We have been experiencing feed problems on our sheetfed press due to paper curl. Using heavier stocks has helped avoid the problem, but we want to print on lighter grades. Will achieving the ideal air humidity help and how might this affect production and costs?

The lighter the paper the quicker it will react to its surrounding environment once the vapour seal around the paper is broken. Paper is a hydroscopic material, so it will rapidly try to equate its moisture content to the air around it. The more extreme the conditions, the quicker it will give up moisture, which is why it is desirable to have a constant relative humidity (RH) of 50% within the press hall.

At 50% RH, the paper is at equilibrium with the surrounding air so will stay within the parameters set by the paper manufacturer to prevent the drying out of the paper, which causes paper curl and feed problems into the press.

We have commonly experienced natural humidity as low as 17% RH within press halls during this past winter, giving a massive humidity differential between the paper and the atmosphere. This huge variable directly affects the production on the presses and the quality of product. By having a stable humidity throughout the year, this variable is eliminated and lighter paper can be run, saving both time and money.

Machine speeds can be maintained without feed problems. Additional benefits are that static is greatly reduced at 50% RH, resulting in fewer feed issues, and dimensional stability is improved as the paper is not shrinking like it does if processed in a dry climate. Dust suppression is achieved and free adiabatic cooling occurs, reducing high summer temperatures within the press hall and making for a more comfortable environment for employees while again reducing the effect of another climatic variable.

Humidity control can easily and economically be fitted to existing factories, offering short payback times as machine speeds are maintained, lighter paper can be run, quality is improved and major variables are eliminated.
 

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We’ve been an offset printer for the past 20 years, but are about to add a digital printing arm to the business. What will my business insurer want to know and what changes to my premiums can I expect?

The fact that you are diversifying into digital print is unlikely in itself to result in any specific changes to your insurance premiums or terms as insurers will usually rate print businesses, whether lithographic or digital, in the same way.

However, the fact that you will undoubtedly be investing in new digital equipment would usually result in an additional premium being charged by your insurers in return for the increased exposures brought about by this.

Most good policies will allow you to insure this equipment on either a reinstatement basis (replacement as new) or indemnity basis (like-for-like). It is important that realistic values are provided when insuring on an indemnity basis – you may have waited many months for the right deal before deciding to purchase a secondhand piece of machinery, and that deal may no longer be available at the time a claim occurs. You should allow an adequate sum insured to replace all such items.

If you are also investing in larger premises, you should make sure the buildings are insured for their full rebuilding cost (not market value), including professional fees and the cost of site clearance. A local surveyor should be able to help you with valuations.

Once your new operation is up and running, you will likely be anticipating a significant return on your investment in terms of increased client numbers and business volumes. While these are unlikely to change dramatically from day one, your broker will need to be kept aware of subsequent increases to turnover, wage roll and gross profit. All of these factors are rating considerations for insurers.

The best advice is to contact your broker, who will be able to discuss these changes with you and advise you on the best way to manage them.

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We have won a contract to print catalogues for distribution across the UK. The client is considering sending out regional versions and varying insertions. Could selective binding be the answer and what do I need to know?

Selective binding is a finishing technique that has been developed to select and bind different segments of a publication into various paginations to reach the intended recipients that only require certain articles of that publication.

For example, a catalogue could be bound so that pages advertising car parts are sent out to people in the motoring industry, and women’s fashions would be sent to women only. The process is driven by publishers’ databases and should enable a binding line to select the products that the individual requires by the codes it receives from the database. The same file provides the information for the address label.

This can also be used to attach special reply forms and to select different covers for subscription copies and newsstand copies, for example. The process of selective binding is most common in the US with RR Donnelley, which has trademarked the name ‘selectronic gathering’. The technique is not so common in the UK as it is difficult to justify the investment in the kit required, and publishers are a little apprehensive about sharing their databases with printers.

There is also the thought that, by streamlining the products into a more personalised concept, it increases the pressure on the publishers to get more advertising as it would necessarily limit the amount of full-page ads.

Selective binding should not be confused with selective mailing, which is a much simpler way of getting selectivity of inserts to different recipients.

As we enter the new age of digital printing and the concept of books on demand becomes more common, the growth of more selective printing within the industry is highly likely as it opens up a whole new generation of possible product concepts.