Acknowledging there's a continuing challenge with inline finishing, Vierkant believes front-end and back-end manufacturers will work closely in the future to design equipment that gets digital print engines and bindery equipment inline in order to speed up the process from digital file to bound book. However, he notes, faster, more efficient equipment is just one of the developments impacting today's digital bookbinding market. Another significant trend involves the binding itself. "Soft-cover, plastic-coil binding has increased 155 percent in the past year, while soft-cover adhesive and soft-cover wire spiral sales have remained flat," he declares. "Plastic coil gives more color options, plus it's a more durable bind than wire, because it doesn't get bound or kinked in shipment."