Laser Cut Sheets - Important Facts & Tips

• Selling Tips
      Sell value-added features to customize the form such as perfing, backprinting, screens, pantographs and preprinted borders and logos that end users cannot print themselves.  For example, logos that include rounded corners or circles can be difficult to print on laser printers with low resolution.  Even when lasers print at high resolution, rounded corners and circles can take so long to print that it is not practical or cost-effective for end users to print them in-house.
      Accentuate corporate image with company colours, bleeds, graduated screens and phantoms.  Security features, coloured inks and high quality papers let customers' forms double as promotional pieces.
      Studies have shown that the use of colour in a document increases reader retention by up to 10%, enhances comprehension by up to 73% and accelerates learning by up to 78%.  In short, colour sells.  Bills are paid more accurately and quickly, fewer mistakes are made, more orders are received, and corporate image is enhanced.  Colour draws attention to data and detail.
  
• Feed Direction
      Paper must be grain long for most laser printers.  However, if sheets feed sideways (longest edge at top), request for grain short so grain is in same direction as the feed.  This will prevent paper from curling against the feed direction.
      Find out if forms are loaded face-up or face-down in the printer's tray, since this determines how the product is to be packaged.  It is especially important on numbered laser forms - you must specify when ordering if the forms are to have the starting numbers at the top of the pack with the image face up or down.   Some laser printers even have several trays which feed differently - find out which one the operator prefers.
      For example: paper pulls from top of face-down stack - first number must then be at top of box and positioned with printing face-down.
  
• Paper
      Check the manual for recommended minimum and maximum weight and ensure the selected paper is laser compatible.  Test the paper if unsure.  A smooth paper of at least 20lb is best.
  
• Ink
      Specify heat resistant inks to avoid tracking or offsetting.   Remind end-user of 10 day drying period, especially if form has heavy ink coverage.
  
• Perforations
      Encourage clean-edge perforations for all vertical or horizontal perfs.   Otherwise use at least 9 TPI and stress that perfs must be cut light so there are no burrs which may cause jamming in the printer.  Keep variable imaging at least 1/8" from any perforation.  Keep horizontal perfs 3" from top of feeding edge.
  
• Packaging
      Print Key bands sheets in 250's, places two of these into inner cartons of 500, and then into outer cartons of 2000.   Specify packaging requirements when quoting.
  
• Storage
      Ensure user stores forms in a temperature controlled, dry and dust-free area for the best performance.  Storing in a high humidity area will promote further curling of paper.  Dust will damage a laser printer's mechanism.