High-volume book product built for speed, consistency, and efficiency
For larger print runs, our web offset platform provides the speed and efficiency needed for high-volume book production. Bradford & Bigelow specializes in educational book manufacturing, including the trim sizes and specifications commonly used for textbooks, workbooks, supplemental materials, test preparation, and other learning products.
Our offset operation includes Manroland Lithoman LED/UV and Timson presses, giving us the flexibility to produce one- through four-color interiors while supporting demanding production schedules. LED/UV technology also allows sheets to move immediately into finishing without traditional heatset drying, helping streamline production while reducing energy use.
Flexible short and medium runs that keep production aligned with demand
Digital printing gives publishers more flexibility when quantities don’t justify a traditional offset run or when inventory needs to be replenished quickly. Our digital platform supports short and medium runs, making it possible to better match print quantities with current demand while maintaining the quality and consistency expected across a title’s lifecycle.
With high-speed inkjet technology, including Screen and HP equipment, we can accommodate a range of quantities and production requirements. Digital and offset capabilities within the same manufacturing operation also make it easier to transition a title from one production method to another as demand changes.
Binding and finishing options designed for durability, usability, and a quality finished product
The way a book is bound affects everything from durability and usability to production time and cost. Bradford & Bigelow offers multiple binding options to support different types of educational and publishing products, including perfect binding, saddle stitching, coil binding, and adhesive case binding.
Our finishing operation includes highly automated equipment for gathering, binding, drilling, coiling, and palletizing. For hardcover projects, our case binding capabilities include both flatback and roundback construction, giving publishers another option for titles requiring greater durability or a longer useful life.
Because much of our finishing is integrated with the rest of our manufacturing operation, books can move efficiently from press through binding and preparation for shipment.
AFTER PRODUCTION
Beyond the Book
- Warehousing & Inventory Management
- Distribution & Fulfillment
- Kitting & Custom Programs
Warehousing & Inventory Management
Printing is only one part of managing a successful book program. Our 180,000-square-foot distribution center provides publishers with space to store finished inventory and manage releases over time rather than coordinating production and storage through separate vendors.
Inventory can be received directly from our manufacturing operation, stored, tracked, and released as orders are received. Combining manufacturing and warehousing can also simplify freight movement and give publishers greater visibility into inventory as they plan future print runs.
Distribution & Fulfillment
Bradford & Bigelow supports both B2B and B2C distribution, allowing finished books to move from production and inventory directly to schools, businesses, retailers, organizations, or individual recipients.
Our fulfillment capabilities include pick and pack, bulk shipments, individual shipments, and direct-to-school distribution. For educational programs with complex address files or multiple destinations, we can coordinate split shipments and distribution schedules around program requirements and school calendars.
Bringing printing, warehousing, and distribution together means finished books don’t have to travel between multiple vendors before reaching their final destination.
Kitting & Custom Programs
Some programs require more than a single finished book. Bradford & Bigelow can support kitting and assembly programs that combine books with additional printed materials or other components before distribution.
Kits can be assembled according to program requirements and prepared for shipment to individual locations or recipients. This is particularly useful for educational programs involving classroom sets, teacher and student materials, multi-component products, or other projects where several pieces need to arrive together.
QUALITY & RESPONSIBILITY
Built to a Higher Standard
ISO 9001:2015 Registered
Bradford & Bigelow is ISO 9001:2015 registered, with a quality management system built around consistent processes, accountability, and continuous improvement. Our procedures extend throughout manufacturing, with processes in place to identify root causes and implement corrective action.
G7 Master Qualified Facility
As a G7 Master Facility, Bradford & Bigelow follows established standards for consistent, predictable color reproduction. We use spectrophotometers, closed-loop color controls, G7 methodology, and ICC profiles to help maintain color consistency throughout a production run and across reprints.
FSC® & SFI® Certified
Our FSC® and SFI® certifications support responsible fiber sourcing and give publishers options when certified paper is required for a project. These programs provide established standards for tracing forest-based materials through the supply chain and supporting responsible forestry practices.
Solar Powered & Recycling Center
Our investment in solar power helps reduce our reliance on traditional energy sources and supports a more efficient approach to book manufacturing. Solar energy is one part of our continued investment in technology and infrastructure designed to reduce the environmental impact of our operations.
Our on-site recycling center helps keep materials out of the waste stream and in productive use. In fact, 98% of all materials that enter our facilities are either sold as finished product or recycled, helping us minimize waste throughout the manufacturing process.
Print. Warehouse. Distribute.
Whether you need a short digital run, a high-volume offset program, hardcover or paperback binding, inventory management, or direct distribution, Bradford & Bigelow can build a production plan around the needs of your titles.
Bringing these capabilities together gives publishers one partner from production through delivery, with fewer handoffs and greater visibility along the way.