The Heavyweights Square Off

"We looked at the 9110 and we looked at the 6135, so what happened was during the bid process, Xerox could not compete with what the 9110 had," he says. "And we got a really great rate from Danka."

Bindery concerns did play a role in his decision, however. Because of the 6135's price and the fact that Barkin's shop already had ample bindery equipment, the shop decided to forego the Xerox. Yet, because Xerox offers in-line tape-binding, and because the only finishing Danka offers—booklet making—Barkin already has, he decided to see what he could do to get Danka to sweeten the deal with him. As a result, he got an offline Standard GMS-7 tape binding system that binds 3,000 to 5,000 books an hour, Barkin says. It uses a water-based adhesive. The tape essentially covers over the booklet staples.