NTF rolls out sheetfed paper wrapping

Sheetfed paper wrap produced at NTF for Eight Days a Week Print Solutions
Sheetfed paper wrap produced at NTF for Eight Days a Week Print Solutions

Nottingham Trade Finishers (NTF) aims to capitalise on the growing trend for paper wrapping with a new niche service that allows printers to provide their own pre-printed sheets to be used as the wrap, rather than requiring reels.

The East Midlands company has used its finishing know-how to devise a bespoke kit setup to produce the sheetfed wraps, and the firm can handle either B2 or B1 sheets.

Managing director Richard Anstock said the firm had spotted a gap in the market for lower-run paper wrapping

“If you’re a sheetfed printer, even if you’ve got £500,000 spare to buy a paper wrapper, have you got the space to put it in or the work to fill it?” he said.

“The difference with this option is that the printer gets to keep the paper wrap as an extra revenue stream. It’s just like printing a poster – we just need a white out area on the side seams for gluing – and the wrap can be single- or double-sided with a message on the inside.

“It’s a simplified way of doing it.”

NTF is targeting small mailing houses, sheetfed printers and digital printers with the service. It will also organise the printing if required.

Anstock said that around 500 wraps were required for setup, with the firm’s wrapping line running at up to 8,000cph. Sheets can be pre-personalised, or NTF can handle the personalisation.

“We can run stock from 115gsm to 200gsm, but 130gsm silk is probably the sweet spot. So far we’ve done run lengths from 2,000 to 35,000,” he added.

“The colour matching is also very good, we’ve just done a job where the wrap matched the image on the back of the booklet.”

The maximum size is an A4 brochure, while a 200x148mm booklet or brochure can be wrapped in a 240x164mm outer wrap to achieve postal discounts.

The maximum thickness is 10mm, with a maximum of six items in the pack, such as a brochure with five onserts, Anstock said.

The £750,000 firm employs 17 and runs double-day shifts Monday to Friday. Its other services include one-piece mailers, paper banding, ram bundling, tab sealing, stitched Optipost brochures and general print finishing.

The paper wrap pictured was produced using digitally-printed flat sheets supplied by Eight Days a Week Print Solutions.