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Powis Parker Fastback Binding Machines
Have you ever seen a document bound with Fastback? Documents bound with Fastback usually have a colored strip along the spine that glues the cover and the pages in place. These colored strips are available in a number of different lengths and sizes to fit a huge variety of document types.
Documents bound with Fastback have lay flat properties, do not require any punching and allow you to use your own custom printed covers. However, Fastback binding requires a Powis Parker Fastback binding machine. This article is designed to provide a quick introduction to Powis Parker Fastback Binding Machines. There are three primary machines available …
1. The Powis Parker Fastback 8x is the most affordable binding machine that Powis Parker makes. The Fastback 8x Binding Machine retails for about $2000 and uses a special type of binding strip called the LX strip. LX binding strips are available in two widths (narrow and medium). Narrow LX strips are designed for binding documents that are up to 1/2″ thick (125 pages). Medium LX strips are designed for binding documents that are up to 1″ Thick (250 pages).
LX strips are available in a number of colors including Black, Dark Gray, White, Dark Blue, Bright Blue, Purple, Jade Green, Dark Green, Red, Maroon, and Yellow. LX-Composition strips have the look and feel of leatherette and match Fastback Compositions covers. Additionally, Fastback makes several specialty strips for the 8x including Perfectback Lay Flat and Pressure Sensitive Strips as well as Photo Pro Strips for use with the Fastback Studio Photobook System.
Powis Parker Fastback Binding Strips
If you have a Powis Parker Fastback binding machine or are considering buying one you might have some questions about the different types of binding strips that are offered. This article is designed to give you a quick overview of the different Fastback Binding Strips that are available and what they are used for. Here they are …
1. Fastback Super Strips are the most common type of Fastback binding strips and are used by the Powis Parker Fastback Model 11 and 15xs. These strips are available in a large number of colors and in three different thicknesses (narrow, medium and wide). Fastback Super Strips have a fast binding time (approximately 17 seconds with the new 15xs CP upgrade).
2. Fastback Speed Strips were originally designed for customers who needed a faster binding time than was available from Fastback Super Strips. However, with new upgrades Fastback Super Strips now bind much faster than they used to and Powis Parker will be discontinuing the Speed Strip.
3. Fastback Composition strips have a leatherette finish that is designed to match the coloration and look of Fastback Composition Covers. These elegant binding strips are available in Narrow, Medium and Wide and are available in Black, Dark Gray, White, Dark Blue, Dark Green, Red and Maroon.
Powis Parker Releases
The new Powis Parker Fastback CP strip has a strip of center glue that is formulated for extremely aggressive adhesion. The Fastback CP strip works well with split sheets and coated paper but also creates a strong bind with smooth paper without using the Powis Edge splitter which is part of their high end photobook production cell. However, to obtain this strong bind the CP strip requires extra binding time (approximately 45 seconds).
The center adhesive on the new Fastback CP strips is thicker than the center adhesive on Fastback Super Strips. According to Powis Parker this has two primary benefits: First, pages bound with the Fastback CP Strip are not allowed to completely lay-flat creating a more sophisticated, signature look for the finished presentations. Second, the thicker glue of the Fastback CP Strip helps to protect the binding edge from the flex stress of page turning.
Although these new Fastback CP strips are effective in binding many types of paper that have proven difficult to bind in the past it is important to understand that the CP strip by itself does not solve the problems with binding glossy coated stocks and digital output. Additionally, the extended bind time and extra heat required by the new Fastback CP strips can sometimes cause printing along the binding edge to bleed. Thus, these strips are not recommended for prints with full bleeds that run to the binding edge of the document. Still, the best way to know if these new strips will work for your application is to simply have us bind a sample for you and see the results for yourself.