Custom Book Shapes

/in /by

Custom Book Shapes

The product I’m featuring this week is two parts: PMC / high die shaping and board book binding. They don’t have to go together, but the combination of the two processes really is impressive.

Custom Book Shapes

Custom Book Shapes

The books I show in the video, like all board books, have square spines. This type of binding involves cutting printed press sheets (only printed on one side) into 4 pagers, which are then folded and glued back to back. The double-thick signatures are then gathered and then either trimmed on a traditional cutter or PMC / high die cut. The finished product is a super smooth edged, custom shaped book!

Specialties Graphic Finishers

Our facility houses several PMC / high die shaping machines that can cut sizes up to 9” x 11”. Our PMC /  high die machines can cut books that are saddle stitched, perfect bound, board books and pads. Consider adding PMC / high die shaping as the final step of your next book project.

As always, if you need a sample, please ask!

Die Cut Hang Holes

/in , /by

As a premier full-service bindery, we offer customers in-house die cutting for retail packaging. We produce a range of hang holes as per client instructions. As you can see in this week’s video, there is a huge range of hang hole styles and sizes.

Die Cut Hang Holes

For a product to fit retail display hooks and hang properly, the hang hole style, size and placement have to be precise. Take a look at the images below to get an idea of how important die cut hang holes are to the retail packaging design process.

Die Cut Hang Holes

Die Cut Hang Holes

Die cut hang holes can have various diameters, from 1/16” up to 1/2”

Die Cut Hang Holes

Some kinds of retail products require offset hang holes to help the product hang evenly.

Die Cut Hang Holes

A Butterfly Hole is mostly used to display small, light retail products. This kind of hang hole is versatile because it fits both single-prong display hooks and Euro-style loop hooks.

Some merchandise may require triple product hanger holes.

Die Cut Hang Holes

This double offset butterfly hang hole is very unusual, we can die cut any required holes for customers.

Die Cut Hang Holes

The open hang hole style makes it easier to lift merchandise off hooks.

This type of die cut hang hole is unique and serves two functions. The hole is both a hang hole and a handle!

Since there is such a huge range of sizes and styles of hang holes, be specific with your client about the size and weight of merchandise and the style of retail hook.

If you need die cutting for a retail packaging or merchandise job, please give us a call!

PMC High Die Shaped Books

/in , /by

PMC High Die Shaped Books

This week, the focus is on books that are PMC / High Die Shaped into any shape—baby bottle, animal, fruit, etc. All the books shown in the video started out as typical perfect bound books. The Wire-O books shown above were bound, had the spine cut off and were Wire-O punched. Then, the books were PMC / High Die Shaped and then the wire was applied.

PMC High Die Shaped Books

PMC High Die Shaped Books

The ice cream book above started as a simple perfect bound book, which was shaped by our PMC machine.

The rivet book shown above also started as a perfect bound book. The spine was cut off, had a hole drilled, went into a PMC / High Die Shaping machine and then, finally, had the rivet inserted.

The board books below were bound in the normal way, then simple PMC /high die shaped as pictured.

Playing Cards

/in /by

PMC Die Cutting

A bindery that makes Playing Cards? It’s a natural fit for us because our machinery can produce both precise, high-quality Playing Cards as well as the boxes and sleeves at lightening speeds!

We easily collate single sheets (up to 20pt stock weight) and our 4 PMC/high die cutting machines produce high quality cards with smooth edges and rounded corners. Our large plant also houses 4 – 40” Bobst/Brausse die cutting machines and 5 highspeed box gluers to fold and glue sleeves and boxes.

The image below shows PMC die cut Playing Cards and die cut boxes that can be hung in a retail setting.

Playing Cards

The image below shows a few sizes of both Playing Cards and die cut boxes that we can produce.

Playing Cards

The image below shows playing cards that are contained inside a sleeve instead of a box.

Playing Cards

If you have a job that requires PMC/high die cutting or die cut and glued boxes, give us a call! We’d love to help and talk through how our machinery can meet the needs of your job.

Playing Cards

/in , /by

We finish playing cards.  Lots of sizes, shapes, stock weights and card counts.  One of our competitive advantages is ability to collate single sheets, with thicknesses up to 20 point.  In additions we have PMC die-cutters.  PMC machines are absolutely necessary to produce card sets, because card sets finished through a PMC die-cutter have sides that are as smooth as glass. Every card set we have ever produced has all four corners rounded. We have in-house 40” die-cutting machines to die-cut the boxes (or sleeves) and three high speed box gluers to fold and glue the boxes needed to house the card decks.

Playing Cards

Playing Cards

Playing Cards

Playing Cards

Playing Cards

Playing Cards

Playing Cards

Playing Cards

Playing Cards

PMC Die Cutting

/in /by

What is PMC die cutting (aka High Die Cutting)?

First off, PMC stands for “Printing Machine Corporation” which is the leading manufacturer of the machine. It is simple a 2 to 3-inch steel die that pre-cut paper is pushed through. Paper on a pad or perfect bound book on multiple panel folders is squeezed through the die. Basically, it’s like a monster sized cookie cutter for paper. As for what it actually is, a picture is worth a thousand words! The image below shows what the actual die looks like.

IMG_4245

 

IMG_4251

If you want a perfect bound book shaped like an oval, then only a PMC machine can do it. If you want a pad with three concaved sides only a PMC machine will do it. We frequently do scores of jobs that are business size cards with four round corners.

ANSTEY 270

ANSTEY 283

As for alternatives to PMC/High Die Cutting, you can die-cut full individual sheets (called steel rule die-cutting), but you end up with rough nicks on each side. You can also cut cards to finished size and round corner the four corners on a round cornering machine (which EVERY bindery has), but then you end up with uneven corners. The best choice is PMC!

IMG_4486

IMG_4479

Considerations

  • The dies are expensive and can run from $600.00 up to $3,200.00 each!
  • The dies take from one to two weeks to order
  • Smallest size the die can be is 3/4”
  • Largest size is 9” x 11” (and we have the largest size in Canada!)
  • PMC/High Die cutting coated stock doesn’t work very well. Uncoated stocks work better.

Top Feature: The edges of the finished product are even and extremely smooth!

IMG_4476

Benefits

  • Sometimes cheaper than steel rule die cutting
  • Adds a lot of value to product
  • Unique process that no other style of machine can replicate