DIGITAL FINISHING: Go With the Flow

Keep in mind that much of the popularity of near-line digital workflow has been predicated upon the fact that digital print engines have, to date, been relatively slow—and thus a large percentage of work can still be handled by physically offset-stacking book blocks on a cart and then transporting the carts to a binder where they’re bound by hand. As you might imagine, this can mean work-in-progress issues involving the labor needed to handle thousands of unbound book blocks manually, not to mention the potential for additional spoilage and inventory carrying costs.