IN-LINE SHELL PROCESSING
A method includes providing a cover substrate to a finishing line. The cover substrate is provided to a printer associated with the finishing line. Variable information is printed on the cover substrate with the printer. A plurality of signatures are collected from a plurality of pockets on the binding line. The variable cover is joined with a portion of a publication. The publication is bound to include the variable cover.
1 . A method comprising:
providing a cover substrate to a finishing line;
providing the cover substrate to a printer associated with the finishing line;
printing variable information on the cover substrate with the printer;
collecting a plurality of signatures from a plurality of pockets on the binding line;
joining the variable cover with a portion of a publication; and
binding the publication to comprise the variable cover.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing at least one conversion step on the cover substrate, comprising at least one of cutting the cover substrate and folding the cover substrate.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of signatures comprises at least one signature comprising variable information.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining the finishing line at an in-line production speed during the steps of claim 1 .
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein joining the variable cover with the portion of the publication comprises delivering the variable cover to a pocket on the binding line, and wherein binding the publication comprises stitching the variable cover together with the plurality of signatures.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein joining the variable cover with the portion of the publication comprises delivering the variable cover to a cover applier, and wherein binding the publication comprises perfect-binding the variable cover together with the plurality of signatures.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising printing a portion of the cover substrate with non-personalized information.