Ever since the Fastback line of binding equipment was first released, Librarians, Publishers and Authors have been singing the praise of Powis Parker. In fact, Tom Abate of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that "An easy-to-use book binder could be the biggest thing to hit the consumer market since desktop publishing." He continues, "[Powis'] technology is going to play a major role in bringing the capability to produce a high-quality book down to a quantity of one." Likewise, Ray Matthews of the Utah State Library is quoted as saying, "I hail Mr. Parker as the Gutenberg of our generation." Obviously these two individuals are sold on the product. However, the question remains... Why are librarians, Publishers and Authors so excited about Fastback binding systems?

The Powis Parker P21x Foilfast printer is designed to work with virtually any graphics program that you might use on a Mac or a PC. The printer automatically interprets the colors used in your artwork and converts them to one of the seven available colors of foil. Medium grays are interpreted as silver, and light grays are interpreted as white. For best results the P21x is designed for use with Comp Covers and Clear Covers for tape bound documents and with FoilFast title sheets for Fastback hard cover books. However, the printer can also be used on a variety of other substrates. Be sure to test the printer on new papers or covers before printing a large number of covers.

Unlike previous technology, the Splitter does not rough or notch the bind edge of the paper. The microknives hit each page in parallel, splitting open the edge of the paper and allowing the adhesive to penetrate into the raw fibers inside each sheet of paper. This creates a firm anchor for each page to flex around, much like the roots of a tree. This is a completely new method of paper preparation, and requires some additional application knowledge in order to optimize the binding quality results.

Using your PowisPrinter P31 it is possible to print high quality titles, graphics and text on your Fastback binding strip. However, to get the results that you want you will need to know how to use the various settings on your P31. This article will provide you with simple instructions for setting the orientation and zone on your PowisPrinter. These important settings are extremely important for getting the results that you are looking for when you print strips using the P31.

The Fastback scoring machine is an excellent choice for creating perfect bound documents. Generally, common paper card and cover stocks of approximately 20 points (.020 inches or .50 mm thick) can be nicely scored. For materials thicker than this, or of unusual or unknown composition, their ability to be scored may be uncertain. Don't attempt to score materials over 23 points thick, as this could damage the machine if excess force is used. It is usually a good idea to try a practice score to see if the final score bends and looks satisfactory. Sheets measuring 13 x 20 inches (33 x 50 cm) are easily handled on the machine. This makes it possible to create a full size 8.5" x 11" wraparound cover for your perfect bound documents.

You can make either one (single) score or two (double) scores at a time - it depends on which Die Holder is installed on your machine.

Powis Parker Fastback recently announced that they were introducing a brand new product to the binding world. They call this new product the "Image Strip" and it is designed for use with the Fastback model 9 binding machine. The new Image Strip is a fully color digitally printed tape binding strip that provides users with the ability to enhance their brand by adding their name, logo and customized graphics to the spine of their documents. This new strip wraps around the spine of a document and boldly displays your customized graphics while still allowing you to use covers that are produced on demand with the name of your customer or the title of your report.

Usually no maintenance is necessary for your binder, but if a strip jams, or adhesive gets on the Fastback, you might have to do a little cleaning. This article will discuss the correct procedures for cleaning both the inside and outside of your Fastback 15xs binding machine. You shouldn't need to clean your machine very often but when you do it is important that you clean it properly to prevent damage from occurring to your machine. One important note... You should NEVER use goof off, goo gone or other similar cleaning solutions on your Fastback. These harsh cleaners can actually damage the Teflon coating on your platen resulting in a very expensive service call.

The Fastback 25 photobook binder is an easy to use machine that is designed to be used as part of the Powis Photobook Workcell. However, even easy to use machines can have problems from time to time. This article will give you some basic instructions for troubleshooting problems with your Fastback 25. It will teach you how to open the machine, remove a jammed strip and clean your machine.

The Fastback Model 15xs also lets you bind documents using our Halfback covers. These covers are unique, because they're a one-piece cover and spine, with an adhesive strip already built-in. One of the great Halfback cover features is that you can design it on a computer and print it on an ink jet printer-which means you can customize your book's cover and spine with text, design, and photographs. And since the front cover and spine are one continuous piece, you can have text and images wrap onto the spine.

If you have a Fastback model 9 binding machine or are considering purchasing one you might want to know about some of the different types of binding that you can do with your machine. This article will help you to identify the five different styles of binding that you can complete with the Fastback 9. Each different binding style uses its own type of binding strip or cover supplies. Here are the five different styles organized by the type of supplies that you use...