34 Cost-Cutting and Time-Saving Production Tips
If you do run into problems, make sure to hold the printer accountable. In the situation in which Hawley ran into problems, she says, “They have dragged their feet picking up the damaged books. I have kept track of the hours [spent] going through to find the 750 books that were usable. We will deduct this from the final bill. The remaining new books will arrive today. I don’t know yet how we will be compensated for a month of lost sales for a book that is event-related. It’s not over yet.”
10. Develop a relationship with a printer.
“Developing a good relationship with a printer and their customer service rep, knowing they understand what you want—that’s enormously important when it comes to saving time,” she says. “There’s no bigger waste than having to do something over.”
TIPS FROM … Jim Robinson, Vice President, Operations, Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.
Romance-genre leader Harlequin has pioneered new methods for digital print-on-demand, allowing it to closely align print runs with demand for its large catalog of short-run titles. Robinson offers some “quick tips” applicable to digital web printing:
11. Structure files so they can go seamlessly to offset or digital.
12. Standardize web width for ease of format change.
13. Manage room humidity with care.
“Humidity is important to counter drying during printing and [to] minimize paper curl after printing, especially when paper is going to be cut and folded inline,” says Robinson.
14. Don’t underestimate time that can be lost in reel changes, and consider a reel-to-reel option if web widths are consistent.
15. Maintain a clean web press to significantly reduce cleaning time and
mechanical issues.
“Paper, particularly lower grades, has loose ‘lint/dust’ and if the web is cleaned, there is slower build-up of lint/dust in printers, resulting in better performance and longer periods between cleaning,” he says.
