include a self sharpening hardened steel blade, a steel tension spring to secure the blade in any position, a protective guard rail, a latch hook to lock the blade in place, an alignment grid and ruler as well as a 10 year warranty. If you are looking for a guillotine style paper cutter the Ingento is the way to go. Thousands of other Paper Cutters have come and gone and the Ingento is the same great cutter as it has always been. Don't settle for anything less than the best. Choose GBC Ingento.

Introducing the PC200 Plastic Spiral Coil Binding Machine

One of the newest binding machines added to the Mybinding.com site is the PC200 plastic spiral coil binding machine. At first glance it might seem that this is just yet another coil binding machine. However, the PC200 has one important feature that sets it apart from all of the other spiral coil binding machines that we carry. The PC200 Coil Binding machine is the first commercially available personal coil binding machine with fully disengageable punching pins.

If you haven't done a lot of coil binding, this may not seem like it is a big deal. Actually for most users it isn't a huge deal. However, the fact that the PC200 has fully disengageable pins allows users to bind documents that they cannot bind on any of the other coil binding machines on the market (including the Akiles CoilMac line of binding machines). Most of the coil binding machines on the market only allow you to disengage three or four pins. These machines allow you to bind the most common sizes of documents. However, if you want to bind a custom sized document or photobook you are likely to run into trouble. With the PC200 you can bind any length of document that you want.

One of the best features of coil is that coil binding supplies are readily available and reasonably priced in custom lengths. However, in order to take advantage of this great feature you need a machine that can bind custom sized documents. With the PC200 you can bind documents that are both shorter and longer than 11" (up to a maximum of 21" in length). For documents or projects that are less than 11 inches you simply have to pull the correct pin to ensure that you don't have a half at the edge of your page. For documents that are longer than 11 inches you can use the open throat design of the PC200 to punch your documents in two passes.

Four Things You Should Consider Before You Purchase a Velobind Binding System

If you are looking for a highly secure and professional binding system then perhaps Velobind is right for you. Many attorneys, government agencies and financial service organizations choose Velobind for its unmatched tamper resistance, strong bind and professional appearance. However, before you decide whether Velobind is right for your office there are a few things that you might want to know. Here are four things that you might want to consider before you Purchase a Velobind System.

1. There are really three different types of Velobind that are commonly used. The most common type is 11 pin or Hot Knife Velobind. Hot knife binding systems take the Velobind strips and literally rivet the plastic pins in place providing a highly secure and permanent bind. This is the most popular type of Velobind binding however it requires a special hot knife binding machine that starts at about $1000.

   The second type is called Surebind. Surebind works just like hot knife Velobind but uses 10 pins instead of 11. The machines used for Surebinding are very similar to the machines used for hot knife Velobind and the finished product looks very similar (the strip is a little bit wider with Surebind). Surebind was originally designed for use with the plastic comb binding hole pattern for higher productivity.

   The Third type of Velobind binding is four pin reclosable binding. The four pin strips can be used with either four hole punched Velobind paper or with 11 pin punched paper. This system looks very similar to hot knife Velobind but is not permanent or secure. In fact, it is designed to be reclosable so that users can easily edit their documents using a Velobind four pin debinder tool. With four pin Velobind binding the excess portion of the binding pin simply snaps into the back of the strip on the back of the document (with hot knife systems the pin is cut off and melted in place)

2. Although Velobind is very secure and offers a highly professional look, it is only available for standard sized documents. Hot knife Velobind strips are available for letter, legal and half letter sized documents while reclosable strips are only available for letter sized documents. If you plan on binding documents that are longer than 14 inches or are a non standard size Velobind will not be a good choice. Half letter size strips can be used to bind 8.5" x 5.5" documents or to bind letter or legal size documents in landscape orientation.

3. One of the greatest strengths of Velobind is that it is extremely secure. However, this can also be a challenge for organizations that need to frequently edit their documents. To edit a document bound with hot knife Velobind you need to use a special debinding tool to actually cut the binding strip off the edge of your document. You then have to use a new strip to rebind your document. Obviously this is not ideal for documents that are going to need to be updated, changed or photocopied.

4. Velobind is not considered a lay flat binding style. This means that when you open the document it will not lay flat on a table or desk. This means that documents bound with Velobind do not lend themselves to photocopying. However, the tight bind does give the documents a more professional look that is similar to a perfect bound book. If your company needs a document that will lay flat when it is opened then Velobind is probably not the best option.

These are four simple things that are helpful to know before you decide to purchase a Velobind binding system. Hopefully with this information you are able to better decide whether Velobind is the right binding style for your office or organization.

Four Things You Should Know Before Buying a Wire Binding Machine

If you are looking for a solution to bind your own documents, reports, presentations and proposals, wire binding is certainly a great choice. The professional look of the double loop wire binding is a popular choice for engineers, architects, real estate agents and financial service organizations. In fact, double loop wire binding (also called wire-o binding) offers one of the most professional looks available on the market. However, before you rush out and buy a wire binding machine there are a few things that you should know. Here they are...

1. There are two types of twin loop wire binding machines. A 3:1 pitch wire binding machine is designed to punch a hole pattern with three holes per inch and is used to bind documents between 3/16" and 9/16". A 2:1 pitch wire binding machine is designed to punch a hole pattern with two holes per inch and is used to bind documents between 5/8" and 1-1/4". If you decide to purchase a 3:1 pitch wire binding machine and decide later that you need to bind larger sized documents you will be out of luck. With a 2:1 pitch wire binding machine you can actually buy small sized custom elements for small documents. However, these documents will not have the same tightly wound look that is popular with 3:1 pitch wire binding. If you anticipate needing to bind both large and small sized documents with wire binding your best bet is to purchase a binding system capable of punching both 2:1 pitch and 3:1 pitch patterns. This will offer you the flexibility to bind documents in all sizes up to 1-1/4" with your machine.
2. Twin loop wire binding elements come out of the box in a "C" shape. Most wire binding machines have a place to hang or hold the wire in place while you put the pages onto the wire element. You then have to take the wire binding spine and use the wire closer on your machine to squeeze the spine closed into a round shape. It can take some practice to move the book into the wire closer without having your spines fall out. Unfortunately apart from a high end electric wire closer, this is the process that is required for wire binding.
3. It is important to make sure that you purchase a twin loop wire binding machine that has an excellent quality wire closer. Cheaper wire binding machines can sometimes use plastic components and cheaper construction. Over time, the wire closers on these machines can begin to skew resulting in an uneven bind. Higher quality wire binding machines will use metal construction to ensure that the wire closer will not slip or skew over time.
4. Wire-O binding supplies are available in more than 14 different colors and a large number of sizes. Generally speaking, wire spines are stocked in 11" lengths for standard letter size documents. Spines for longer or shorter documents can be ordered in almost any length and take just a few days to have made. Large volume users will sometimes use wire on spools and use special machines to cut the spines to length. Spools are not recommended for low volume non automated users since they are susceptible to shipping damage and can become tangled easily.

Certainly there is more to wire binding than just these four things. However, understanding these four points will help you to make an informed decision when choosing a wire binding machine.

Using Fastback CP Strips to Bind Hard to Bind Papers

In late 2006 Powis Parker Inc. released the new Fastback CP Binding Strip. The CP strip is designed as a solution for binding difficult to bind papers with the Fastback 15xs Binding Machine. The CP strip is designed for use with color copy and laser print papers up to 32# text. These color copy and laser print papers are often used in the workplace for reports, proposals, and other business documents. However, existing Powis Parker Fastback strips sometimes had difficulty binding these glossy paper stocks.

The new Powis Parker Fastback CP strip has a strip of center glue that is formulated for extremely aggressive adhesion. The Fastback CP strip works well with split sheets and coated paper but also creates a strong bind with smooth paper without using the Powis Edge splitter which is part of their high end photobook production cell. However, to obtain this strong bind the CP strip requires extra binding time (approximately 45 seconds).

The center adhesive on the new Fastback CP strips is thicker than the center adhesive on Fastback Super Strips. According to Powis Parker this has two primary benefits: First, pages bound with the Fastback CP Strip are not allowed to completely lay-flat creating a more sophisticated, signature look for the finished presentations. Second, the thicker glue of the Fastback CP Strip helps to protect the binding edge from the flex stress of page turning.

Although these new Fastback CP strips are effective in binding many types of paper that have proven difficult to bind in the past it is important to understand that the CP strip by itself does not solve the problems with binding glossy coated stocks and digital output. Additionally, the extended bind time and extra heat required by the new Fastback CP strips can sometimes cause printing along the binding edge to bleed. Thus, these strips are not recommended for prints with full bleeds that run to the binding edge of the document. Still, the best way to know if these new strips will work for your application is to simply have us bind a sample for you and see the results for yourself.

You can choose from four different colors of CP strips including: Black Fastback CP Strips, White Fastback CP Strips, Dark Blue Fastback CP Strips and Khaki Fastback CP Strips. These strips are packaged 75 strips per box and are available in two different thicknesses (narrow and medium). Khaki colored strips are slightly shorter than standard superstrips and are designed for finishing books using Fastback Hardcovers.

If you are considering these new innovative binding strips from Powis Parker it is essential that you first determine if your machine is compatible. All 15xs Fastback machines manufactured after 3/9/2006 were shipped with the new firmware and required adjustments to adequately run these new CP strips. However, if your Fastback Binding Machine is older you may need to upgrade it in order to run these strips. This new upgrade for the Fastback 15xs will allow you to run CP strips, will provide you with a faster binding cycle when using Super strips, will allow you to produce sharper edges when binding and will fix a firmware bug that prevented user strip wrap settings from being saved properly.

Paper or Plastic - Deciding on The Right Binding Cover For Your Organization

Paper or Plastic? This is a question that you might expect at the checkout at the grocery store. However, it is also a questions you should ask yourself if you are searching for the right presentation cover for your needs. Nearly all presentation binding covers fall into one of two categories; paper and plastic. This article is designed to help you better understand the strengths and weaknesses of paper and plastic binding covers along with the different options that are available for your presentations and proposals.

Binding covers made from paper are some of the most popular covers available on the market. Paper presentation covers are a popular choice for companies that are looking for an elegant and professional appearance. They are available in a huge variety of colors and textures to fit almost any need and can often be matched to a company's logo or color scheme. Some of the most popular varieties of paper covers include; linen weave (with an embossed linen pattern), grain (with a leather grain pattern), regency (with a vinyl coating for a leather like look and feel), twill (with a fine ribbed pattern) and metallic covers (with a sparkling metallic look). Some of these varieties are available in dozens of colors while others are available in just a few. Some of these paper stocks are available in multiple sizes while others are available in a limited selection of sizes. Depending on the sizes and colors that you need, this may help to make your decision a little bit simpler.

While many users prefer the look and feel of paper stocks, others opt for the durability offered by plastic binding covers. These companies prefer the protection from moisture, heat and tearing that plastic covers offer. Plastic presentation reportcovers are available in two primary styles...

1. Many companies choose to use a clear plastic coversheet on the front of their documents or reports to protect the contents and allow their clients to see the printing on their title page. Clear cover sheets are available in thicknesses ranging from 4mil economy grade to ultra heavy duty 15mil sheets. Clearcovers are somewhat prone to scratching and are often packaged with tissue in between each cover to prevent scratching. They also tend to generate lots of static and can be difficult to separate.
2. As an alternative to clearview covers, other companies choose polycovers. These are made out of poly plastic and are available in thicknesses between 12mil and 19mil. These covers often have an embossed pattern such as leather grain, crystal, sand or stripe. They are available in transparent, translucent and opaque colors. This makes them perfect for either the front or the back of documents and reports.

There are pros and cons to using both of these types of binding covers. Some companies choose plastic, some companies choose paper and other companies choose plastic on the front and paper on the back. Whatever your choice, there are some great options available to you.

GBC Accucut A300 Swingline SmartCut Lite Rotary Trimmer Review

Overview:

• 

  The GBC Accucut A300 rotary trimmer is also being marketed as the Swingline Smartcut Lite. Although these two cutters have different names, they are identical.
• The A300 is a personal rotary trimmer that is designed for trimming paper, scrapbook pages, presentations, desktop publishing projects and more.
• It is designed to be an economical solution for home offices and small offices that are looking for low volume paper cutter.

Strengths / Features:

• The Swingline Smartcut Lite offers a 12" cutting length that is ideal for trimming documents as large as 11" x 17" in size. It can also be used to trim 12" x 12" scrapbooking paper.
• The Accucut A300 has a ruler along the top of the trimmer that offers both imperial and metric measurements. It also has an alignment grid printed on the base of the cutting unit. This alignment grid is ideal for helping to ensure that you get straight cuts every time.
• The cutting blade on the A300 travels along a transparent cutting guide that allows users to see exactly where the blade will travel. This helps to ensure the most accurate cuts possible.
• The Smartcut Lite comes equipped with a stainless steel round cutting blade that is capable of cutting up to 10 sheets of paper at a time. However, the trimmer can also be equipped with a perforator blade for perforating paper or with a wave cutting blade for adding decorative edges to your paper.
• The Accucut A300 has a convenient easy grip handle that travels along a metal rail. In order to cut a document you simply need to press down on the handle to engage the blade.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

• The GBC Accucut A300 is made primarily for personal and home office use. For this reason, it is made almost entirely made of plastic. The GBC Accucut A400pro is the same size and offers the same cutting length as the A300 but utilizes metal components instead of plastic ones. The plastic components make the A300 far less durable than larger professional grade rotary trimmers.
• Although the Smartcut Lite is rated to cut up to ten sheets of paper, it is really not ideal for cutting more than a few sheets of paper at any given time. It is really more of a trimmer than a cutter. A guillotine style paper cutter is better for cutting small stacks of paper while a rotary trimmer is best used for trimming laminated documents and other materials.
• The A300 uses a special cutting mat that is placed underneath the rotary cutting blade. The cutting mat helps to ensure the quality of trimming provided by the trimmer. The cutting mat needs to be replaced or reversed on a regular basis in order to ensure high quality cuts. It is always a good idea to keep an extra cutting mat on hand in case you need to replace the mat on your cutter.

Recommendation:

• For organizations that need to trim a few documents or want to add either a decorative edge or a perforated section to their documents the Smartcut Lite is a logical choice.
• However, it is important to recognize that this is a paper cutter that is designed for personal use. The plastic construction of the A300 makes it a decent choice for scrapbooking and craft projects. However, it is less than ideal for commercial applications or any type of volume trimming.
• It is also important to remember that the Smartcut lite is designed as a trimmer and not a cutter. For any type of volume cutting, a guillotine paper cutter is a better solution.

Intimus GC208 Gutter Cut Business Card Slitter Review

Overview:

• 

  The Intimus GC208 Business Card Slitter is designed for creating small runs of high quality full bleed business cards without the need to outsource. Any organization with a color copier and a frequent need to order business cards will find that the GC208 pays for itself quite nicely.
• It is ideal for printers, copy shops, in-plant print shops and human resource departments looking to produce their own high quality, full bleed business cards.
• The GC208 comes with a CD on which you will find templates to help with the layout of your business cards in four popular applications: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher, Quark and Illustrator.

Strengths / Features:

• Although there are a number of different business card slitters available on the market, the GC-208 is one of the only gutter cut business card slitters that is commercially available. It is designed to produce high quality full bleed business cards out of letter sized sheets printed on your color laser printer or photocopier. By overprinting the template, it is possible to have your graphics run to the very edge of for full bleed business cards.
• The GC208 business card slitter is capable of completing up to 300 finished business cards per minute. This is fast enough for commercial applications where speed and productivity are essential.
• This machine has a feeder that is capable of handling a stack of sheets up to 5/8" thick. You can load the sheets into the feeder, place the weights on top of the stock and let the machine do its work.
• The GC208 is a floor standing unit that comes mounted on castors. The business card slitting unit is mounted on a special waste bin for no-mess production. Plus, the whole unit is mounted on wheels to allow you to push the unit out of the way when it is not in use.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

• The GC208 business card slitter requires a two step operation for cutting business cards. First, you feed the letter sized sheets into the lower station of the machine and it cuts them into two 3.5" strips and cuts the waste off the sides. Then you feed the cut strips sideways through the upper station to separate the four, full bleed imprinted cards. It's best to do all of your length-wise cuts, and then all of your side-ways cuts. Although the machine is fast (300 cards per minute) cutting business cards is still a hands on process.
• Because full bleed imprinting requires an overprint on all four sides of the card, the GC208 is limited to producing only 8 cards per 8 ½" x 11" sheet.
• The cutting heads are not adjustable, the GC208 cuts only standard size business cards and accepts only 8 ½" x 11" stock.

Recommendation:

• The GC-208 is an excellent cost effective business card slitter for producing high quality full bleed business cards from letter sized sheets of paper.
• With speeds of up to 300 cards per minute the GC208 is ideal for print shops, binderies, copy shops and for organizations who want to produce their own high quality business cards in minutes rather than waiting days or weeks from outsourcing.
• The productivity offered by this unit can help to justify its cost in no time at all.
• However, the GC208 is only designed for cutting business cards that are printed 8 up on the page. Users who want to cut cards that are printed 10 up or 12 up on a sheet will need to consider a different machine.

Martin Yale 12-Station Model 6120 Electric Collator Review

Overview:

• 

  The Martin Yale 12-Station electric collator is a lightweight easy to use electric collating machine that provides all of the advantages of high speed professional collating in a compact and attractive shell.
• It is designed to help collate multi paged reports, bulletins, contracts, newsletters at a speed of up to twenty-one twelve page sets per minute.
• This make the Martin Yale 12-station electric collator an excellent choice for in plant printers, copy shops, schools, churches or corporate offices.

Strengths / Features:

• The Martin Yale 12-station electric collator is capable of processing up to 21 sets of documents per minute. This means that it can collate one set of documents every three seconds. Or it can be used to produce two sets of six pages every three seconds yielding up to 42 documents per minute.
• The Martin Yale Electric Collator can operate automatically at a speed of 21 cycles per minute. Or if you can't keep up with the machine in automatic mode, it can be operated in a self paced mode using a convenient foot pedal. This will allow you to collate documents as fast as you can move.
• The 12-station electric collator has a special retraction feature. This means that pages that are not grasped as part of the collating process will conveniently fall back into the collating bins. This helps to ensure that the collated sheets won't back up causing a huge mess if you have to step away from the machine for a minute or two.
• Each of the twelve bins on the 6120 collator can be loaded with up to 175 sheets of paper. This large capacity is helpful in increasing productivity by reducing the number of times you need to reload the machine in order to finish collating your job.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

• Although the 6120 collator is electric and automated it still requires an operator to manually grasp the pages as they are extended from the front of the machine. The Martin Yale 6120 simply pushes a portion of each sheet out of the front of the machine. The operator needs to grasp the 12 pages and stack them in a V-tray, on a stack cart or in another location to keep them organized.
• The Martin Yale 12-station collator is designed for use with 13lb - 110lb non coated paper. It is not designed for feeding carbonless papers, high gloss stocks, stapled sets or multi-part forms. The pusher assemblies used by the Martin Yale 6120 are not designed to work with these types of stocks. Attempting to use the machine with these types of papers will most likely result in misfeeds and incomplete sets.

Recommendation:

• The Martin Yale 6120 electric collator is ideal for all types of organizations that need to assemble newsletters, reports, bulletins, sales materials and other multi paged documents.
• It is ideal for printers, binderies, mailrooms, and for in plant print shops who need to save time in assembling multi-page documents.
• However, it is important to remember that although the Martin Yale 6120 can offer incredible collating speeds it still requires an operator to remove each set of documents from the machine as it processes them.

Martin Yale 101 1" Single Spindle Electric Paper Drill Review

Overview:

• 

  The Martin Yale 101 is a single spindle paper drill that is designed to drill one hole at a time in a stack of paper that is up to one inch thick. It works just like a drill press and is fast, easy and convenient.
• Using a paper drill is the fastest way to place holes in a stack of paper or documents and it allows you to choose the specific size and placement of the holes on the edge of your paper.
• This paper drill is designed to be easy to use and to meet the needs of a small print/copy shop, in-plant copy center or mailroom.

Strengths / Features:

• The Martin Yale 101 has a convenient dial that allows you to choose any one of five preset positions along the edge of your paper for drilling. However, it can also be adjusted manually for drilling holes anywhere along the edge of sheets that are up to 11-5/8" in length.
• The 101 paper drill uses J-style hollow paper drill bits for boring the holes through your paper. It comes with a 1/4" bit to help you get started but you can buy custom sized drilling bits to produce holes as large as 9/32" in size.
• The Martin Yale 101 includes a clamping system that helps to hold your sheets in place during the drilling process. This clamping system helps to ensure that the pages don't move while you drill them.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

• The Martin Yale 101 is a single spindle drill with a one inch capacity. This means that you can only drill one hole in up to one inch of paper at a time. This is fine for low to moderate volume users. However, drills that can handle two inches of paper and can drill multiple holes at a time are ideal for higher volume applications. Of course, the price will also be higher.
• The Martin Yale 101 operates much like a drill press and like a conventional drill press, it is possible to break or burn up the drill bits. It is important to remember to lubricate the drill bits on a regular basis with Drill Ease lubricant and to go slow. Attempting to drill the paper too quickly can result in broken drill bits and other problems.
• The Martin Yale 101 paper drill comes with a 1/4" drill bit and a drill bit sharpener. However, if you are going to use the 101 you are going to want to invest in additional drill blocks, lubricant, replacement bits, and potentially the accessory kit that is designed for this drill. Don't forget to order these extras when you order the drill or you might find yourself unable to use your drill while you wait for a replacement bit or accessories.

Recommendation:

• The Martin Yale 101 paper drill is an excellent introductory paper drilling machine.
• It offers small printers, in plant print shops and copy shops the ability to drill custom hole patterns in up to an inch of paper at a time.
• Larger volume users may want to consider a larger multiple spindle paper drill or a drill that can handle larger capacities of paper. These options will add productivity for a price.
• However, for users who opt for the Martin Yale 101 paper drill, it is important to remember to go slow, use drill lubricant and keep extra supplies on hand.

Martin Yale BM101 Automatic Booklet Maker Review

Overview:

• 

  The New Martin Yale BM101 booklet making machine is designed as a low cost semi-automatic booklet maker that is both feature rich and easy to use.
• It allows users to create booklets that are forty pages in length from ten, twenty pound bond sheets of paper.
• The BM101 is simple to set up, easy to operate and produces high quality booklets in just seconds.

Strengths / Features:

• The most impressive feature of the BM101 is its price. There are certainly more powerful and easier to use booklet makers available on the market. However, most of these machines cost two or three times more than the BM101. With a selling price of around $700, this is the least expensive automatic booklet making machine currently available on the market.
• The BM101 is actually quite simple to use. You start by determining the position of the staplers using the handy chart printed on the surface of the unit. Then, align your sheets on the machine using the printed grid as a guide. The stops self center to assure you are always stapling right in the correct position. Once the pages are in place you simply lower the lever of the machine to activate the staplers. Then after the document is stapled you simply reverse the lever and hold it down firmly to activate the folding mechanism and to complete the booklet making process. It is as simple as that.
• The BM101 has two staplers and four different stapling positions. This allows you to produce different sized booklets using different sizes of paper. The two most common papers used with the BM101 are letter size paper for the production of 8.5" x 5.5" booklets and 11" x17" paper for the production of letter sized booklets.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

• The Martin Yale BM101 uses two small manual staplers for stapling the documents. These small staplers are high quality staplers but they are still manual staplers and they may jam or have issues. It is important to use high quality staples with these staplers and it may be necessary to replace the staplers over time, especially for high volume applications.
• The BM101 is rated to handle ten sheets of 20lb paper. However, in my testing I found that the machine sometimes had difficulties folding the maximum thickness of sheets that it was rated for. It would be a good idea to keep your booklets to 9 sheets or even less than that if you want to use a heavier paper or a cover for the front and back. If you do decide to push the limits on the machine you may have to deal with some paper jams.

Recommendation:

• For users on a budget that need to produce moderate numbers of booklets, the BM101 is an excellent choice.
• This machine may not be as automatic as some of the other booklet makers on the market. However, it is simple to operate and offers a great value for your money.
• The only real feature that this machine is missing that other more expensive machines have is electric stapling heads. If you can live without these then the BM101 is an excellent choice for your booklet making needs.

Martin Yale P6400 Desktop Adjustable Paper Folding Machine Review

Overview:

• 

  The Martin Yale P6400 desktop paper folder is designed to quickly and easily fold letters for placement inside a number ten envelope or to fold paper in half.
• It is designed to comfortably sit on your desk or beside your printer so that it can process documents as you create them.
• The P6400 is an inexpensive personal folding machine that is an ideal addition to most small or home offices.

Strengths / Features:

• With a selling price of around $250 the Martin Yale P6400 offers an excellent value for your money. It is one of the least expensive personal folding machines on the market.
• Like the P6200, the Martin Yale P6400 paper folder is extremely compact and can easily sit on your desk or beside your desktop laser or inkjet printer. This allows you to quickly and easily fold documents as your produce them without ever having to leave your desk.
• The P6400 is incredibly simple to use. Unlike many paper folders that require extensive setup for folding, the P6400 has only two settings. One setting is for folding letters for placement into standard sized envelopes. The other setting is for folding letter sized documents in half.
• This machine can even fold multiple sheets of paper at a time. You can feed up to three sheets of paper into a letter fold or up to five sheets of paper with a half fold.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

• The P6400 is a hand fed folding machine and thus is not equipped with a feed tray. The P6400 is designed for folding one document at a time as the paper is produced. Users who need to fold larger numbers of sheets or who want automatic feeding capabilities will need to choose a larger folding machine.
• The P6400 is designed for folding 20lb and 24lb letter sized paper using either a letter fold or a half fold. This is an improvement over the P6200 which can only perform one folding pattern. However, larger more feature rich folding machines can handle other sizes and thicknesses of paper and can fold sheets into numerous other patterns. If you think you might need to fold thicker paper stocks, larger sheet sizes or produce other folding patterns then you might want to consider one of Martin Yale's larger Autofolding machines.
• The P6400 is designed for light volume folding applications and for the folding of documents one at a time as they are created. If you attempt to fold large volumes of paper using the P6400 you will most certainly be disappointed. It is simply not designed for volume applications and will not hold up over time if you attempt to fold large numbers of sheets per day.

Recommendation:

• The Martin Yale P6400 is an excellent choice for workers who are looking for a paper folding machine to use at their desk along with their laser or inkjet printer. It's also a great choice for the home office worker.
• It's small form factor and simple operation make it an ideal choice for light volume folding of letters and documents as they are produced.
• It is perfect for organizations that need to fold a few documents per day and don't need to fold thicker papers or any paper size other than 8.5" x 11".
• However, organizations that need to fold larger volumes, other paper sizes or thicker stocks should consider a larger Martin Yale paper folding machine.

Martin Yale RapidFold P7200 Automatic Desktop Paper Folding Machine Review

Overview:

• 

  The Martin Yale Rapidfold P7200 automatic desktop paper folder is ideal for small to medium sized mailrooms and offices.
• The small and compact design of the P7200 means that it doesn't take a lot of space in your office or mailroom and makes it convenient to place the machine beside your postage meter or desktop printer.
• This light volume paper folding machine is great for organizations that occasionally need to fold letter, statements, invoices, flyers, bulletins and correspondence.

Strengths / Features:

• The Martin Yale Rapidfold P7200 is designed to take letter sized (8.5" x 11") sheets and fold them in half or into a letter-fold for insertion into a standard number ten envelope.
• The P7200 is a step up from a small desktop letter folder that needs to be fed by hand, one document at a time. You can add a stack of paper up to 1/2" thick onto the feed tray of the P7200 and it will conveniently feed each sheet and eject the stacked sheets into the stacking tray.
• The Rapidfold P7200 also has a manual bypass slot that allows you to fold up to 3 sheets at a time including stapled sets by hand feeding them one set at a time.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

• The Martin Yale Rapidfold P7200 is an excellent personal paper folding machine that is designed for folding folding letters, statements or invoices. However, it is not designed for folding thick paper stocks, glossy papers or coated sheets. It is specifically designed for folding sheets that are between 16lb and 28lb bond.
• This machine is only designed to fold letter sized 8.5" x 11" sheets. The slightly larger Rapidfold P7400 will handle both letter and legal sized sheets. However, users who need to fold custom sheet sizes should probably consider moving up to either the 1501x or the 1601 paper folding machines.
• The Martin Yale P7200 is only designed to perform two folding patterns. It can fold sheets in half and it can fold sheets into a letter. If you need to fold sheets into other patterns such as a z-fold, church-fold, gate-fold or baronial fold you will need a larger more feature rich folding machine.
• This machine is what is commonly referred to as a manual setup paper folder. This simply means that you need to manually adjust the paper stops on the fold plates to the correct positions in order to change folding patterns. Adjusting the fold plates can be a little bit tricky especially for inexperienced users. For this reason, the P7200 is probably best suited for organizations that do not need to switch folding patterns on a regular basis. Larger auto setup folding machines can simplify the movement of the folding plates but also cost considerably more than the P7200.

Recommendation:

• The Martin Yale P7200 Rapidfold paper folder is great for organizations that need to fold a few hundred documents per week or are looking for a convenient folding solution to fold a few dozen sheets at a time.
• For organizations that need to fold more documents than this, need to create a number of different folding patterns or need to use paper sizes other than 8.5" x 11" the features and construction of the P7200 are probably not going to meet your needs.
• Still, this paper folder is an excellent choice for users who are looking for a small folding machine to place beside their printer, copier or postage meter for on demand production of letters, statements, invoices and mailers.

Reviewing The Powis Parker Fastback Scoring Machine

Overview:

• 

  Scoring machine used to put creases in covers for short run perfect binding. You use this machine to create a one piece wraparound cover with a boxed spine.
• Fashionable colors to match your other Powis Parker Fastback binding equipment
• Can be used for scoring items for folding in addition to producing covers

Features / Strengths:

• It is a compression scoring machine that will provide a clean clear score without causing laser printed inks to crack.
• It includes convenient guides to help you set the machine up for producing covers with different sized spines. This is extremely helpful for getting high quality square creases every time.
• It comes with a double scoring knife standard and a single scoring knife can be purchased separately. The double scoring knife allows the front and back covers to easily open for a lay flat bind.
• It is extremely simple to use. All you need to do is put your document on the machine and pull the handle to create your score.

Limitations / Weaknesses:

• It is manual (not electric) and thus is slow for production jobs.
• It can be somewhat difficult to adjust the guides to the correct settings. This gets easier with practice.
• It is limited in the sizes of stocks that It can handle. It is really designed for creating letter sized documents (portrait or landscape) and isn't ideal for doing large or small books.

Construction:

• Heavy duty metal base and guides make it strong and durable.
• Rubber handle is convenient and easy to use.
• Clear plastic shield allows you to see alignment marks on your documents for easier scoring.

Recommendation:

• This is one of the best manual scoring machines that I have seen on the market.
• Great for the purpose that it is designed for (short run perfect binding). Not ideal for production environments. These types of environments probably need a larger electric solution.
• Works great for creating your own custom printed thermal binding covers.

Tamerica LP-120 Pouch Laminator Review

Overview:

• 

  An extremely inexpensive laminator that is capable of laminating small documents such as ID cards, photographs, business cards, name badges and luggage tags.
• The LP-120 is a relatively new laminator to the market but has gained a lot of attention. It offers a number of features that are only found in larger pouch laminators and is prices at around $60 US.

Strengths / Features:

• The most important thing to note about the LP-120 is that it comes with the ability to handle laminating pouches from 3mil to 10mil in thickness. Most other small pouch laminators in this price range are only able to handle 3mil and 5mil pouches and since 3mil pouches aren't available in small sizes they end up being limited to 5mil thicknesses. This machine will laminate documents with all of the different laminating pouches available on the market.
• The LP-120 comes with a fully adjustable temperature setting that allows you to choose a temperature from 100-160 degrees centigrade. This means that you can turn down the temperature if you find that you are getting waves in your laminate or turn up the temperature if you are seeing silvering or cloudiness. Many other small inexpensive laminators don't have this feature.
• For such an inexpensive machine, the LP-120 is actually extremely well built. It has a heavy duty metal housing and looks like a laminator that should cost at least a hundred dollars more than it does.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

• The first time that I ran the LP-120 to test it I noticed a burning odor. After contacting the manufacturer they assured me that this is normal when you first break in the machine and sure enough it disappeared after an hours use. Still it would be nice to have the laminator without the smell of burning.
• The LP-120 has a throat width of approximately 4.7" this means that you can use it to run laminating pouches that are up to 4.5" in width. This is ideal for laminating small documents including photos, id badges, nametags and luggage tags. However, it can't be used for larger format items.
• The box for the LP-120 says that it has the ability to run cold laminating pouches. However, I couldn't seem to find the cold setting. You may need to simply turn the heat all the way down on the laminator if you want to run pressure sensitive selfseal pouches through it.
• With the LP120 that I tested, the motor runs continuously once you have turned the laminator on. This is not a problem for users who infrequently need to laminate documents. However, eventually the continuous motion of the rollers will cause the LP-120's gears to wear out and it will fail. If you plan on using this laminator a lot this is something to keep in mind.
• The LP-120 only comes with a 90 day warranty. Generally this should not be a problem if you plan on laminating just a few items. However, if you need to laminate thousands of items per year you can probably expect to replace the laminator within a year or two. However, the nice thing about this laminator is that it is priced so low that you can replace it two times and still have spent less than other comparable laminators on the market.

Recommendation:

• For a small office, home user or organization that needs to laminate a few name badges or other small materials the LP-120 is ideal.
• For larger organizations and higher volume users, a heavier duty laminator with a better warranty and a non continuous motor would be highly recommended. Still, if you are on a tight budget, there is no better bang for your buck.

Martin Yale CDS200 CD Insert Slitter and Perforator Review

Overview:

• 

  The Martin Yale CDS200 is designed for organizations that create and duplicate CD's. It cuts and perforates CD jewel case inserts that are printed two up on a letter sized sheet of paper.
• This greatly simplifies the process of creating inserts for the back cover of your CD jewel cases. This allows you to add a back cover and imprinting on both the front and back spines of your CD cases.
• No other system is faster or more convenient for allowing you to make CD case inserts.

Features / Strengths:

• The Martin Yale CDS200 is capable of producing up to 4200 CD jewel case inserts per hour. This makes it ideal for use in high volume CD duplication. Each insert will be perfectly cut to fit inside the jewel case and will be perforated to ensure that the small flaps on each end easily fold up to title the spines of your CD cases.
• The CDS-200 uses a two step process for producing CD jewel case inserts. You simply insert a letter sized printed sheet into the bottom station and it will trim the left and right side of the document and cut the remaining portion in half. You then take the two piece that were produced in the first step and run them through the top station to finish the trimming and to add the perforation.
• The CDS-200 uses self sharpening blades that are capable of operating for years without the need for replacement. However, if you do eventually need replacement blades they are available and reasonably priced.
• The CDS-200 allows you to insert a stack of sheets up to 5/8" thick into the feed hopper on the machine. It will automatically feed each sheet through and trim it without the need for user intervention. This allows the operator to place the inserts into the jewel cases while the CDS200 is cutting. Just remember, this machine moves fast and it may be hard for one operator to keep up.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

• This machine provides the ability to make small adjustments to ensure that your documents feed and cut straight. However, it is really only designed for cutting CD inserts. It is highly efficient for this purpose but cannot be used to perforate, cut or score any other sizes of cards or documents. Users should not purchase the CDS200 for any purpose other than creating CD inserts.
• The CDS-200 is designed for use with 24lb bond paper. This should be more than adequate for use in most CD cases. However, attempting to use the CDS-200 with heavier stocks is not recommended.

Recommendation:

• If you produce a huge number of CD's and are looking for a way to produce jewel case inserts the Martin Yale CDS200 is an awesome solution.
• It offers great productivity and the perforated flaps make using the inserts a breeze.
• However, it is important to remember that the CDS-200 is only designed for the production of CD jewel case inserts. It is not recommended for any other application and is not a good fit for a print shop or user who wants the ability to produce business cards or custom perforated documents.

Martin Yale CL6 6-Station Collating Machine Review

Overview:

• 

  Users who have ever tried to assemble and collate large numbers of documents by hand know just how time consuming that collating can be. However, the cost of most collating machines has made them impractical for small organizations and offices.
• The Martin Yale CL6 changes all of that. It offers an inexpensive solution to assist in collating documents that are up to 6 pages in length.
• This simple to use collating machine provides a great solution for companies who need to assemble newsletters, brochures and literature for their clients.

Strengths / Features:

• One of the best things about the CL-6 is the cost. With a price tag of less than $150 the CL6 can easily offer enough time savings to pay for itself in no time. In fact, many organizations can justify the cost of the CL-6 as part of a single project.
• The CL-6 collator is incredibly simple to operate. All you need to do is add your letter, A4 or legal sized sheets into the collating bins and the machine is ready to work. Each bin holds up to 100 sheets of paper and there are six bins in total. Once the sheets are loaded into the CL6 all you need to do is pull the handle on the side of the machine forward and grab the sheets that extend out the front of the machine.
• The CL6 does not require power and thus does not have any expensive to replace electric parts. You can take the CL6 anywhere without the need to worry about plugging it in or adjusting any complicated settings. With the CL6, what you see is what you get.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

• The CL6 uses six pads on the six arms of the collator. These pads help to pick up the sheets of paper. However, the pads can eventually wear out and will need to be replaced. If the pads are worn or missing the CL6 will be unable to pick up paper.
• The CL6 is designed for collating up to six single sheets of paper into one document. It is not recommended for collating existing multi-part forms or stapled sets. Attempting to use the CL6 for these applications can result in feed problems or issues with the pick up pads used by the machine.
• Although the CL6 can greatly improve productivity over collating documents by hand, it is still a manual collating machine. High volume users will most likely find that the manual processes used by the CL6 are still tedious. Additionally, the construction of the CL6 is not meant for high volume continuous collating. It is designed for small organizations that need to assemble up to a few hundred documents per week.

Recommendation:

• If you are currently collating documents, newsletters or sales literature by hand, the Martin Yale CL6 can be a huge time saver.
• It is ideal for small organizations that need to collate up to a few hundred documents per week.
• It is not ideal for companies who need to collate stapled documents, multi-part forms or who are looking for a high volume automated collating system.
• Still, for the price, the Martin Yale CL-6 offers enough time savings that almost any organization should be able to justify its purchase.

Martin Yale P6200 Desktop Letter Paper Folding Machine Review

Overview:

• 

  The Martin Yale P6200 is a small desktop letter folder that is designed to help make folding invoices, letters and statements simple and easy.
• It is designed to sit on your desk or beside your postage meter to allow you to easily fold your papers so that they will fit in a standard number ten size envelope.
• The P6200 is a personal folding machine and is not designed for volume folding applications. Still it is an excellent choice for administrative professionals, accounting professionals, home office workers and other users who need to prepare letters and statements on a daily basis.

Strengths / Features:

• One of the best things about the Martin Yale P6200 is that It is simple to use and requires no setup. Many paper folders require users to move fold plates, adjust knobs and change settings in order to prepare the folder for use. The P6200 is ready to fold out of the box and doesn't have any settings other than an on/off switch.
• The P6200 is extremely small and sits on your desk or beside your printer. This allows you to quickly fold letters as you prepare them. This machine is one of the smallest paper folders available anywhere and helps to ensure that folding is never more than an arms length away.
• The P6200 can accept stapled sets of up to three sheets at a time. This means that you can fold multi page statements, letters or reports in one easy step.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

• Although the Martin Yale P6200 is incredibly simple to use, it is also limited in the type of folding that it can do. It is designed to fold 8.5" x 11" letter size 20 and 24 pound paper into a letter fold. It cannot handle heavy paper stocks, legal sized paper and is not able to produce any other types of folds. The P6200 is strictly designed for folding letters to fit inside standard number ten envelopes.
• Unlike many other paper folders the P6200 is a hand fed machine and does not have a feed tray. This means that items must be fed into the machine one sheet (or set of sheets) at a time. This is ideal for folding single letters but does not lend itself to any type of volume application.
• The Martin Yale P6200 is a personal folding machine that is designed for low volume personal use. It is not a good option for users who need to do large volumes of folding. If you attempt to use the P6200 for more than fifty letters per day it will most likely not hold up over time.

Recommendation:

• The Martin Yale P6200 is an excellent choice for users who need a personal folding machine to assist in folding letters, statements, invoices or other correspondence as it is created.
• It's small footprint and easy to use design makes it an ideal machine to place on your desk or beside your desktop laser or inkjet printer.
• However, the P6200 is not designed for volume users and should only be considered by organizations that need to fold a few documents per day.

Martin Yale Intimus 2020VS Variable Speed Heavy Duty Paper Folder Product Review

Overview:

• 

  The Martin Yale 2020VS paper folder takes the great features of the 1217a Autofolder and builds on them by adding a variable speed control.
• It is designed for folding a huge variety of paper sizes including letter, legal, 11" x 17", A4 and A3 sized paper. It can even fold many heavy duty cover stocks and index weight papers that will jam if you attempt to run them through other paper folding machines.
• These features make the Martin Yale 2020VS an excellent choice for medium to large mailrooms, professional print shops, churches and large organizations.

Strengths / Features:

• The Martin Yale 2020VS is capable of handling a huge variety of paper sizes. It can be set up to fold custom sized paper that is as small as 4" x 4" and can fold large documents printed on 11" x 17" and A3 sized sheets. This provides a huge amount of flexibility for producing almost any type of project imaginable with the 2020VS folder.
• For organizations that are looking to fold heavy cover weight paper and index stocks the 2020VS is one of the best folders available on the market. This machine has the same great heavy duty feed rollers as are included on the 1217a. These rollers help to ensure that heavy paper stocks feed smoothly through the folder. This allows the 2020vs to deal with stocks as thick as: 90lb cover, 135lb index and 165lb offset. The variable speed control and the large feed rollers also make the 2020vs better suited for handling coated stocks and glossy papers. If you need to run coated or glossy stocks with the 2020vs you will want to turn down the speed to reduce the chance of slippage and paper jams.
• Like the 1217a, the Martin Yale 2020vs has a maximum speed of 10,300 letter sized sheets per hour. However, the variable speed control allows you to slow the folder down to a speed of just 3000 sheets per hour when dealing with specialty papers. At top speed, the 1217a is perfect for high volume folding applications. However, it is nice to have the flexibility to slow things down when needed.
• The Martin Yale 2020-VS can also produce a huge selection of folding patterns. It can be used to produce a letter-fold, z-fold, half-fold, double parallel fold, cross-fold and baronial fold. Or it can be set up to produce custom sized paper folds if needed.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

• In order to feed paper into the 2020vs variable speed paper folder you need to fan out the paper so that the stack of paper feeds into the machine on an angle. Fanning the paper can be a little bit tricky. If you fan the paper too much you may have feeding problems and if you don't fan it enough then you may end up with double feeds. After fanning the paper a few times you should get the hang of it.
• The Martin Yale 2020vs is a manual setup paper folding machine. This means that you will need to manually adjust the fold plates into the correct positions to change folding patterns. This can be a little bit difficult especially if you are looking for perfect flush and square folds. If the fold plates are even slightly out of alignment the paper may fold crooked or the folds may be either short or long. If you will need to regularly change folding patterns and your operators are not mechanically inclined, it may be a good idea to look at a larger electronic setup folder such as the Martin Yale 2051.
• Unfortunately, the 2020vs does not offer the ability to score or perforate sheets as part of the folding process. For this type of capability it is necessary to look at the larger 959 or 959af paper folding machines.

Recommendation:

• The 2020vs paper folder is ideal for professional print shops, churches, schools and mailrooms that are looking for a machine to handle all of their folding needs.
• This machine can handle heavy weight paper stocks, glossy and coated papers as well as large sheet sizes. This makes it ideal for production use and for organizations that demand versatility from their equipment.
• The only drawbacks to this machine are that it requires fanned paper, manual setup and cannot be used to perforate or score. If you can live with these minor limitations, then the Intimus 2020vs is for you.