5 Reasons to use a finisher on an MFD

Fuji Xerox Australia recently published an article on 5 reasons to use a finisher for post-production, first of all let’s explain what a finisher is.

A finisher is a device that attaches to your MFD and allows automation of certain post production. There are different types of finishers to perform 1 or all of the following tasks.

Stapling

This is pretty self-describing, it allows you to staple your pages together. The basic stapling positions are in the corner, down the spine or top and bottom of your document, depending on the type of finisher you can typically staple up to 50 sheets, which if you double side (duplex) your document is 100 pages.

Punching

Punching allows you to hole punch in a configuration of 2 or 4 holes and again can performed on both the long and short edge of your document. The 2 or 4 hole configuration is standard in Australia as it is designed for use with the common office lever arch folders that come with either 2 or 4 rings. If you are using a 3 ring lever arch folder which the standard in the US you can switch out the die set, this means you can either the 2/4 hole or 3 hole config not both together.

Booklet Finishing

Booklet finishing allows two finishing options, the first is folding. The finisher will fold A3 paper into an A4 booklet, or A4 paper into an A5 booklet this is known as Bi-Folding. The finisher can also Booklet Staple which is also known as saddle stapling or saddle stitch, so before performing the fold it places two staples into the centre of the paper and then folds it, so if your document has more than 4 pages it will keep it all together for you! The typical capacity is 16 sheets, giving your booklet a total of 64 pages.

Folding

Folding comes in three features, as mentioned in the Booklet Finishing you can Bi-Fold, but you can also perform a Z-Fold and Tri-Fold. I have included a picture to show you the Z-Fold and Tri-Fold.

All of the features above are great, but how do you know if you need them. The easiest way is to ask yourself these questions and if you say yes to any of them than the chances are you have a need.

1. Do you print documents and grab the stapler near your MFD and staple that document?

2. Do you print documents and grab the hole punch near your MFD and punch the document?

3. Do you create documents such as News Letters and Brochures that you than fold?

4. Do you create marketing documents, or menus that have a Z-Fold and Tri-Fold finish?

The 5 reasons that Fuji Xerox Australia listed as to why you may need a finisher as well as help you become more productive are

1. Time is money

If staff are doing the manual work in–house, it’s taking up valuable work hours that could be spent on something more else. If you are outsourcing post–production, your staff have to spend time managing the service provider, your tasks have to fit in with the outsourcers schedule, and you have to pay for it. Time is money: boost your productivity with a finisher.

2. Business today is fast–paced

There’s rarely enough hours in the day. If you’ve got a deadline looming, you need every second to get your work done. If the time to print and post–process can be reduced, you can spend more time on critical preparation. Deadline looming: an integrated finisher can give you more time to get your work done.

3. Expectations are higher than ever

Misaligned pages, multiple staples, uneven folds, pages missing, duplicated or out of order. If your documents look like a last–minute job, it’s just not going to cut it. A Finisher doesn’t just improve productivity; it improves the quality and consistency of your presented documents. Look professional: consistent, quality documents are a matter of course with a finisher.

4. Documents are not just A4

Don’t be stuck inside the confines of A4. Finishers can handle paper sizes up to A3 and weights up to 220gsm. They can also combine paper in booklets – for example 90gsm pages with a 200gsm cover. And they can do both C and Z folds. Better presentation: Advanced Finisher features provide creative options.

5. Small runs, high value

Custom publications with small runs are not economical to outsource for post–processing. A finisher can provide high quality results for even just a single document. Small jobs made easy: A finisher can make small print–process runs cost effective.

Via: http://www.fujixerox.com.au/company/media/articles/746/#ixzz39OqZbW9X

Aside from the features of what a finisher can do, what this article really highlights is leveraging technology to where possible automate and increase productivity. In the case of finishers it is relatively simple technology that could have a big impact on your business.