Working Backwards - A More Efficient Way of Production

With the fast pace of business these days, it seems like there is never any breathing room when it comes to meeting deliveries. This is especially true in the folding carton and printing industries where sensitive deadlines are crucial. Miss a delivery of cartons and a production line could go down. Miss a mailing deadline and special offer notices may not be received until after the offer expires. Any instance like these can be costly and could be responsible for losing a customer. This is why working backwards can be a huge asset. It can help speed up the production process as well as minimize mistakes.

Samples

Printing proofs are commonly sent out to the customer for approval. These proofs are made to show copy and design so that the customer can sign off on any particular piece. The construction of a piece is suggested by the proof but the details of it often get overlooked and can cause production problems down the road. This is why having a working sample made from the same stock the job will be produced from is so important. By creating the sample, allowances and modifications can be made to insure the production process will go smoothly all the way to the end of the project. It will also insure that the printing will be correct. For example, if a carton has color breaks on the scores and a score needs to be moved so that the piece will fold correctly, a premade sample will reveal this issue. Without the sample, the printing may be off when the job is produced leaving the color to wrap around the score and showing up on the wrong panel.

Supplied Layouts

If the job is to be die cut, why not have the die maker supply an electronic file based off of the sample? By using this file to create the printing plates, mistakes can be minimized. Changes for allowances will be easy to see as artwork is dropped in for the printing. Layout and adjustments can then be made easily and without question. This practice can also eliminate confusion. Without a die line e-file for reference, incorrect interpretations can be made creating problems that won't show up until the die cutting or gluing processes.

Another benefit to using a supplied die file is that the die can be created before the job is done printing. Often the time necessary to make a die for a project is overlooked. Even though production time needed to produce a job may only be a few days, waiting to make a die from a printed sheet will definitely increase the lead time and could create overtime situations or missed deliveries.

Communication

One thing that is most commonly missed is the requirements for gluing. Glue does not stick to ink or many coatings. While glue will stick to some coatings, like aqueous, there are times when the coating should be completely removed from the glued areas. These are situations that should be discussed with the finisher that will be handling the gluing process. If an electronic die line is being provided, have the person creating the die line incorporate the knock out areas into the file. This is the best way to communicate exactly what areas need to be clear.