Introduction to Finishing: The World of Finishing

World of Finishing – Episode Summary

In this hands-on episode of The Print University, Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee explore the diverse and detail-rich world of finishing—the final and often most crucial stage in the print production process. Whether you’re launching bindery equipment training courses, upgrading printing industry training programs for new employees, or investing in outsourced training for print production staff, this course highlights how finishing influences both efficiency and profitability.

The episode covers finishing across four major applications: books, transactional, marketing mail, and commercial print. Each has its own finishing workflow: from book binding (softcover, casebound, perfect bound) to transactional inserting with barcodes and self-mailing substrates. Marketing mail features techniques like wafer sealing, foil stamping, embossing, and tipping (gluing-on inserts like cards or reply slips), while commercial print often involves extensive handwork and flexibility in finishing methods.

Inline, nearline, and offline finishing setups are defined, with guidance on when each makes the most business sense. The discussion emphasizes how finishing can increase speed, reduce touchpoints, and drive margins—especially when integrated into digital workflows.

Equipment ranges from collators and inserters to grommet presses, laser motion cutters, and robotic forklifts. Trade finishers are also discussed for outsourced specialty work like casebinding, foiling, and die-cutting.

Finishing is where print becomes product. It demands precision, creativity, and cross-department collaboration—from design to prepress to operations.

You Will Learn:

• Key finishing applications for books, transactional print, marketing mail, and commercial jobs

• Common methods: perfect binding, saddle stitching, folding, wafer sealing, foil stamping, die-cutting

• The differences between inline, nearline, and offline finishing workflows

• When to invest in-house vs. outsource to trade finishers

• Equipment types: manual vs. automated, motion cutters, inserters, inspection systems

• Roles in finishing: operators, handworkers, forklift drivers, and how careers begin in bindery

Who This Course Is For:

Bindery leads, production managers, finishing operators, workflow engineers, and design/prepress teams supporting bindery equipment training courses, lean manufacturing training printing industry, or preparing for color management training for new hires

Time to Watch:

Approx. 30 minutes