Grabbing and holding consumer attention - that's what keeps retail marketers up at night (when they're not worrying about the economy or the Cubs, of course). While printers looking to win retail business can't do much about the latter two, fresh ideas that maximize retail shelf, wall or counter space are always appreciated.
Folded padding solves an ages-old point-of-purchase dilemma: too much to say and too little space to say it. By padding mutli-panel, folded pieces instead of single sheets, you've multiplied your marketing real estate without increasing your footprint. Books of coupons, contest entry cards, recipes and other applications can now include tons of related information on each removable piece.
Design and Production Considerations
Like padding single sheets, the folded padding process begin with folding each insert, then gathering them to create each pad block. Applying an even layer of glue across the spine of a multiple panel piece can be tricky because often there will be an uneven thickness created by the fold.
 Design tip: Extending the chipboard base on folded pads creates high-visibility real estate. |
Folded padding applications require specific design and planning considerations you'll want to keep in mind:
- Chipboard bases applied to pads serve two purposes. They support the pad's weight to prevent unwanted page removal, and they separate counted and collated lifts during production. Extending the chipboard about 1/16th-inch from the length of your folded inserts will facilitate faster, more accurate production.
- Be sure the first panel of each piece is extended slightly to accept the padding adhesive.
- Unlike single-sheet padding projects, pads involving folded pieces should only be produced one-up. This is because the quality of the finished product can suffer when multiple-up folded pieces are cut apart after padding.
Don't Overlook the Glue
Whether your padding project involves single sheets or multiple panels, the key to success is the glue. A quality glue applied a the correct temperature is the paramount. There are other considerations as well.
- Stock choices: Offset stocks work great for pads due to their absorbent nature. When dealing with enamel stocks that are slick and have a less than normal absorbency make sure your bindery is using a more aggressive adhesive that can provide the necessary grip.
- FDA Glue: If your product is going to be around food, make sure your bindery is using a FDA approved glue that will comply with FDA regulations for food packaging adhesives.
The Rickard Advantage:
Folded padding applications are nothing new for Rickard Bindery. Our automated padding equipment is geared for the high-quality, high-turnaround demands of the retail marketing world. With our extensive folding, gluing, attaching, stitching and related services capabilities, let Rickard help you solve your toughest point-of-purchase challenges.
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