Hand Folding and Assembly of Paper and Cardboard Products

In most standard print jobs all of the folding operations are done mechanically but in promotional print the creative minds of designers often throw up logistical problems meaning that certain products must be folded and assembled by hand. It could be something fairly commonplace such as a fortune teller or a starburst fold or it could be a custom designed piece that needs special care and attention. We have been doing hand-folding since 1992 and all of the products in our range of automatic pop-ups and interactive mailers are hand folded and assembled by hand.

 Hand-folding does not mean Hand-creasing

 It is not unusual for a job spec to be put forward where the product needs hand-folding but if it is produced on paper – say 80gsm to 100gsm – we should point out that when paper is die-cut and creased; the crease is usually of very little use when trying to fold. In our experience, art board doesn’t crease properly at any weight under 250gsm. Uncoated stock creases better at lower weights and a 225gm will crease perfectly well for hand folding. For paper weights we strongly recommend that you consider using micro perforations rather than creases though in some instances, particularly if the final folded product is bulky, this might not be suitable. We urge you to make proper mock-ups to test the product before going too far down the line with production and we are always happy to discuss a project with you in order to try to avoid pitfalls.

 If a product has not been creased or perforated and it is left for the finisher to crease by hand, the finished result will look as if it has been done by hand. The process takes ages, costs a lot and after all that, results are often disappointing.

 Hand Folding and Inserting everyday objects such as Folders with Business Cards

 Of course, not every job is as complicated as a picture dissolver or an extender card and we often handle everyday print jobs such as the assembly of tab lock folders and inserting business cards into diagonal slits. A lot of simple mailers are designed for a simple hand fold with an interlocking fastener as are some document wallets. Many of our promotional bottle collars have an interlocking device that can only be done by hand such as our collar and tie, bottle balls, and bottle banner products. We are happy to look at all jobs of this type.