Are you wanting to make sure you purchase the best automatic paper folding machine for your needs?
Paper folding machines are a fantastic investment for any office that has high mail and document output. They cut all of that time spent folding paper for mailings by processing loads of documents quickly and automatically.
It can be confusing navigating the world of folding machines, especially if you're wanting to make a purchase that will maximize ROI. Before you dive in and go after that discount offer online, there are some things to keep in mind to inform your purchase.
Read on for your buyer's guide to automatic paper folding machines.
1. Know Your Folding Needs
Every office is different when it comes to mailing and documentation. You may process a lot of brochures to hand to clients or distribute bulletins to staff members. Perhaps your team processes hundreds of documents for mailing out to customers every day.
The benefit of automatic paper folding machines is the fact that they can take care of any folding needs, period. They will always guarantee a professional, crisp fold and can save you valuable time.
Begin your search for the right folding machine by knowing your office's folding needs. Identify whether or not the machine would assist with one branch or an entire department. Will you need the machine for business mailing purposes only? Brochures and bulletins? Official document folding and handling?
Create a rough estimate of how many pieces of paper your office needs folded on the daily or weekly. This will help you choose the duty, fold style, and processing speed.
Also, identify the shape and size of the paper you'll be folding. Most offices will be processing letter or legal sized documents.
2. Identify the Fold Style You'll Need
Automatic paper folding machines are great because they can fold your documents literally in any way you want.
Machines can fold documents in three-way letter formation, half, right-angles, double parallel, and more. Choose the fold style or styles that you will need based off of your folding needs. If you can't decide, make sure to add flexible fold style to your list of qualifications.
Also be sure to determine whether or not you'll be folding single documents or multiple documents at once.
If you're just needing to fold single documents, you'll be able to purchase a strictly automatic adjustment folding machine. If you need to fold sets of documents, your machine should have a manual setting of some kind in order to do this.
3. Choose Your Duty & Processing Speed
You'll next want to determine the duty and processing speed of your machine. In general, higher duty machines will process documents at higher speeds and outputs. So, if you find that your office folds 10,000 documents a day, you'll definitely need to invest in a high duty machine with a fast processing speed.
On the other hand, if your office folds 500 documents a week, it's better to purchase a light duty machine. These will have lower processing speeds but still high-efficiency rates.
Keep in mind that if you want to process glossy paper, you'll need a higher duty machine.
4. Weigh Size and Costs
You'll want to make sure that you have designated space in your office for the automatic paper folding machine you have in mind. It's important to give your machine the berth you'd give to a printer so that users can comfortably load paper and collect folded results.
In general, lighter duty machines will be smaller than heavier duty machines. If you're ordering your machine online, make sure to check the sizing specifications.
It's also important to do a price check. You'll want to make sure you're making the right financial investment. In general, heavier duty machines will be more expensive because they process documents at higher speeds.
Do some quick calculations. Think about how much it would cost to have an employee manually fold documents. Compare this to the initial cost of your machine and any additional repairs or devices.
In general, you'll likely find that an investment in an automatic paper folding machine always pays off.
5. Pick a Reputable Brand
At the end of the day, you want to make your paper folding machine purchase from the right company. You'll want to choose a reputable brand of machine to ensure minimal future repairs and ease of use.
The best way to invest in a reputable brand is to purchase from a company that offers a range of automatic paper folding machines, such as Paper Folder Pros. Browse customer ratings of machines or call up a customer representative for further advice in choosing your machine.
If you purchase your machine online, inspect all packaging when the machine arrives at your office. Packaging should be crisp and without damage. Also, talk to the company about refund and support options throughout the lifetime of your paper folding machine.
Avoid third-party sellers of automatic paper folding machines, such as eBay or Craigslist. While you may definitely find a bargain price on these websites, you cannot be assured of quality. Used paper folding machines may need constant repair or result in consistent blockages.
Buying the Right Automatic Paper Folding Machine
Paper folding machines offer an efficient way for offices to process mailings, especially if your office goes through a ton of mailings on the daily. They're an important investment to make if you're wanting to cut down on mailing costs in your office and valuable time spent folding papers manually.
When you're shopping for a paper folder, you'll want to consider your office's paper folding needs, including types of fold, documents processed each week, and duty needed. Research reputable brands and perform a cost analysis to feel confident in your investment.
At Paper Folder Pro, your paper folder experts are always standing by. Browse our curated selection of high-quality paper folders that vary by duty, feed type, fold adjustment, and brand. Whatever your mailing and folding needs may be, we've got a solution.
Contact a representative today so that you can make an informed purchase decision!