Document finishing is one of the most important aspects of getting a commercial copy machine. It’s a feature you won’t be able to find on any kind of consumer-grade copy machine, like ones you’d buy online or from a local big box store. In this post we’re going to discuss the different types of document finishing available on professional-grade copy machines, and how they can save you both time and money.
Different Types of Document Finishing
The types of document finishing available on a commercial copy machine range from simple to elaborate. Here are the differences between each of them.
Simple Finishing
Simple finishing is a basic corner staple. The machine will sort multi-page documents and fasten them together with a single staple in the corner. This is a pretty no-frills form of document finishing. It’s a fairly appropriate type of finishing for personal documents, handouts, and any other type of document that requires a simple staple. There’s nothing particularly fancy about it, but it gets the job done.
Elaborate Finishing
A more elaborate type of document finisher is one that can do saddle stitching. This involves sorting multi-page documents printed on 11×17 paper, folding them in half, and fastening them together with multiple staples down the spine. Either a color or black and white machine can be fitted with a saddle stitching finisher. This is an appropriate type of finishing for more professional documents such as reports, booklets, newsletters, and other types of documents where presentation is key.
Benefits of Document Finishing on a Commercial Multifunctional Machine
Most color and black & white commercial copiers and multifunctional machines can be fitted with a document finisher. They do come with an extra cost, but in the end you can make that money back. We’ll explain how.
Offset Sorting
Any commercial machine can print large volumes of documents, but if they’re all printed in a single stack you’ll have to sort them together yourself. Needless to say, that could take a considerable amount of time. Document finishers are equipped with the ability to offset sort — meaning your documents will come out sorted, finished, and ready to go.
Setting Your Own Quantities
When you have your own document finisher you can print exactly as many documents as you need. Whether you need 1 document, 10 documents, or an odd number like 132 documents, you can print the exact amount you need. That means less waste and not having to be stuck with boxes of documents you don’t really need.
Printing on Your Own Time
If you’re dealing with a third party for your document finishing needs, you typically have to give them at least a few days notice. If you have your own document finisher you can print on your own time. If you need a number of documents put together within an hour’s notice, no problem. If you need to correct errors or make additions at the last minute, go for it. A document finisher gives you the freedom and flexibility to print what you want, when you want. No need to plan ahead.
Saving Money
As we said before, the bottom line is a document finisher saves you money in the end. When you do all your printing and finishing in-house, it ends up being much less expensive in the long run than sending your jobs to a third party company. There’s no doubt it can be a hefty cost upfront, but you’ll end up making back that cost tenfold in the amount of money you’ll end up saving.
Conclusion
A document finisher is the unsung hero of commercial copiers and multifunctional machines. Hopefully we’ve opened your eyes to both the capabilities and the benefits they offer. If you need more information, don’t hesitate to contact us directly.