Long-Run 4-Color Printing

The Manrolands print quantities of 7,500 and above.

The Manrolands produce 1 to 4-color books.

The Manrolands can print from 35# groundwood to 70# offset along with 45# and 60# matte. 

Typical turnaround time for long-run jobs is 30 days or less, depending on capacity. Please confirm schedules with your business development or account manager ⟶

Bradford & Bigelow’s Manroland presses include LED-UV drying technology, which enables high-quality printing with lower energy consumption and reduced emissions compared to traditional heatset drying.

Benefits include:

• Faster curing of inks

• Less paper distortion from heat

• Improved print quality

• Reduced environmental impact

Manroland web presses are designed for high-volume production and offer several advantages:

• Fast printing speeds for large book runs

• Automated registration and density control

• Reduced makeready time

• Lower paper waste and improved efficiency 

These capabilities help Bradford & Bigelow maintain productivity while keeping costs competitive.

The main difference between offset and digital printing is how the image is transferred onto paper.

Offset printing uses metal plates to transfer ink onto a rubber blanket, which then applies the image to paper. This traditional method is ideal for large print runs because once the press is set up, it can produce thousands of copies quickly and cost-efficiently with very consistent quality.

Digital printing, on the other hand, prints directly from a digital file to the paper without using plates. This eliminates much of the setup time and makes digital printing a great option for short runs, quick turnaround projects, and materials that require multiple versions or personalization. 

Large book runs are typically printed using web offset presses, which feed continuous rolls of paper through high-speed units. This method allows printers to produce thousands of pages quickly and efficiently while maintaining consistent quality.

At Bradford & Bigelow high-volume book production is supported by advanced web presses such as our Timson ZMR presses ⟶ and Manroland Lithomans ⟶

Once pages are printed, they are folded into groups called signatures and then assembled and bound into the final book. Common binding methods include:

• Perfect binding

• Saddle-stitching

• Coil binding

• Case binding

Learn more about book binding methods ⟶

Bradford & Bigelow accepts press-ready PDFs (fonts must be embedded).

*Note that files submitted in other formats may require extra processing time and could incur additional processing fees; please speak with a business development manager for more information ⟶

Yes. Bradford & Bigelow is equipped to manage complex print programs that include multiple versions, SKUs, or components. This is common for our educational publishing clients that produce regional editions, grade-level variations, or customized kits.

Our production workflow is designed to efficiently manage versioned content through coordinated scheduling, precise inventory tracking, and flexible manufacturing capabilities across both offset and digital printing. Once printed, materials can be assembled into kits, packaged by SKU, and sent to districts, your warehouse, or stored in our warehouse for ongoing fulfillment and distribution ⟶

Printers use standardized color calibration systems and quality management processes to maintain consistency across print runs.

Bradford & Bigelow uses advanced color management practices such as G7 calibration ⟶ which helps ensure accurate and repeatable color reproduction across different presses and materials.

The company also maintains an ISO 9001:2015 quality management system ⟶ which ensures documented processes and continuous improvement across production. 

Bradford & Bigelow operates a range of specialized printing technologies designed to support different types of projects from high-volume book manufacturing to flexible short-run digital printing. Learn more about our product equipment: 

• Timson ZMR Web Offset Presses ⟶

• Manroland Lithoman Web Offset Presses ⟶

• HP Digital Press Technology ⟶

• Screen HD Digital Press Technology ⟶