So you need to create a booklet, but don’t know exactly how to do it? Have you considered using a booklet-making machine? Booklet makers are great for creating user manuals, reports, storybooks and much more. They are easy to use and save a lot of time versus outsourcing or using a paper folder and stapler. One booklet maker you may want to consider using is the Formax FD 160. Here’s why:

The Formax FD 160 booklet maker is considered to be a semi-automatic machine. It is very easy to use and the manual involvement is minimal. The FD 160 includes two staplers with a maximum of four total stapling positions. The stapling heads are mounted on some bars attached to manually activated handle.

Once the handle is brought down, it staples the paper. As the staplers are released, automatic paper folding rollers pull up the paper and fold it down the center. The result is a compact, professional booklet. The Formax FD 160 is designed to fold and staple a total of 12 sheets of paper, which equals out to be a 48-page booklet. You can get four booklet pages (front and back) per sheet of paper. It can be used with paper as large as 11 ¾ by 18 ½-inches in size.

I would rate the FD-160 to be capable of low to medium-volume booklet making. It is a tough little machine, and Formax is known for making high quality products. It is compact enough to sit on most tables and desks. It is light enough that it can be picked up and moved, however, it does weigh 41 pounds, so you may need two people.

The biggest downside to the Formax FD 160 is that it is not designed to be used with glossy or slick paper. This isn’t to say that it can’t work with glossy paper, but due to the slick nature of glossy paper, this cannot be guaranteed. As is the case with most friction-based machines, the rollers can potentially slip on glossy surfaces and cause a jam.

Overall I would personally consider using this booklet maker for myself. It is a solid piece of equipment. Just be sure that a 12 sheet maximum capacity (48 pages) is OK with what you’re doing. You will find the Formax FD 160 booklet maker here. You can find our entire selection of booklet makers here. If you like the idea of the FD 160, but would like something more automated, consider the Formax FD 180 found here.

I have been asked by several customers what my recommendations are on creating stapled booklets. These are the booklets that are typically anywhere from 4-80 pages thick, typically used to create instruction booklets, reports, short stories and other literature. There are two options on creating these types of booklets.

Before purchasing any booklet making equipment, you should ask yourself how many booklets you are creating per day and what your budget will be. One option, which I will discuss, is slower but sometimes less expensive.

These are my two booklet making recommendations:

Option 1 – The fastest and most effective way to create booklets is by using a booklet maker. These machines vary from semi to fully automatic. They take paper, staple it along the center and then fold it in half. These machines vary on the amount of paper they can fold and staple. You may find our entire selection of booklet makers here.

Option 2 – Your second, and sometimes less expensive option, is to use two separate machines like a paper folder and a saddle stapler. You can create the same effect of a booklet maker by single folding paper and then manually saddle stapling it using something like the Skrebba W115 or the Rapid 106. If you already have a paper folder, or a saddle stapler on hand, this may be the route you want to go.

Buying a paper folder and a saddle stapler used to be much less expensive than getting a booklet maker, but with booklet makers like the BookletMate and Formax FD 160, it is now often less expensive to simply go with a booklet maker.

Feel free to e-mail us, post a comment or call us at 1-800-658-8788 with your booklet making questions.

Are you creating booklets on a daily basis, perhaps by folding and manually stapling paper? There is a much more effective way to create booklets. This is done by using a booklet maker.

If you haven’t used a booklet maker, you should really give one a try. It is amazing how fast they operate. Booklet makers will literally save you hours of time and frustration. Booklet makers can be used to create manuals, reports, short stories, recipe books and more.

We have just added two highly effective and very affordable booklet makers to our site. These are the Formax FD-160 and FD-180 booklet makers. Both of these booklet makers are very easy to set up and use. The stapling on the model FD-160 is manual and the folding is motorized. The FD-180 staples and folds the paper by use of a motor.

You can view both of these booklet makers by going here. You can also view these booklet makers in action by visiting the following links:

Formax FD-160 in action:

Formax FD-180 in action: