Ever wonder how those mouse-type directions got folded to fit into that teensy weensy box of eyedrops? I confess I never really stopped to think about it before I joined Seattle Bindery. Now, I have a whole new appreciation for the art of folding.
Essential to this art form, origami aside, are pharmaceutical folders. As the name implies, these mini-folders were originally designed for the pharmaceutical industry. However, they are widely used for printed products in many other industries, from entertainment, toy and cosmetics to high-tech, electronics and retail. Remarkable for their versatility, the equipment can fold an 8.5" x 11" sheet down to a size small enough to be inserted into a tiny box of Visine.
Many printers overlook these multi-folded products because they mistakenly assume they are limited to the pharmaceutical industry, aren't cost-effective and are too complicated to produce. These perceptions have driven many from a market niche that fits neatly alongside other commercial products.
Let's start with some background.
Government regulations are nowhere more stringent than in the pharmaceutical industry, and they get stricter every day. To succeed in this FDA-regulated industry, vendors have to be extraordinarily diligent in monitoring production of these items. Hence, all the attention being paid to quality control programs and the development of highly specialized equipment such as the pharmaceutical folder. (I understand there's a Rotoflex press that automatically, and at high speed, 100% inspects and certifies printing throughout the press run. This machine can find faults in missing copy, barcode placement as well as in ink density. Amazing!)
The FDA technically defines those multi-fold, micro-type instruction sheets as labels. However, we call them inserts and outserts. The manufacture of these production information sheets (known as P.I.'s in the pharmaceutical industry) presents quite a challenge. They have to contain volumes of legally required information (that's why you have to get out your magnifying glasses to read the type) and, yet, be small enough to fit into even the smallest package.
Lots of uses. Since outserts are generally confined to the pharmaceutical industry (a market segment not widely served in our region) I will limit this discussion to inserts. Inserts don't require gluing and they are needed by many diverse industries. They range in colors and sizes and they typically have long run lengths, all of which should make them an attractive product line for commercial printers.
Some recent projects should illustrate the versatility of the pharmaceutical folder:
A 4/color cents-off coupon for a large retailer had a run-length of 500,000 and was folded to insert into a film box. Soon after that job, we did a 2 million-plus run of an instructions sheet for a bio-medical product.
A product information sheet for a manufacturer of a mini-tape measurer that started with a flat sheet size of 5" x 1.5" was accordion-folded to 1.25" x 1.5" to fit into the packaging.
Game instructions for a toy manufacturer were folded from a flat sheet of 7" x 3.25" to a finished size of .75" x 3.25".
Another 4/color cents-off coupon was folded to .75" x 4" to fit into a toothbrush carton.
These examples should alert you to the fact that there are multiple uses for this specialized equipment, uses that are natural extensions to products clients are already using you to print and finish.
Not just black and white. While more than one of our customers has made the point that there are good margins in one-color work ("you get it right the first time, so you don't have to factor in rework costs"), I believe color will continue to encroach on ground previously held by black and white products. Look at financial printing, that stolidly conservative industry. Already, prospectuses and official statements have introduced color. Look at major daily newspapers. There's not one that Ičve seen that doesn't display color on its front pages.
As these have changed, so, too, will the "typical" black and white product information sheet, directions label, instructions insert and prescription drug dosage chart migrate to full color. Based on the work we've been doing on our pharmaceutical folders, my guess is they will be big money makers despite their minute size. After all, the best things often come in small packages.
Milt Vine is president of Seattle Bindery, a post-production house specializing in
index tabbing in addition to providing folding, stitching, perfect binding, scoring ,
perforating and trimming services for the trade. You can reach Milt at 206/682-2558.
© 1996, Seattle Bindery. Reprinted from Northwest Trader, November 1996.