Leading the industry in yearbook production with a completely digital workflow Balfour and Meccanotecnica experience the third round of investment with new digital print finishing solutions for the production of yearbooks. Balfour, formerly known as Taylor Publishing Company, was founded in 1939 by Herbert, Edgar, and Bill Taylor. Their vision to simplify the book creation process through innovation and technology has allowed the company to not just keep pace with the industry but set it.
Meccanotecnica has been supplying book finishing machines to Balfour since 1976. Now with the latest generation of digital print finishing solutions with Universe and the integrated line for spine nipping and end-sheet tipping, they experiencing the third wave of investments in digital and it has been nothing but a success.
Key Notes :
While the company entered the industry during the era of photoengraving and copper plates, today Balfour’s 325,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art production facility is equipped with the latest printing and bookbinding technology. Most importantly, Balfour continues to employ the skilled and experienced personnel necessary to produce highquality, hard- and soft-bound books efficiently. Balfour is one of only a few US printing/binding operations with significant cover making capabilities. They offer numerous casebound (hardcover) production options, including cloth-based or printed. With the use of foils, inks, embossing, die-cutting, and laminating, the company offers thousands of options for book cover customization. In addition to case-bound cover capabilities, Balfour produces printed covers for softcover books that can be bound in a variety of ways including saddle stitch, perfect binding, thread-sewing and more.
Mr. Gary Thompson, V.P. of Operations at Balfour.
Balfour operates one of the largest Komori sheet-fed offset pressrooms in North America. They regularly produce print runs of 300 to 10,000 copies or more, but also have several digital printing machines dedicated for shorter print runs. Balfour was the first company in the US to implement online publishing, produce all-color yearbooks, and move to a completely digital workflow. “We lead the industry in yearbook software technology, offering the most robust set of technology and educational tools for our customers to manage their yearbook creation
> Balfour operates one of the largest Komori sheet-fed offset pressrooms in North America. > Regularly produce print runs of 300 to 10,000 copies or more with several digital printing machines dedicated for shorter print runs as well. > Balfour was the first company in the US to implement online publishing, produce all-colour yearbooks, and move to a completely digital workflow.
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February 2021
From the left Mr. Terry Allen (Bindery manager), Mrs. Beverly Edwards (Sewing lead) and Mr. Gary Thompson (V.P. of Operations).