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I nline, nearline or offline? In the digital finishing market, it's a difficult decision to make and careful consideration is needed, according to Vic Fletcher, spokesman for Graphic Arts Equipment (GAE). For starters, let's tackle inline.

“Inline offers more efficiency in the overall production, especially when accepting products from different elements,” says Fletcher.

Previously, printers were encouraged to go inline as there was less chance of sheets being lost during the process. However, the finishing kit fitted inline needed to keep up with the speed of the press. If one broke down, the whole line ground to a halt.

But opting for nearline also has its drawbacks, says GAE’s Fletcher. “The handling element introduces the possibility of mistakes due to human error or mechanical error on the separated devices.”

Inline still reigns
Justin Willett, sales and marketing manager at Ibis Bindery Systems, says inline is still the most popular option. “The majority still opt for inline, but it depends what you’re producing,” he explains. “You can certainly run up to the right digital speeds and the right number of pages to books on some machines. However, if you’re producing very small booklets, then you would probably have to slow the whole system down.”

The latest developments in the sector claim to guarantee data integrity thanks to image recognition cameras and barcode readers that go some way towards making the switch between inline and nearline production more cost effective.

Many inline finishing lines come with folder and creasing machines attached to the front. This is to combat the fact that, as a digitally printed sheet has been through a higher level of pressure and heat, the fibres are more brittle and they become more vulnerable to cracking. But deciding whether or not pre-creaser features are essential can be a tricky business.

According to Jo Watkiss, communications manager at Watkiss Automation, squareback booklets very rarely need creasing. She adds that 90% of jobs don’t need to be pre-creased, but it all depends on the paper grade and level of ink-toner capacity. If you are clamping the book to stitch, then you are already forming the spine during the square-back stitching process.

Friction-fed equipment is hardly sought after nowadays, with suction-fed finishing triumphing, due to its ability to offer mark-free transfer. “Online documentation is always suction because of its reliable feed and it offers less marking, especially on matt-coated paper,” says Watkiss.

WHAT'S NEW IN INLINE DIGITAL FINISHING
• Lasermax Roll Systems unveiled its inline punching and perforating system for high-speed digital printers, the 300 Processor series, at Drupa. The range includes models that can operate before
or after the printer to punch tractor holes, cross perforations and vertical perforations, as well as custom punching
• Watkiss says it has had an “over­whelm­ing” response to Power­Square, its bookletmaker that turns a standard spin- stitched book into a square-spined equivalent, similar to an adhesive-bound book
• Finishing manufacturer Duplo International has appointed Richard Windus as its new regional business manager. According to Duplo, the move follows an increase in UK business. Duplo reported sales of more than £500,000 from UK companies at this year’s Drupa