As a result, Banta uses a DocuTech for its perfect binding. "There are three of these perfect binders in the plant," says Sommers. "There are able to bind from 150 pages right up to 2,000 depending on the bulk of the paper."
Supply and demand
Automated Graphic Systems (AGS) (www.ags.com) discovered that servicing both traditional and print on-demand markets pays off. Because not everyone wants to order thousands of books at once and pay to keep half of them in inventory, to meet the demand for short-run books produced quickly, the company developed an online Print On-Demand ordering system. Users can submit titles into AGS's Digital Library by logging onto its Web site (www.ags.com/pod) to immediately order books. AGS says it then prints, binds and ships titles well under deadline.