Process 01
Stitch
- In
- Flat press sheets
- Out
- Stitched, trimmed booklets
Printed sheets come in flat. They leave as booklets: folded, wire-stitched through the spine and trimmed on three sides.
Processes · in to out
Six ways we finish print.
Each process shows what comes in, what goes out, and how, in a few seconds. Find the one your job needs and quote it with that process already ticked.
Process 02
Cut & fold
- In
- Multi-up press sheets
- Out
- Cut, folded brochures
One press sheet holds several pieces. We cut them apart, trim off the bleed and fold each one so its panels open in order.
Process 03
Pack & shrink
- In
- Loose finished pieces
- Out
- Wrapped, labeled cartons
Finished pieces are counted into bundles, shrink-wrapped and packed into labeled cartons, ready for your dock or a drop-ship list.
Process 04
Handwork
- In
- Folders, inserts, cards
- Out
- Hand-assembled kits
The parts arrive separately. Trained hands insert, tip on and close each piece, then count and check every one.
Process 05
Pharma
- In
- Flat PI sheets
- Out
- Folded, glue-tacked inserts
A large, thin sheet of prescribing information folds down to a small, square insert, glue-tacked shut so it feeds cleanly on your packaging line.
Process 06
Specialty
- In
- Printed covers and boxes
- Out
- Ribboned boxes, elastic folders
Boxes get magnets set into the board, close with a snap and go out banded in ribbon with a bow; folders get an elastic band to hold them shut.
Not sure which process?
What are you making?
Pick the piece. We'll point you to the process that runs it and open the quote with the right processes ticked.
Not sure where to start?
Pick what you're making. We'll point you to the process that runs it and pre-check the quote form for you.
Before any job
What every quote needs.
Whatever the process, we start from the same short list. Have these ready, or leave gaps and we'll ask: the quote form is one page.
Company, name, email and phone
Job type: stitch, cut & fold, pack & shrink, handwork, pharma or specialty
Quantity, or a range
Finished size, and pages or panels if they apply
Stock (or “advise me”), color and coating
Flat size and bind edge, if you know them
Need-by date
Files if you have them: upload, link, or “files coming”
Ship-to ZIP, or pickup in Carlstadt
Glossary
Bindery terms, in plain English.
The words you'll hear from estimators and on proofs.
- Signature
- A printed sheet folded into a group of pages. Stitched books are built from signatures nested together.
- Saddle stitch
- Nested signatures wire-stitched through the spine fold. Page counts run in multiples of 4.
- Loop stitch
- A stitch that leaves a small eye on the spine, so a booklet hooks into a ring binder.
- Three-knife trim
- Head, foot and face of a stitched book trimmed in one clamping, to the final trim size: the head and foot knives cut together, the face knife just before or after.
- Creep
- The outward push of inner pages in a stitched book. Imposition shifts pages slightly to compensate.
- Grain
- The direction paper fibers run. Folding with the grain is cleaner; folding across it can crack.
- Score
- A crease pressed into heavier stock before folding so it bends cleanly without cracking.
- Bleed
- Color or images that extend past the trim line (usually 1/8″) so no white edge shows after cutting.
- Flat size
- The size of the sheet before folding. A letter-folded 8.5 × 11″ sheet has a flat size of 8.5 × 11″.
- Panel
- One face of a folded piece between folds. A tri-fold has three panels per side.
- Wafer seal
- A small adhesive tab that keeps a folded self-mailer closed through the mail.
- Index tab
- A tab standing out from the edge of a divider or folder so a section can be found at a glance, usually reinforced with clear Mylar so it doesn't tear.
- Tab bank
- How many tab positions run down the edge before the pattern repeats. In a 5-bank set each divider's tab sits one position lower than the last.
- PI (package insert)
- The folded prescribing or patient information that goes inside medication packaging.
- Outsert
- A tightly folded, glue-tacked PI attached to the outside of a bottle or carton.
- Glue tack
- A small spot of glue applied in-line to keep a folded piece closed.
- Tipping (tip-on)
- Attaching a card, sample or insert to a page with a small line or spot of glue.
- Kitting
- Assembling several different components into one package, set or kit.
Quote portal
Have a job coming off press?
Send the specs on one short form. A person reads every request and comes back with pricing and a plan.