The devil is in the details, as the old saying goes. Count on Copresco to call your attention to possible upgrades that can take your project from good to great…and avoid potential disasters.
Paper may be the single most important component of a printed piece. At Copresco, we are happy to suggest improvements in paper choice that can make a huge difference in the final appearance of your project.
Almost everything we produce is printed on both sides. Often we are asked to use a heavier than needed paper to prevent show-through, when in fact a better choice may be a more opaque paper.
Adding opacity instead of weight improves appearance and helps keep shipping and mailing costs under control.
On the other hand, very thin books may benefit from a heavier stock, adding substance and durability.
In the case of color printing, gloss coated papers are often specified by default but aren’t always the best choice. A silk or satin finish may produce a more modern look for promotional pieces.
On the other hand, a highly calendared uncoated book paper may save money and weight while rendering more accurate color reproduction.
Scoring is a simple process that you may never notice, but you’ll certainly notice its absence.
Scoring weakens the fibers in paper prior to folding, making for a cleaner, smoother fold. The heavier the paper stock the more likely it is to crack when folded. Scoring overcomes this problem.
Covers being scored at Copresco in preparation for binding.
Scoring is most frequently used on covers to assure smooth, attractive opening and closing.
Copresco’s FeatherTouch laminate garners oohs and aahs for the striking look and feel it adds to book covers, but another important reason to laminate is protection. Ordinary gloss or matte laminate adds a barrier to covers that resists scuffs, tears, dirt, and moisture.
Laminating is great for enhancing appearance, but durability and longevity are important for even ordinary-looking booklets and manuals.
Copresco will let you know when laminating should be added to a project.
Which is better, adhesive perfect binding or saddle stapling? As a general rule, soft-cover adhesive binding with a spine creates a higher quality appearance, whereas saddle stitching is often presumed to be cheaper.
You might be surprised that Copresco can often perfect bind without added cost. Which bind is best?Let us know about the final use of your product so we can suggest the best bind for the job.
Workbooks, manuals, and reference guides may need to lay flat, in which case a wire loop or plastic coil binding may be your best option.
But when is this the case, and which bind style to choose? Once again, share your publication’s intended use with us so we can recommend options.
Page layouts may look perfect on screen, but your monitor doesn’t show gutters, the term for that portion of the page that may be obscured by binding.
Type or images too close to the spine may disappear into the bind, or have holes punched through them in the case of spiral or ring binding.
Saddle stapling books with lots of pages, on the other hand, result in shingling, meaning center pages are pushed closer to the face of the booklet and risk type being trimmed off. Copresco accounts for this when imposing your pages for print.
An often-overlooked difference between a homemade book and a professionally manufactured one is the final trim. Copresco includes edge trimming (either three-sided or face trimming) whenever needed to produce a clean, finished-looking piece.
If you are checking prices, be sure you are comparing apples to apples. Copresco may have included materials and processes you haven’t thought of but are essential to a pleasing and useful finished product.
We spell out these things in our written estimates. It is Copresco’s goal to help you achieve a delightful result every time.
So when you need books, manuals, or publications, call the company that delivers faster than anyone else but doesn’t sacrifice quality. Call Copresco.