Paper Folders, Inserters, Tabbers, Sealers and more!

Guide to paper folding machines

Manual, Automatic, Friction and Air-feed folders / folding machines  

Manual feed machines have 2 slots like a toaster.  You drop a set of 1 or more sheets (up to 5 in some machines) in a slot and it comes out the other slot folded in a regular letter fold. 

Generally, the folds are set and cannot be adjusted.  Most are a letter (trifold) type fold only.  The Martin Yale 6400 can fold in either a letter or half fold. 

Martin Yale 6200 shown.

All automatic feed machines fold paper one sheet at a time.  Most are manual setup, friction feed machines (called friction feed because the paper is moved through the machine pinched between 2 rollers).  Some machines have auto shutoff when the job is finished or it jams. 

The machines come in a very wide variety of capabilities, including machines that can fold very small to very large paper, thick or thin paper, and some glossy papers.  Some can perform a cross fold (fold in half and then put through again for a second fold from the side).  More expensive machines may have conveyors, micro adjustment, thickness adjustment, variable speed and/or counters.  A few can also score and perforate paper.

The Dynafold 102 is shown in these illustrations.

All machines have a fold chart in the manual and usually on the body of the machine.  The chart tells you where to set the stop on each of the 2 fold plates. 

Here is a small section of the Dynafold 102 chart.  To fold a legal size sheet into a letter fold, you would set the stop for tray 1 at position 8, and position K on tray 2. 

You set the fold by moving and tightening knobs to the position shown in the chart for that fold on the 2 fold plates, 

Some more expensive machines have a micro adjustment which allows you to adjust the setting in very small increments. 

Most machines also have adjustments for skew, such as when paper folds at an improper angle. More expensive machines also have adjustments for thickness of paper. 

Next, put a stack of paper (capacities range from 50 to 500 sheets) in a hopper, and turn the machine on.  The 102 tray shown here can hold up to 500 sheets. 

More expensive machines have more than one feed roller which feeds the paper more accurately.  They can also process some coated papers.

Multiple rollers are also required to perform a cross fold, in which you fold the paper in half, and then reset the machine to fold it again in half or thirds from the side. 

Machines with conveyor output have a neater stack. The paper is output to moving belt that moves the folded paper on a straight line to a neat stack. 

A conveyor is highly recommended for folding larger volumes of paper and is particularly useful with Z folds, which tend to get nested together.

The Martin Yale 1217 is shown.

On automated setup machines, you select the size paper and the fold type from an electronic board.  The machine is then setup for you with these settings, a great help when many people use the machine.  Otherwise, the operation is the same as the above.  These machines tend to have other useful features such as conveyor output.

The control panel from the Martin Yale 1701 is shown.

Air feed machines are required for very high volume or very glossy/slippery stock (so called because they pick up the sheet of paper by air suction). 

They are considerably more expensive than friction feed folders, but are more durable under high volume use.  They do not slip on glossy paper like most friction machines.

The Formax 390 is shown.

The machines here go to the limit of commercial folding machines. If you have needs that cannot be served by these machines, please call. We can match your needs with available industrial equipment. If it exists, we will find it. Call 800-520-6008. Ask for an industrial paper handling specialist.