The work that happens after the last sheet is printed

When people picture a print job, they picture the press. But on many large runs, the press is only half of the work. A direct mail campaign may need a letter, a brochure and a reply card collated into the right envelope. A conference may want 800 delegate packs with a programme, a map, a lanyard card and a sponsor flyer in each. A retail launch may need sets of shelf cards shrink-wrapped by store. All of that happens after printing, in finishing and fulfilment, and it is where many jobs gain or lose days.

This guide explains the main post-press handling steps: collating, inserting, shrink-wrapping, banding and kitting. Knowing what each involves helps you plan the job, write a clear brief and avoid surprises in cost and lead time.

Collating: putting separate printed pieces in order

Collating means gathering separate printed items into a set in a fixed order. It is different from the gathering of sections inside a bound book. Here the pieces are usually individual sheets or finished items that stay loose or are later stapled, punched or inserted.

Typical collating jobs include:

• Multi-page documents printed as loose sheets that need to be put in page order before stapling or binding.
• Sets of forms, such as an application pack with several different pages.
• Training packs where each participant gets the same set of handouts.

Digital presses can often collate as they print, outputting complete sets in sequence. For offset jobs, where each item is printed as a separate run, collating is done afterwards by machine or by hand. Machine collating is quick for flat sheets of similar size. Mixed sizes, folded items and heavy card usually need hand work.

Collating numbered items

If items carry sequential numbers, such as tickets, vouchers or personalised letters, the collating order matters even more. Sets must keep their numbers together and in sequence. Our article on numbered and perforated print explains how numbering is planned on the press sheet.

Inserting: items into envelopes, folders and packs

Inserting puts printed items into an envelope, pocket folder, sleeve or box. For mail, inserting machines feed letters and inserts into envelopes, seal them and can read a code on the letter to make sure each personalised piece goes into the right envelope. For folders and conference packs, inserting is often done by hand because the items vary in size and the folders need care.

Planning for inserting

• Fold sizes must fit. A folded letter needs room in the envelope, and machine inserting needs a little more clearance than hand inserting.
• Weight affects postage. Check the weight of a complete pack before you print. Adding one heavier insert can push every envelope into a higher postage band.
• Order inside the pack. Specify which item faces the reader when the envelope or folder is opened.
• Personalised matching. If a letter and a card both carry the recipient's name, matching them is more complex and should be discussed before the data is finalised.

Shrink-wrapping: protecting sets and stacks

Shrink-wrapping seals printed items in a thin plastic film that is heated so it tightens around the product. It keeps sets together, protects against dust and moisture, and stops items being separated or damaged in transit.

Common uses include:

• Wrapping business cards, postcards or leaflets in fixed quantities, such as packs of 50 or 100.
• Wrapping individual books, catalogues or calendars for retail.
• Wrapping a complete set of different items so the recipient gets everything together.

Shrink film is plastic, and some clients prefer to avoid it. Paper banding and recyclable paper wraps are alternatives for many uses.

Banding: lighter-touch bundling

Banding wraps a narrow strip of paper or film around a stack of items. It holds a counted bundle together without enclosing it. Banding is quicker to remove than shrink film, uses less material and can be printed with a label or count. It suits stacks of flyers, forms and envelopes headed for distribution points where staff will break them open and use them straight away.

Kitting: building complete sets for distribution

Kitting combines several of the steps above into a finished set for a specific destination. A retail kit might hold shelf strips, posters, wobblers and a planogram, packed per store. An event kit might hold badges, signage, programmes and wristbands for each venue. Kitting is usually the most labour-intensive part of a job, because every kit can differ slightly.

What a kitting brief needs

Once kits are packed, they still need to be cartoned and delivered safely. Our guide to packing and delivering a large print run covers cartons, pallets and what to check on arrival.

Quality checks during handling

Every extra pair of hands on a job is a chance for something to go missing or end up in the wrong place. Good finishing work builds checks into each step instead of relying on a final look at the cartons.

• Weight checks. A complete pack has a known weight. Weighing a sample of packs, or every pack on an inserting line, catches a missing or doubled item quickly.
• First-off approval. The first assembled set is checked against the brief before the rest are built. If the brief allows, a photo of the approved set goes to the client.
• Counts per carton. Each carton is labelled with its contents and count, so a short delivery is easy to trace.
• Sample pulls. Random sets are opened and checked throughout the run as well as at the end.

For personalised mail, matching checks are the most important. Inserting machines can scan a code on each letter and confirm the right items went into the right envelope. For hand-inserted personalised packs, a simple check is to sort both sets of items by the same reference before inserting and to spot-check names as the work goes on.

Building handling into your schedule and budget

Post-press handling is often underestimated because it is invisible in the artwork. A few points help:

• Mention collating, inserting or kitting at the quote stage. It changes the price and the production schedule.
• Allow time for hand work. A machine can collate thousands of sets quickly, while hand-inserting a complex pack takes far longer.
• Order a small number of overs for each item. A damaged piece during kitting should not hold up the whole job. Our article on make-ready, spoilage and overs explains why extra sheets are part of every run.
• Finalise data early for personalised mailings. Late changes to recipient lists are the most common cause of delays in inserting.

Finishing and fulfilment with our team

We can handle collating, inserting, shrink-wrapping, banding and kitting alongside the printing, so one team is responsible for the job from press to packed carton. Tell us how the printed pieces need to be grouped and where they are going, and we will plan the handling as part of the production schedule. Browse our general printing services, or contact us with your pack contents and quantities for a quote.