Every day, tens of thousands of finished products are carefully packed and shipped from our floor. After more than 100 years in business, the best methods and solutions for almost every type of product are as familiar as the backs of our hands.
 Rolled or folded? At Rickard Bindery, the choice is yours. We offer 10 poster rolling machines in addition to our unrivaled oversize folding capabilities. |
But posters are different. It's a challenge to get such large pieces into the hands of end users easily and cost-effectively. With that in mind, here are some suggestions for getting posters from point A to point B.
Rolling vs. Folding
Poster rolling and oversize folding are the two main choices for packing and shipping posters. Let's weigh the pros and cons of each:
Poster rolling - In this method, posters are rolled tightly, banded and inserted into plastic sleeves or plastic/cardboard tubes. Poster rolling offers the highest quality for growth charts, medical charts and other wall-hanging posters. But shipping poster tubes can be cost-prohibitive, especially for high-volume projects.
Oversize folding - As a high-speed operation performed on dedicated equipment, folding is the most economical way to prepare posters for transport. By quickly getting even the largest posters down to a manageable size, folded posters also incur much lower transport costs than rolled posters. Obviously, folding will leave creases in finished products - steps can be taken in advance to minimize their impact.
Planning Considerations
If folding is your selected method for getting posters into the hands of end users, keep these planning tips in mind:
- To properly balance economy and quality, begin by determining the product's final size. Once your bindery experts know the final size they will be able to work backwards, creating the best possible fold sequence.
- The longest dimension should be folded first. Whenever possible, accordion folding is recommended for this first fold. It provides a softer "cushion" for subsequent right-angle folds, resulting in less cracking and wrinkling.
- Small adjustments can yield substantial shipping cost reduction on large products such as posters. Let your bindery help you determine the ideal folding style and sequence for your posters. Very often, the impact of one additional fold on bindery costs and finished quality is negligible if it reduces per-piece shipping costs.
The Rickard Advantage:
Rolled or folded? At Rickard Bindery, you can have your posters however you want them. Our significant oversized folding capabilities can handle sheets up to 80". And our 10 poster rolling machines can handle any length product you have. Combined with our expert planning and production advice, and Rickard Bindery is your resource for fast, worry-free poster production.
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