Paper Folding Machines: What You Need To Know To Buy The Right Paper Folder

 Most businesses send out numerous documents every day. Hand folding each sheet of paper results in countless and needless man-hours, not to mention inexact and messy folds. Fortunately, there is a solution! A paper folding machine can greatly reduce tedious hours spent hand folding and collating letters, while producing precise and professional looking folds. There are several questions to consider before purchasing a paper folder: How often will it be used? How much volume will it need to handle? What folds do you prefer and which machine creates these folds?

Types of Folds

The first thing to think about is what kind of fold you will be using for your documents; most businesses will use more than one for different purposes. There are two main types of folds, parallel and right angle. Knowing the difference will help you choose the best paper-folding machine for your needs

Papers that have a parallel fold have folds that run alongside one another and do not intersect. Common parallel folds are single, business letter, gate, z-fold, parallel map, reverse map, roll, 8-page accordion, double parallel, 10-page accordion, and a parallel booklet (See Figure 1). These are the most popular folds and used regularly in businesses because they are easy to read and use. You can use parallel folds to create tri-fold brochures, fold stationary to be inserted into business envelopes for mailing, newsletters, or other desktop publishing projects.

Figure 1. Parallel Folds

The second type of fold is the right angle, which runs perpendicular to the previous folds on the sheet of paper. This style of fold includes the French Fold, first fold short, 12-page letter, 12-page broadside, and 16-page broadside (See Figure 2). This style of fold is more complicated and used for booklet binding, dramatic image presentations, larger books or press sizes, and brochures that you want the message to unroll to the reader because of the tricky folding.

Figure 2. Right Angle Folds

If you are going to use a paper-folding machine for brochures, letters, invoices, or other common mailings the best fold is a parallel fold. Most machines offer several parallel folds to accommodate their customers varying and multiple needs.

Paper Folding Machine Categories

The second consideration is what type of paper folding machine to purchase. There are four main categories of paper folding machines; friction feed paper folders, air feed paper folders, inserters, and pressure-sensitive sealers. Each has a different purpose and is best for certain applications.

Friction Feed Paper Folders use rollers to pull the paper into the machine for folding. They are offered with paper folding options for all volumes. Because of their varying and multiple options, they are the most popular paper folding machines available.

Air Feed Paper Folder use compressed air to pull paper into the machine and then separate and push the sheets of paper through the machine. Many of these models offer several parallel and right angle folds to increase your folding options.

Inserters are ideal for businesses that need a machine to fold paper and insert the folded sheet into an envelope. Folder inserters are perfect for invoices, statements, brochures, pamphlets, flyers, checks, and much more.

Pressure-Sensitive Sealers are commonly used for mailing bills, invoices, and other types of statements and are ideal for self-mailers like paychecks, report cards, or tax forms. These folder sealers use special pressure-sensitive self-mailing paper and can fold and insert mailers more efficiently than a regular folder inserter. The most common folds for these sealers are the C, Z, and half-folds, but most models offer a greater selection such as V, EZ, and custom folds.

Volume, Weight of Paper, and Frequency of Use

While every model will differ in the volume and weight of paper it can handle, as well as how often it should be used, there are guidelines within the categories to help you decide which type of machine will best fit your needs.

Some friction feed paper folders can hold up to 50 sheets of 20 lb bond paper or 20 sheets of heavy bond, while others can hold 16-20 lbs of paper weight. The average friction feed folder can fold between 1-3 sheets of paper at once and are made to withstand frequent use. Click here for a video demonstration of a Dynafold DE-202AF friction feed paper folder in use. The Dynafold DE-202AF can create 6 different folds at up to 500 sheets an hour.

Air feed paper folding machines are ideal for high volumes of paper and frequent use. If you fold glossy paper you should consider an air feed paper folder, as glossy paper tends to slip away from a friction feed paper folder. The maximum foldable paper weight ranges from 16-80 lbs, depending on the model.  Because these machines are built for large volumes, they can fold up to 20,000 sheets an hour.  Watch the Standard PF-P330 high volume capacity air feed folder in a video demonstration.

Inserters are designed for low to medium volume and less frequent use and can only handle sheets of paper up to 14″ in length. They can fold between 5-8 sheets of paper, either stapled or unstapled. Most of these also have a fixed speed that ranges from 2200-4000 forms that can be folded per hour.  Click here to watch the Formax FD 6302 folder/inserter in use.

Folder sealers are meant for lower volumes and less frequent use. Depending on the model, these machines can fold and seal between 1,800-30,000 forms an hour. The feed table capacity also varies depending on the model but averages between 65-350 sheets. The Formax 2052 pressure sealer can fold up to 11,000 forms an hour and can be seen in this instructional video.

Whatever you need to fold; whether it is just a few letters, or thousands of company brochures, there is a paper folding machine to meet your businesses requirements.