One product that seems to get short shrift in book and booklet articles is the manifold book, and Print Professional felt it would be remiss if the noble, traditional mainstay was not given some attention in this look at bound products. It may even be a bit surprising to learn manifold books are still in such demand, yet they comprise a good-sized chunk of Dillon, South Carolina-based Herald Multiforms’ annual sales.
“With all the technology available today, some people are surprised to learn how much we sell,” acknowledged Sharon Cieluch, sales manager. “Receipt books are our specialty, and they do keep us busy.”
The education market, she continued, is one of the biggest sources of orders for the company’s manifold books. “Even though the schools and colleges are out for the summer, we are at our busiest with orders, producing all the jobs needed for [the next school] year. Right now, we have a couple thousand book orders in-house for various schools,” Cieluch added. A typical order size is 5,000 to 10,000 pieces. “[Schools] use them as activity receipt books. So, for instance, when a student purchases an annual or some type of item from the school, the teacher can write out a receipt.”
In addition to education, Herald Multiforms produces a fair amount of manifold products for insurance companies and physicians offices, as well. “They are used anywhere a service is sold and a receipt is issued for payment. Even at car dealerships, when customers come in to get a tire fixed or an oil change, they are provided with a receipt showing the services rendered to them that day,” she noted.
Herald Multiforms produces its manifold books on web presses in three sizes using bond and carbonless papers, and can print the products in up to three colors. They come in duplicate and triplicate form, and consecutive numbering is available at no additional cost. Finishing options include stapling and taping—the most economical choices—coil wire and cerlox plastic binding. The number of receipts per book varies according to customers’ needs, said Cieluch, but 200 is the standard.
“Of course, we have seen some decline in demand due to laser printers and other technology, but [end-users] don’t understand they’re actually spending more money in the long run by using tons of ink and paying for upkeep on the printer,” she observed. Choosing any of the company’s standard, gang-produced multiform books can provide those end-users with a significant cost-saving alternative.
Cieluch advised distributors to start out by targeting school administration offices and purchasing departments in colleges to generate interest in the products. Once an order is received, make sure the customer checks the proof to ensure repeat business. “You would be amazed at the number of times electronic proofs are requested and sent back approved without the person ever really looking at it,” she cautioned.
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