I recently had a customer ask me what BRE was. Initially I was a little confused as to what they were talking about. They then went on to tell me that they were looking at a Formax inserter & envelope stuffer and saw that some of the Formax machines had a BRE feeder.

I didn’t know it at the time, but I knew what a BRE was, I just wasn’t familiar with the acronym. The abbreviation BRE stands for Business Return Envelope. As soon as I read that I thought, “oh yeah, I know exactly what that is.”

You probably know what I am talking about. BREs are those small little envelopes that often say “no postage necessary” on them, that are included in a larger envelope. BREs are often used for renewing a magazine subscription, for applying for a credit card and many, for bills and many other mailers.

Many of our Formax envelope stuffing machines have multiple feed trays. Some inserters include a tray that is a little smaller, which can be used to insert BRE envelopes and small inserts. Simply place your paper in the feed tray, along with a stack of business reply envelopes, and the Formax folder inserter will do the rest.

The entire folder inserter process is remarkable to see in action. The amount of time and money saved using an automatic folder inserter is remarkable, especially compared to manually doing the work. Folding and inserting machines will probably dramatically cut back on your stress as well.

While not all our folding and inserting machines have BRE insert trays, many do. Our product pages will specify whether or not they have a BRE insert tray. If you are having trouble finding a machine with a BRE insert tray, call us at 1-800-658-8788 and one of or mail equipment specialists will help you track down a few models.

You can find our entire selection of Formax inserting & envelope stuffing machines here.

Do you need to fold brochures, but don’t know exactly where to start? While you can always fold a brochure by hand, machines are available that will get the job done in literally a fraction the time. These machines are paper folding machines. There are three ways you can create brochures with a folding machine.

Top Brochure Folding Methods

The first and most popular way to create a brochure is by using a letter fold. This is often referred to as a C fold. This makes literature easy to view, while maintaining a compact layout.

This is an example of a letter (C) fold:

The second most popular way to create a brochure is by using an accordion fold. This is often referred to as a Z fold. Much like a letter fold, an accordion fold makes brochure easy to open, easy to mail and easy to display.

This is an example of an accordion (Z) fold:

The third most common fold used for making brochures is the double parallel fold. This fold has a unique look to it and creates a very compact brochure.

This is an example of a double parallel fold:

While most folding machines can create a letter fold or an accordion fold, not all machines can handle a double parallel fold. Most folding machines will specify the types of folds they can handle, making it easier to find the right machine.

You can find our entire selection of brochure paper folders here. Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with your brochure folding questions.

Are you looking for a paper folding machine and have been considering a DE-102AF, a DE-202AF or a DE-322AF? Before you consider getting a Dynafold, I highly recommend you consider the Intelli-Fold line of folding machines from Intelli-Zone. There are several reasons for this.

To begin with, Dynafold paper folders have been around for some time and have established a great reputation. While currently available Dynafold paper folders have since moved manufacturing plants (perhaps in an effort to save on building costs), Intelli-Fold paper folders are still made in the original manufacturing plants using the same high-quality process.

If cost is an issue, you may want to consider the Intelli-Fold line. Intelli-Fold paper folders almost always cost less than Dynafold paper folding machines.

Dynafold and Intelli-Fold paper folders are so similar that parts can actually be swapped between models. Here is a quick guide to help you determine the Intelli-Fold equivalent of a Dynafold folding machine.

Dynafold to Intelli-Fold Guide

Dynafold DE-102AF –> Intelli-Fold DE-102AF
Dynafold DE-202AF –> Intelli-Fold DE-202AF
Dynafold DE-322AF –> Intelli-Fold DE-322AF
Dynafold DE-262AF –> Intelli-Fold DE-262AF
Dynafold DE-302AF –> Intelli-Fold DE-302AF
Dynafold DE-8 –> Intelli-Fold DE-8

Intelli-Fold paper folding machines are customer favorites and some of our best-selling paper folding machines. The build quality is excellent, they have a great track record and folds continue to be clean, crisp and extremely professional.

I personally recommend using Intelli-Fold for all your folding needs. They can be used to create letter folds, accordion folds, single folds and a wide variety of custom folds. These machines are easy to setup and should easily last you for years to come.

You can find our entire line of Intelli-Fold paper folding machines here.

If you’re a big fan of the popular MBM 207M paper folding machine, chances are pretty good you’re going to love the MBM 307A programmable paper folding machine (found here). Build using a similar design, the 307A is one of the most popular automatic letter folding machines on the market. Popularity isn’t always everything though. So is this machine worth buying? This is my review.

To begin with, MBM is one of the leading manufacturers of high-end office equipment around. They make the Destroyit paper shredder line and the very popular Triumph and Kutrimmer lines of paper cutters. In line with their other products, the MBM paper folding machines have become a classic.

The MBM 307A, first and foremost, features an all-metal build. The machine has some heft to it (weighing in at 82 pounds shipped). The build quality becomes quite apparent once you start using it. This machine is built for the long haul. I don’t foresee anyone having issues with this machine.

A total of three friction wheels and two folding plates help create the folds. The feed tray holds up to 450 sheets of standard copy paper. Once on, the machine pulls a sheet off the stack and bounces it off of those two folding plates, causing the paper to be folded between the internal rollers. The end result is a clean, crisp and accurate fold.

The 307A is an automatic folding machine that has been pre-programmed with 6 common folds. This means setting up the 307A will take just seconds. Simply select the fold you want and the folding plates will self adjust themselves. It is that easy. Once set, folding is as easy as pressing the “start” button.

While this folding machine can create 6 common folds, including a letter and accordion fold, it can also be used to create custom folds. Simply make fine-tuned adjustments on the control panel. Up to 18 custom folds can be stored in the built-in memory. This machine can even handle the elusive cross fold (aka French fold).

The MBM 307A boasts some pretty impressive features. This includes the ability to fold paper as thin as 12 lbs up to 80 lbs card stock. It is also able to handle paper from 3 1/2″ x 5″ to 11″ x 17″ in size. The motor runs at a speed of about 11,520 sheets per hour. A built-in LED screen keeps count of folded sheets. An optional perforator and scoring wheel can be added in the factory upon request.

The exit tray uses a conveyor style system. This means as the paper is ejected from the folding machine, it is collected by a moving conveyor. This helps to keep the paper neat and organized. A conveyor exit tray is a must-have feature for those folding invoices, bills and other paper that needs to be kept in alphanumerical order.

Overall the MBM 307A automatic programmable tabletop folding machine is an impressive piece of engineering and is a great machine to use in just about any businesses, church, school or other organization. I personally love this machine and highly recommend it for medium to higher-volume jobs.

You can find the MBM 307A programmable paper folding machine here. You can find our entire lineup of paper folding machines here.

Do you have a question about the MBM 307A or one of its features? Give us a call at 1-800-658-8788. We are more than happy to help you out.

I had customer recently ask me, “What is the toughest folding machine you offer?” Well, we offer a lot of good high-quality folding machines. If you’re only talking about friction-feed folding machines, I have to say that the Intelli-Fold DE-8 paper folding machine (found here)(from Intelli-Zone) is one of the best we offer. This is why.

To begin with, the DE-8 has a monthly duty cycle of 240,000 folds. This means you can safely fold 240,000 documents in a month’s period of time without the machine suffering any ill effect. The motor itself runs at an amazing speed of 22,000 pieces per hour. So now I’ve established that this is a pretty tough machine, so what can it do?

The DE-8 is capable of creating a wide variety of common folds. This includes single folds, letter folds, accordion folds and even the cross fold (French fold). Apart from being able to create many of the most common folds, it can also be set up to create custom folds. The folding plates on this machine are very easy to set up and adjust.

While the DE-8 can fold paper up to an amazing 14″ x 21″ in size, I think the really cool feature is that it can fold paper as small as 2″ x 2.7″. This is a huge range of paper, which is uncommon to find in a folding machine. Not only does it handle a huge range of paper sizes, but it can also handle paper thicknesses ranging from a thin 10# up to 110# in thickness. This may be one of the best ranges we offer in a folding machine.

Operating the DE-8 is very simple. Once the folding plates have been adjusted, simply place your paper in the machine, plug in the machine and turn it on. It will immediately start working. An adjustable speed dial makes it easy to speed up or slow down this machine. This is especially nice when folding paper of varying thicknesses.

You’ll notice in the picture that it has a conveyor-style exit tray. This is especially nice if you need to keep your folded documents in an organized group. The conveyor slows the paper down as it shoots out of the machine and keeps paper in alphabetical / numerical order. This is especially nice for businesses that fold bills, invoices and other similar material.

This machine is very heavy duty. The build quality is exceptional. It weighs in at 105 pounds shipped, so that gives you an idea as to how heavy it is.

Overall I am really impressed with this folding machine. It is definitely one of the toughest friction-feed folding machines we offer.

You can find the Intelli-Fold DE-8 paper folding machine here. You can find our entire selection of paper folding machines here.

If you mail out a lot of invoices, bills and other statements, you may want to consider using a pressure sealer. These handy machines are fast, efficient and cost a lot less than a paper folder inserter. One model you may want to thoroughly look at is the Formax FD 1400 AutoSeal pressure sealer (found here). This is my review.

One downside to a paper folder inserter is that they are cost prohibitive for many people, especially people that only need to fold and mail one sheet of paper. When a customer tells me a folder inserter is out of their price range, I often recommend that they consider a pressure sealer. The end results look very similar.

Pressure activated paper doesn’t cost much more than standard copy paper. Simply run the pressure-activated paper through a printer and then run it through the FD 1400 pressure sealer.

The Formax FD 1400 can hold up to 100 sheets of pressure-activated paper at a time. Once activated, and once the folding plates have been set, the machine will pull in the paper. By means of steel rollers, pressure is applied to the pressure-activated paper. This pressure causes tiny pockets of glue to burst, sealing the paper shut.

You have probably received pressure-sealed mail before. It is the mail that has the perforated sides, which once torn off, expose the letter. This type of mail is just as secure, if not more so, than a standard letter and is even more tamper proof.

The Formax FD 1400 is very fast. The motor runs at a speed of 60 forms per minute, which is adequate for most small to medium-volume jobs. It can create Z folds, C folds and single folds and can use pressure-activated paper up to 24# thick. It can use paper up to 8 ½” x 14″ in size. The FD 1400 has a recommended duty cycle of 10,000 pieces per month.

The build quality of the FD 1400 is very nice. I have handled this machine and looks are deceiving. At first I thought it looked like a basic paper folding machine; that was until I moved it. It is a heavy machine. It weighs in at 90 pounds shipped.

If you need to fold invoices, bills, mailers and other single-sheet mail, you should seriously consider using a pressure sealer like the Formax FD 1400. It is a solid piece of machinery and a great alternative to a paper folder inserter.

You can find the Formax FD 1400 AutoSeal pressure sealer here. You can find our entire selection of paper folding pressure sealers here.

Do you need a compact letter folding machine that can be used for occasional jobs throughout the day? If this scenario applies to you, you may want to consider using the Martin Yale P7400 AutoFolder paper folding machine (found here). Having used this machine myself, and having a lot of experience with folding machines, I can provide you with a unique incite on this machine. This is my review.

To begin with, Martin Yale is no stranger to the paper folding industry. They have been making folding machines for years, well before I started working for ABC Office over 10 years ago. They have managed to strike some home runs with popular machines like the 1217A and the 1501X.

The P7400 is a newer machine compared to some of the classic Martin Yale folding machines. It isn’t targeted or designed for high-volume use. It is designed to be placed on a desk for occasional letter folding throughout the day. This doesn’t mean it is a bad machine, but rather it is designed for a different audience.

The Martin Yale P7400 is a light volume paper-folding machine. I personally wouldn’t recommend using it for more than a few hundred folds a day.

Setting up the P7400 is very easy. Out of the box, there is very little assembly required. The most difficult part, which really isn’t tough, is setting up the catch tray where the paper is dispersed after folding.

The P7400 can be set up for four common folds. This includes the letter fold, the half fold, the double parallel fold and the Z-fold. Because the folding plates are manually adjusted, there is a little wiggle room for some custom folds.

It only weighs in at 17 pounds, which makes it simple and easy to pick up and move around. I can’t think of many situations where you wouldn’t be able to use this on your table.

The feed tray holds up to 50 sheets of standard 20# paper. While this isn’t the 500 sheet capacity many Intelli-Fold machines are capable of, it is fine for light-volume folding. The P7400 can fold paper up to 8 ½” x 14″ in size and 28lb bond in thickness.

I have to say my favorite feature of the P7400 is the multi-sheet folding capabilities. This machine will allow you to take 1-3 sheets of paper (including stapled) and fold them at one time. This is done by manually inserting the paper into a bypass slot located on top of the machine.

In conclusion, I have to say that the P7400 carries on the Martin Yale tradition of quality, but I definitely would not use it for medium to high-volume paper folding. It is best used for occasional light-folding jobs throughout the day.

You can find the Martin Yale P7400 AutoFolder paper folding machine here. You can find our entire selection of paper folding machines here.

So this is the question posed to me on an almost weekly basis. Can a paper folding machine handle glossy paper? They can, but you have to have the right machine. Here are a few tips to help you find a machine that will properly handle your glossy and coated paper.

There is a lot of love out there for glossy paper. This paper does have a professional look to it and is very popular for brochures. Most people who fold glossy paper don’t need anything fancy. They usually need something simple, like a letter fold or an accordion fold.

There are two types of paper folding machines. These types are friction-feed and air-feed. Here is a quick breakdown on what they are:

Friction Feed – Friction-feed paper folding machines use rubber rollers to pull paper into the machine for folding.

Friction-feed paper folding machines make up about 90% of the machines used today. This is because they are typically more compact and less expensive. The only problem is that the friction wheels slide around on glossy paper like ice-skates on a lake.

Air Feed (aka Air Suction or Pneumatic) – Air-feed paper folding machines use air to suck paper into the machine.

Air-feed paper folding machines suck glossy paper into the machine just as easily as standard non-glossy paper. They have absolutely no problem handling coated and glossy paper. The only downside is that they have a built-in compressor, making them a little bigger, and I have found that they tend to make more noise.

So can you use coated or glossy paper in a friction-feed folding machine? The official answer is no. The unofficial answer is sometimes. If the paper is coated, but not too slick, it can often be used in a friction-feed folding machine. The only problem is that there are no guarantees.

If you are on a budget, and can’t afford an air-feed paper folding machine, feel free to send in your paper and we can run it on one of our machines. While I can’t guarantee it will always work, I can at least let you know if it is compatible. Call us at 1-800-658-8788 to set up sending in samples.

You can find our entire selection of friction-feed paper folding machines here and our air-feed paper folders here.

Do you need a fast, durable and no-nonsense paper folding machine? Whether you’re folding letter-size paper or legal-size documents, the Formax FD 320 paper folding machine (found here) may be just what you need. This is my review.

I say “no-nonsense” when talking about the Formax FD 320 because it’s a fairly simple paper folding machine. Simply put, there aren’t buttons and dozens of settings you have to mess with. If you already have experience using a paper folder, using the FD 320 will feel like second nature when using.

This folding machine uses traditional folding plates. This means you will have to manually adjust two separate folding plates. Folds are clearly marked on the plates, making it easy to determine where they need to be set. Both plates can be removed for easier access.

The FD 320 itself weighs in at 55 pounds, making it solid enough to handle the tough jobs, but light enough to be used on most tables and countertops. The exact dimensions of the FD 320 are 38″ L x 18″ W x 11″ H (97 L x 46 W x 28 H cm). Keep in mind that the length includes the exit tray, which can be folded up.

It is primarily designed to be used with standard copy paper, up to 11 ¾” x 18″ in size. A convenient conveyor system helps keep the paper organized and lined up when leaving the machine. This is especially nice for people who want to keep folded documents alphabetized or in numerical order.

Once the plates have been set, paper can be dropped in the feed tray. No fanning is required. The tray can hold up to 250 sheets of paper. One thing I personally really like about the feed tray is that it uses three friction rollers to pull paper in. This helps keep paper even and straight as it enters the machine, making the folds cleaner and more professional.

Folding is started by turning on the dial located on the front of the machine. This same dial allows for variable speed control. The Formax FD 320 can be used to create letter folds, accordion folds, half folds, gate folds and more. Because the folding plates are manually adjusted, custom folds are pretty easy to set up.

The only downsides I can think of is that this folding machine really isn’t designed to fold card stock. It would also be nice to have some sort of batch folding and paper counting capabilities.

Overall I consider the FD 320 to be a solid little machine. It is probably one of the best manual setup paper folding machines available.  Best of all, it’s made in the USA.

You can find the Formax FD 320 paper folding machine here. You can find our entire selection of paper folding machines here.

Paper folding machines make letter folding and other types of paper folding quick, simple and easy. These machines literally save hours upon hours of time over manually folding paper.

The most commonly used paper folding machine is the friction-feed folding machine. This guide will help you learn how to set up your machine.

Whether you have recently lost your manual or are interested in purchasing a paper folding machine, this guide will help you get up and going and become familiarized with the general idea of the friction-feed paper folder. I have personally found that once you know how to use one folding machine, it is generally pretty simple to set up and use another.

To begin with, here is a general breakdown of the standard fiction feed paper folding machine. Keep in mind that this is a basic diagram and may not apply to your machine.

Now I will show you how to set up your paper folding machine and start letter folding in just 7 easy steps. You’ll be surprised just how little work is needed to get one of these machines running.

Using A Paper Folding Machine In 7 Easy Steps

Step 1. Look over your machine and familiarize yourself as to where the power switch is, folding plates are located and how the feed tray works.

Step 2. Most folding machines have a grid or diagram printed somewhere on the machine to indicate where the folding plates need to be set for certain types of folds. Find this and determine where the folding plates need to be set for your fold. In this case I am creating a letter fold.

Step 3. Adjust your folding plates. This will involve two separate plates, usually located on opposite sides of the machine.

Step 4. Now you’ll want to adjust the side guides on the feed tray to accommodate the paper you are using. In this case I am using standard 8 ½” x 11″ letter-size paper.

Step 5. Place your stack of paper in the machine. Most folding machines will handle at least 100 sheets, with some high-end models capable of holding up to 500.

Step 6. Turn your folding machine on for a few seconds and examine the end results. Some folding machines have a “test” button. If the fold is off, make adjustments to the folding plates. If everything looks good, turn the machine on and let it fold the paper.

Step 7. Once completed, you are ready to load another stack of paper.

Not too bad, right? While the amount of time will vary from machine to machine, I’ve found that the entire process generally takes about 10 minutes. This of course depends on the experience of the operator.

You can find our entire selection of new paper folding machines here. Please feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any paper folder questions. Have a great day and happy folding!