HAND FOLDING AND ASSEMBLY
Folding and Assembly of Paper and Cardboard Products
In promotional print designers often throw up logistical problems meaning that certain products must be folded and assembled by hand.
Hand-folding does not mean Hand-creasing
If a product needs hand-folding but 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 and 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
We often handle everyday print jobs such as the assembly of tab lock folders and inserting business cards into diagonal slits. Many simple mailers are designed for a simple hand fold with an interlocking fastener as are some document wallets.
