Bind It, Shred It, Laminate It, Finish It: A MyBinding.com Blog

Why You Should Consider the Fastback 20 Binding Machine

This post was originally written for MyBindingBlog.com and can be found at on that blog by following this link …Why You Should Consider the Fastback 20 Binding Machine. Please feel free to check out this post along with many other helpful reviews, demos, how to videos and more on the official blog of MyBinding.com.

If you're looking for an innovative binding machine that's extremely user-friendly, there's a new device on the market you really need to check out. It's the Fastback 20 from Powis Parker. This is the company's best binding machine to date and it's loaded with features that make the bookbinding process as easy as possible. Here are a few reasons why you should consider the Fastback 20:

• The first thing you'll notice about the Fastback 20 is that it has a unique, colorful design. This is one of the most stylish document finishing devices available and is a nice alternative to the more industrial-looking devices out there.

• This device uses Fastback binding strips which are some of the most environmentally friendly bookbinding supplies available. They're made out of post-consumer material and can be be recycled. They can also be used with hardcover and paperback documents which is convenient.

• The Fastback 20 can handle a few different paper sizes including sheets that are 8.5” x 11”. This device can bind books that contain up to 350 pages, so you'll be able to bind different kinds of documents including proposals, actuarial reports, tax returns, brochures, and more.

• Using this machine is fast and easy. It only needs 3 minutes to fully warm up and it takes 20 seconds or less to completely bind a document. Also, the Fastback 20 has a graphical user interface that will lead you through the bookbinding process step by step. The directions are easy to follow so producing a professional-looking document is extremely easy.

• If you have some of the other Powis Parker products – such as the FoilFast printer – chances are you can use them in conjunction with this machine. This will help make your documents look great.

• This machine is designed to replace the Fastback 15xs and the crazy thing is, this device is more reasonably priced than its predecessor. If you've had the 15xs for a long time or were considering getting one, it makes sense to invest in the Fastback 20. It's a better machine and it's less expensive. It's win-win situation all around.

• As mentioned before, the Fastback 20 is affordably priced. It also comes with a one-year warranty should the device need any repairs.

The Fastback 20 is the hottest new binding machine on the market and it's ideal for any office or organization that needs to create high-quality bound documents. This device offers fast binding, easy operation, and compatibility with some of the other Fastback products. It also looks great and is a terrific upgrade from the Fastback 15xs. Give this new device a try today. You'll probably find that it's the right binding machine for your workplace.

Three New Document Finishing Machines for Spring

This post was originally written for MyBindingBlog.com and can be found at on that blog by following this link …Three New Document Finishing Machines for Spring. Please feel free to check out this post along with many other helpful reviews, demos, how to videos and more on the official blog of MyBinding.com.

Spring has finally arrived. Not only does that mean that it’s getting warmer outside and that summer’s on the way, it means there’s a crop of new document finishing machines available. Here are three of them that you should check out….

1.)    The Fastback 20 tape binding machine.  The Fastback 20 is a follow-up model to Powis Parker’s popular Fastback 15 and it’s an absolutely incredible device. This machine uses environmentally friendly binding strips to secure documents containing from 10 to 350 pages. And it does so quickly: it can bind a document in about 20 seconds after only taking 3 minutes to warm up.  You can even edit the documents after they’ve been bound. Also, the Fastback 20 has a graphical user interface that makes binding books easier than ever. This is definitely the hottest machine on the market this spring, so be sure to check it out.

2.)    The Swingline Stack and Shred paper shredder.  Paper shredders are very popular these days due to the passing of federal privacy laws such as the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the unfortunate prevalence of identity theft. Luckily, Swingline’s new Stack and Shred makes shredding private documents a snap. This device can shred up to 100 sheets at once so it won’t take forever to get rid of those sensitive documents. It’s also easy to use. All you need to do is stack the paper in the machine, close the lid, and the machine will start shredding. Best of all, the device is a cross-cut model so you can be sure your information is protected.

3.)    The Tamerica Flexibind binding machine. Have you ever wanted a device that can do a few different types of binding? If so, the Tamerica Flexibind is the machine for you. This incredibly durable device works with plastic combs, color coils, and twin-loop wire spines so you can give your document the look it needs. Since the Flexibind is so durable (it has all-metal construction), it’s ideal for companies that bind frequently. No matter what you need to bind, chances are the Flexibind can handle it.

These are three of the new document finishing devices that are available this spring. If you’re so inclined, check them out so you can bind and/or shred your documents. Good luck!

 

Using Fastback CP Strips to Bind Hard to Bind Papers

This post was originally written for MyBindingBlog.com and can be found at on that blog by following this link … Using Fastback CP Strips to Bind Hard to Bind Papers. Please feel free to check out this post along with many other helpful reviews, demos, how to videos and more on the official blog of MyBinding.com.

In late 2006 Powis Parker Inc. released the new Fastback CP Binding Strip. The CP strip is designed as a solution for binding difficult to bind papers with the Fastback 15xs Binding Machine. The CP strip is designed for use with color copy and laser print papers up to 32# text. These color copy and laser print papers are often used in the workplace for reports, proposals, and other business documents. However, existing Powis Parker Fastback strips sometimes had difficulty binding these glossy paper stocks.

The new Powis Parker Fastback CP strip has a strip of center glue that is formulated for extremely aggressive adhesion. The Fastback CP strip works well with split sheets and coated paper but also creates a strong bind with smooth paper without using the Powis Edge splitter which is part of their high end photobook production cell. However, to obtain this strong bind the CP strip requires extra binding time (approximately 45 seconds).

The center adhesive on the new Fastback CP strips is thicker than the center adhesive on Fastback Super Strips. According to Powis Parker this has two primary benefits: First, pages bound with the Fastback CP Strip are not allowed to completely lay-flat creating a more sophisticated, signature look for the finished presentations. Second, the thicker glue of the Fastback CP Strip helps to protect the binding edge from the flex stress of page turning.

Although these new Fastback CP strips are effective in binding many types of paper that have proven difficult to bind in the past it is important to understand that the CP strip by itself does not solve the problems with binding glossy coated stocks and digital output. Additionally, the extended bind time and extra heat required by the new Fastback CP strips can sometimes cause printing along the binding edge to bleed. Thus, these strips are not recommended for prints with full bleeds that run to the binding edge of the document. Still, the best way to know if these new strips will work for your application is to simply have us bind a sample for you and see the results for yourself.

You can choose from four different colors of CP strips including: Black Fastback CP Strips, White Fastback CP Strips, Dark Blue Fastback CP Strips and Khaki Fastback CP Strips. These strips are packaged 75 strips per box and are available in two different thicknesses (narrow and medium). Khaki colored strips are slightly shorter than standard superstrips and are designed for finishing books using Fastback Hardcovers.

If you are considering these new innovative binding strips from Powis Parker it is essential that you first determine if your machine is compatible. All 15xs Fastback machines manufactured after 3/9/2006 were shipped with the new firmware and required adjustments to adequately run these new CP strips. However, if your Fastback Binding Machine is older you may need to upgrade it in order to run these strips. This new upgrade for the Fastback 15xs will allow you to run CP strips, will provide you with a faster binding cycle when using Super strips, will allow you to produce sharper edges when binding and will fix a firmware bug that prevented user strip wrap settings from being saved properly.

Reviewing the Powis Parker Fastback Photobook Stitcher

This post was originally written for MyBindingBlog.com and can be found at on that blog by following this link … Reviewing the Powis Parker Fastback Photobook Stitcher. Please feel free to check out this post along with many other helpful reviews, demos, how to videos and more on the official blog of MyBinding.com.

The Powis Stitcher was released by Powis Parker Inc. as part of their studio photobook binding system. The studio photobook system offers a complete solution that allows small photographers, retail locations and image labs to quickly and easily produce photobooks on demand. However, binding photo books with high gloss printed papers can often cause a lot of problems. To solve these problems, the Powis Stitcher was introduced. This review will take a quick look the features / capabilities, limitations and construction of the Powis stitcher.

Features:

The Powis stitcher is not a true stitching machine in the sense that it does not actually uses spool wire. Instead, it is actually a modified heavy duty electric stapler. It is rated for stapling between three and thirty pages. However, the actual number of pages that you are able to staple is going to greatly depend on the type of paper that you are using. With twenty pound copy paper you could staple far more than thirty pages. However, with thick photopapers even thirty pages may be a stretch.

The Powis stitcher offers a few great features that you don't find on a standard heavy duty electric stapler. It includes a heavy duty metal book table. This specialty book table is ideal for use with landscape oriented documents. It also has convenient markings to help you know where to place the staples when binding photobooks and hard cover documents with your Fastback studio photobook system.

Depending on the type of paper that you are using and the number of sheets that you are binding, the staples may not cinch completely flat with this system. There is a setting to adjust the force with which the stapler operates. However, for best results, the staples need to be crimped closed. The Fastback Stitcher includes a pair of special crimping pliers that are designed to cinch the staples so that they are tight and completely flat. This helps to ensure that the quality of the bind for your photobooks is superior.

Limitations:

The primary limitation of the Powis stitcher is its binding capacity. Unfortunately, the stapler is simply limited in the number of sheets that it can penetrate. However, if you use the premium staples provided by Fastback you should be able to increase the capacity of the stapler by about twenty percent over the performance you would get from standard staples.

A heavier duty electric stapler might be able to completely cinch the staples even when dealing with heavy photo papers. However, the powis stitcher cannot and thus the crimping pliers are necessary. If you don't use the crimping pliers, it is possible that your pages will be loose in your bound book or that the staples may not be completely hidden. This is a somewhat time consuming step in binding documents with the studio photobook system but it is a necessary one.

Construction:

The Powis Parker Fastback stitcher is extremely well built. It has a heavy duty metal book table and has plastic housing around the stapling head. The stapling unit is actually produced by Rapid (one of the highest quality electric stapler manufacturers on the market). With this in mind, I have no real concerns about the construction of this machine.

Recommendation:

The powis stitcher is an integral part of the Fastback studio photobook binding system. It allows you to bind photo books with any type of glossy paper, even heavy duty papers that won't work in most perfect bind or thermal binding systems. The staples produced by this machine are completely hidden from sight and produce some of the highest quality on demand hard covers that I have seen anywhere.

An Introduction to Powis Parker Fastback Binding Strips

This post was originally written for MyBindingBlog.com and can be found at on that blog by following this link … An Introduction to Powis Parker Fastback Binding Strips. Please feel free to check out this post along with many other helpful reviews, demos, how to videos and more on the official blog of MyBinding.com.

If you have a Powis Parker Fastback binding machine or are considering buying one you might have some questions about the different types of binding strips that are offered. This article is designed to give you a quick overview of the different Fastback Binding Strips that are available and what they are used for. Here they are ...

1. Fastback Super Strips are the most common type of Fastback binding strips and are used by the Powis Parker Fastback Model 11 and 15xs. These strips are available in a large number of colors and in three different thicknesses (narrow, medium and wide). Fastback Super Strips have a fast binding time (approximately 17 seconds with the new 15xs CP upgrade).

2. Fastback Speed Strips were originally designed for customers who needed a faster binding time than was available from Fastback Super Strips. However, with new upgrades Fastback Super Strips now bind much faster than they used to and Powis Parker will be discontinuing the Speed Strip.

3. Fastback Composition strips have a leatherette finish that is designed to match the coloration and look of Fastback Composition Covers. These elegant binding strips are available in Narrow, Medium and Wide and are available in Black, Dark Gray, White, Dark Blue, Dark Green, Red and Maroon.
4. Fastback Perfectback strips are designed to allow users to do short run perfect binding using their Fastback Machine. Fastback Perfectback strips are available in several different varieties including Lay Flat (LF), Pressure Sensitive (PS) and Thermally Activated (TA). Fastback Perfectback LF strips are designed for a flexible lay flat perfect bind. Fastback Perfectback PS strips are designed with a peel of liner for a two step perfect binding process. Fastback Perfectback TS strips are designed to attach books into their perfect binding covers using the same type of thermally activated glue used to bind the pages together.
5. Fastback CP strips are some of the newest strips available on the market and are designed to bind difficult to use paper stocks such as laser print or color copier paper. These strips use an extra long bind time (approximately 50 seconds) to bind documents that cannot be bound with other types of Fastback strips.
6. Fastback LX strips are designed for use with the Fastback 8x binding machine. These strips are available in narrow and medium widths and in a number of finishes including a linen finish (similar to the Fastback Super Strips), a composition finish and in perfectback configurations. Fastback also makes an LX-Photobook strip which is designed for use as part of the Fastback Studio Photobook Binding System. The Fastback model 8x will only work with LX strips and is not compatible with any of the other types of strips that Powis Parker makes.

The six types of binding strips listed above are the types of strips that are currently available from Powis Parker for their Fastback binding machines. However, one of the great things about Powis Parker Fastback is that they are constantly producing new and innovative products so you may see some new strips from them soon.

How to Bind Documents with Powis Parker Fastback

This post was originally written for MyBindingBlog.com and can be found at on that blog by following this link … How to Bind Documents with Powis Parker Fastback. Please feel free to check out this post along with many other helpful reviews, demos, how to videos and more on the official blog of MyBinding.com.

Fastback is a fast and professional method of binding that creates a clean and polished document. Powis Parker offers a variety of binding machines, the most common of which is the FB15xs. The FB15xs is capable of binding a document from 2 to 350 sheets, or 1 ½" thick in as little as 15 seconds. The process is very easy and virtually eliminates the possibility of operator error that may occur in punch and bind systems:

1. Square the pages of the book block together with the front and back covers.
2. Fan the pages of the book block. This is an important step in all thermal binding applications and helps to ensure that adhesive will make contact with the individual pages.
3. Place the book block into the opening on top of the Fastback FB15xs. Use the clear fence to hold the pages upright and make sure that the book is flush to the right and the pages are square.
4. Depress the large green bind button, causing the clamp to close.
5. The machine will indicate the proper size of binding strip to use. Simply begin to insert the Fastback binding strip into the opening on the right side of the machine. The FB15xs will take the strip and automatically begin the binding process.
6. Once the binding process is complete, remove the book and place it into the cooling rack located on the back of the binding machine.
7. Wait until the book is cool to the touch before use.

While Fastback if an extremely easy system to use, it does have a couple of limitations:

• One nice feature of Fastback is that virtually any cover stock can be used for the front and back covers. It is important to keep in mind, however, that the machine heats up to an amazing 400° and will cause most clear and poly covers to warp (the heat causes a wave effect along the binding edge). There are a variety of high temp clear covers that can withstand this intense heat without warping.
• As with all thermal binding systems, Fastback does have problems with certain papers. Thermal adhesive have a hard time sticking to certain calendered paper stocks. Calendered paper is an ultra smooth paper stock that resembles a glossy or coated stock and is very popular for use with digital printers. Powis Parker has created the new CP strip to combat however it is not as secure of a bind as the traditional strip with regular copy paper. Some users have used sand paper to roughen the spine of the paper to create a more porous binding edge with varied results. The best fix is to staple the binding edge of the book block prior to binding. This works well for some thermal binding applications and hard covers.
• In addition to paper stocks, some printers can cause issues as well. Most laser printers use fuser oil to cause the toner to adhere to the paper. Some printers use an excessive amount of oil that can coat the paper to the point that the adhesive may not be able to penetrate the paper. This tends to be more of a problem when binding a bleed. The result is that the paper may slip out of the bind. The toner will remain in the adhesive and the edge of the paper will be white. As with difficult paper stocks, the best method to fix this problem is to staple the book block.
• While the FB15xs does have an edit feature that is limited to the addition or deletion of only a few pages. Wholesale changes to a document are not feasible with Fastback.