Welcome

 

Welcome to Pro-Bind, the professionals choice for thermal binding equipment & supplies. We are a national manufacturer of thermal binding covers, photo albums, two piece cover sets, presentation folders, loose-leaf binders, index tabs, presentation packaging and thermal binding equipment. We offer a wide range of capabilities that are sure to meet all of your needs!

 

About Us

 

Pro-Bind is a national manufacturer of thermal binding covers, photo books, two piece cover sets, presentation folders, loose-leaf binders, index tabs, presentation packaging and thermal binding equipment. Our full service capabilities include foil stamping, embossing, silk-screening, spot-color offset printing as well as four-color process offset or digital printing.

Pro-Bind began in 2007 to fill a need in the market to domestically manufacture quality thermal products at affordable prices within a reasonable timeframe. With over

100 years of combined experience, Pro-Bind is an industry leader in superior products, exceptional service and expertise. Pro-Bind is the next generation of thermal

binding and presentation products.

 

 

Greetings Everyone. As I’ve mentioned in the past, this coming week I’ll be working at Graph Expo and for those of you not attending I’ll be hard to get in touch with. Please call Lauren with all quotes or questions. I have some time available if any of you would like some one on one time to go over training or would like to go over any particular project you may have upcoming. Please just call or send an e-mail so we can arrange a time.

Let’s get started with this week’s sales tip of the week.

ARTWORK 101, What works and what doesn’t !

As more and more of you are getting into the custom world to gain or to retain existing customers the issue of acceptable artwork types or formats continually come up.

All of you are fortunate enough to have one of the best art departments around available to you through Pro-Bind so I asked them to put together a short explanation on the different formats or files that your customers may come to you with and to give you an idea of what files are acceptable and what are not.

This information needs to be on every salesperson's desk, gone over at your next sales meeting and posted on your websites to adequately and efficiently answer any

art work questions that may arise between you and your customers.

Extremely short version on acceptable artwork from customers: Artwork 101

The quality of a file provided 100% determines the quality of the final piece. Our requirements are the same as any other commercial printer. We preflight before a job begins to minimize jobs being bounced at the end.

Main File formats and why we can and cannot use them (keep in mind there are always exceptions, but this can serve as a rough guide):

Editable vector EPS files (created from within Adobe Illustrator, not just taking an existing file and saving it as an EPS file) are our preferred file format because it can support spot or process color, creates crisp edges and as the name suggest, can be easily edited. We can just about use them for ANYTHING.

JPEG files can be used for digital printing or four color offset, but ONLY if the JPEG is high resolution, which means 300 pixels per inch at the size it will be used.

JPEGS cannot be enlarged without losing quality JPEG files cannot be used for spot color, as JPEG does not support the use of Pantone colors (so it cannot be used

for silk-screening, either). If the file is set up as all black, and it is good quality and 300 pixels per inch, we can use it for a foil stamping or embossing die. We can do

only minimal editing to a JPEG file. Also, fun fact - every time you open a JPEG and resave it, the image degrades slightly so don't keep saving over and over

(just opening to see what it is an closing without saving any changes is fine).

BMP files can be used for black and white printing, or to create foil stamp and embossing dies, but only if they are smooth and clean, 600 to 1200 pixels per inch at

the size they will be used. They also cannot be enlarged without losing quality. BMP files can only be black or white, no grayscale or color. We can do only minimal

editing to a BMP file.

PSD and TIFF files can be used as long as they are 300 pixels per inch at the size they are going to be used, and are left as layered files with all fonts rasterized.

Layering gives us some flexibility in editing. This is not a good file format to use for large areas of type, as the edges of type are softer (blurrier) in these files vs.

setting type in Illustrator or InDesign. PSD and TIFF files can mostly only be used for four color process or grayscale output. It is possible, but difficult to create

spot color separations in Photoshop, but that's mostly reserved for very stylistic work (like Monotones and Duotones) and anyone who knows how to do that isn't

going to need help from an inside sales person.

We can never use PowerPoint or Word files. PowerPoint is always RGB, usually low resolution and doesn't set up as standard page sizes. Word files will swap fonts

and reflow text so the files will not match the originals sent. If quality isn't important, and it's going to be digitally printed, with absolutely, positively no editing, then

those files can be saved by the customer as PDF files and we can force them through.

When a file contains photos and text, then just using one file format above isn't a great solution. It's often best to switch to a layout program, like InDesign. Adobe InDesign files can be used, provided the customer uses the "Package" option when sending so that we get the file, fonts and all the graphics. However, the artwork

used in the InDesign files has to meet the above requirements.

InDesign files can also be saved as PDF files, which then means they don't have to package the files and send the graphics and fonts. This is our preferred format,

as long as the file is saved as Press Ready or High Resolution. And again, all the artwork used to create the file that was then exported as a PDF must meet the

above requirements.

PNG and GIF can never be used. They are web formats and do not contain the correct resolution or color format.

Publisher files can never be used (we can't open them). If the customer will export them as press-ready PDFs, we can see if we can work with what we get.

Bottom line - there is no way to take a poorly formatted, low quality image and place it, save it, or export it in any new format that will suddenly make it usable.

Files need to be set up correctly to begin with.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Learn the trade, the tricks of the trade will only get you so far.” Now go out and have your best week ever and sell more Pro-Bind!

 

PRO-BIND, THE PROFESSIONAL'S CHOICE FOR: THERMAL BINDING EQUIPMENT, CUSTOM COVERS, BINDERS AND TABS. IF IT HOLDS PAPER WE MAKE IT! 

 

Vertical Markets

Pro-Bind’s products have a use and application in nearly every market, industry or business.

Key Industries:

Accounting Firms

Accounting is a highly competitive service industry dominated by image-conscious firms. Accounting firms want presentation products that are high quality and that are not easily altered. Suggested uses of Pro-Bind Products for this market include:

- Audit Department
Soft Thermal Covers – SEC Filings, Performance Reviews
Two-Piece Cover Sets – Financial Statements

- Tax Department
Soft Thermal Covers – Annual and Quarterly Reviews
Income Tax Folders – Individual and Corporate Tax Returns

- Consultant Department
Soft Thermal Covers – Policy Guidelines, Procedural Manuals
Hard Thermal Covers – Strategic Plans

- Business Development Department
Soft Thermal Covers – Financing Packaging
Hard Thermal Covers – IPO Proposals
Two-Piece Cover Sets – Operations & Business Status Reports

 

Financial Institutions
Service and competition among financial institutions has increased over the past years. These institutions value professional marketing pieces and functionality. Suggested uses of Pro-Bind Products for this market include:

- Trust Department
Soft Thermal Covers – Estate Planning
Two-Piece Cover Sets – Estate Settlements, Trust and Guardianship Reports

- Loan Department
Soft Thermal Covers – Real Estate Loan Proposals
Hard Thermal Covers – Commercial Loan Proposals
Two-Piece Cover Sets – Loan Closing Documents

- Marketing Department
Soft Thermal Covers – Business Development Reports
Hard Thermal Covers – Market Research Reports

 

Real Estate Agencies
The Real Estate market is very image-driven Pro-Bind’s products can exceed any of the presentation needs for this robust industry. Suggested uses of Pro-Bind

Products for this market include:

- Commercial Real Estate Divisions
Hard Thermal Covers – Listing Proposals
Soft Thermal Covers – Marketing Plan and Proposal

- Independent Real Estate Agencies
Soft Thermal Covers – Listing Proposals, Leasing Proposals, Market Analysis
Two-Piece Cover Sets – Leasing Closing Documents

 

Educational Institutions
The value of education has greatly increased in the past decade. These institutions demand school branded, yet affordable products. Pro-Bind’s products achieve

all of that and more. Suggested uses of Pro-Bind Products for this market include:

- PTO/PTA/Parent Clubs
Soft Thermal Covers – Phone and Membership Directories
Hard Thermal Covers and Yearbooks – Sports Club Fundraisers

- Administration
Soft Thermal Covers - Policy Guidelines, Procedural Manuals
Hard Thermal Covers – Weekly-Planners
Yearbooks – Alumni Journals

- Students
Soft Thermal Covers – Creative/Writing Essays
Hard Thermal Covers - Thesis
Yearbooks – School Annuals 

 

 

Pro-Bind 2000

 

Additional Info

 

The Pro-Bind 2000 is sure to exceed all your expectations for a desk top perfect-binding system. The desktop 18 gauge steel perfect-binding machine weighs approximately 10 pounds and is built to last. It is able to bind from a 1/16'' to a 2'' spine capacity with the push of a button. There is no waiting for the Pro-Bind 2000 to warm up. The cycle time is 30 seconds for Soft Cover Thermal Binders and 60 seconds for Hard Cover Thermal Binders. Capable of binding multiple documents at one time, the production can exceed 420 soft cover books per hour. With the Pro-Bind 2000, a flawless perfect-bound document is just seconds away! Made in the USA.
 

Specifications:

• All metal construction
• No warm up required
• Auto shut off
• One button operation
• Weighs approx. 10 lbs
• 1/16'' to 2'' binding capacity
• 14.75'' binding length
• Binds multiple documents at one time
• Circuit board mounted on frame away from heating unit
• Cycle time 30 seconds soft cover & 60 seconds 

 

 

 

Pro-Bind 1000

 

Additional Info

 

The Pro-Bind 1000 is able to thermal bind soft covers with a simple touch of a button. The binding capacity of the Pro-Bind 1000 fits up to 3/4" inch spine. This unit is designed for 11 x 8 1/2 inch sheet size or smaller and is the junior version of the Pro-Bind 2000. This lightweight system is portable to fit any office needs and only weighs 2 pounds. Other benefits of the Pro-Bind 1000 include an automatic energy saving mode when the unit is not being used as well as factory heat settings that minimize operator error. The Pro-Bind 1000 unit carries a one-year warranty.

Specifications:

• Hard Cover & Soft Cover Binding Capabilities
• Simple One-Touch Operation
• Convenient Built-In Cooling Rack
• Energy Saving Mode
• Dimensions: 15.5" W x 8-7/8" D x 4-1/4" H
• Power-Supply: 120V / 60hz
• Binding Throat: 12" x 1-1/4"• Binding Capacity: 3/4"
• Weight: 2 lbs