Perfing Question

I have an upcoming rush job, which will also be my first perf job and I have a question regarding perfing rule and tpi.

The paper I will be using is Lanaquarelle 140#, 300 gsm with a caliper of .021. What tpi is recommended for this sort of paper? Ultimately, I would like to have a range and would like to order 3 or 4 different rule to do some experimenting with, but at this point, I don’t even know where to begin. I would appreciate any help you could give me. Thanks in advance!

Carrie

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Hi Carrie,
I really like 12 tooth per inch.
Best regards, Camille

i use 12 tooth, .918 perf rule, i never perf with rollers in the press, cut too many rollers that way. Good Luck Dick G. make sure you use the perf backing on the top sheet or a die cutting jacket.

Two factors, The tooth width, and the kerf width. TPI is clear, but some die makers biff it on the kerf width. For mailing, you want a tougher perf, 12 TPI with a wide kerf that doesn’t come apart in mailing. For an invite, Biz Card, or a Rolodex, you want a 72 TPI microperf with a kerf that doesn’t show on the tear.

Lately, I’ve been doing some microperfs on 0.0075” plastic, with 5/16ths inch diameter knockouts, sheets destined for a laser printer.

Hoo boy, I could be looking for work in the near future.

Two factors, The tooth width, and the kerf width. TPI is clear, but some die makers biff it on the kerf width. For mailing, you want a tougher perf, 12 TPI with a wide kerf that doesn’t come apart in mailing. For an invite, Biz Card, or a Rolodex, you want a 72 TPI microperf with a kerf that doesn’t show on the tear.

Lately, I’ve been doing some microperfs on 0.0075” plastic, with 5/16ths inch diameter knockouts, sheets destined for a laser printer.

Hoo boy, I could be looking for work in the near future.

But If I was that smart, I would not have posted that reply twice, and I would not have entered my log on name with THE CAPS LOCK ON!

your posts are interesting to read, i don’t mind reading them twice. this is the first attempt to perf for Carrie you should have kept micro perfing a secret, that stuff is one of the reasons printers drink. Dick G.

Here’s a trick regarding the gaps in perf rules. If your rule is too tightly spaced, and the perf line breaks with too little effort, take a triangular saw file and run a few strokes at each notch, slightly widening it. If you are careful, you could use a small rotary grinder (Dremel style) to do the same thing. This has saved a few jobs on “brittle” paper.

Thank you all so much! This has, of course, given me a lot to think about. I’m pretty sure I will avoid the microperf for now. Especially since if I start with the cocktails, I’ll never finish the job ;-)

I do think the client wants that “dashed line” appearance, so I’m thinking of a range of 10 -12 tpi with a ~.032 gap. Does that sound about right?

jhenry: Thanks also for the tip about the dremel or saw file; that is good to know.