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123MullerMartiniPanoramaWinter201317EItwasexactlytenyearsagothatathread-sewnbookbytheartistOlafNicolaiandproducedbytheMnchbookbinderywasawardedthetopprizetheGoldenLet-terattheLeipzigbookfair.ThebooktitledRewindForwardwhichwasreleasedbytherenownedpublishingcompanyHatjeCantzVerlagfeaturesnumerousshortersignatureswhichlendthe168-pageartbookaspecialappeal.JustastheGermanartistfromHalleisfamousinhishomecountryandbeyondforhisconceptualart-worksusingawiderangeofmediasotooistheMnchbookbinderyknownforitsairforcreativeprintproducts.AProductBecomesPopularWhatrequiredBettinaMnchsdexterityusingabooksewingmachineoperatedbyfootpedalsforthebookthatdebutedin2003hasnowbecomeindustrystandard.Moreandmorecustomersmainlyfromtheartscenearekeentoenhancethread-sewnbookswithshortsignaturessaysBettinaMnchatrainedassortmentbook-binder.Shetookoverthecompanysoper-ationsin1987towardstheendoftheGDRerafromhergrandfatherWernerKretzschmarandhasrunittogetherwithherbrotherAndrMnchsince2003.Thefamilybusinesswhoseeightem-ployeesandtwoapprenticesproduceinoneshifthasbecomeincreasinglywellknownthankstoword-of-mouthmarket-ing.Itscircleofcustomershasgrownovertheyearsashaveitsrunsofthread-sewnbooksfeaturingshortersignatures.Todayitsrunsaresometimesashighas1000copies.Naturallyrunsofthatsizecannotbeprocessedmanuallyusingthebooksewingmachinefromtheirgrandfathersdays.DaretoTakeRisksInordertobeabletoproduceshortersig-naturescost-effectivelyandincreaseitsca-pacitytheMnchbookbinderywhichconcentratesfullyonprintnishingturnedtoMullerMartiniandessentiallysetthedevelopmentoftheoptionontheVenturaMCbooksewingmachineseepage15inmotion.ItisnocoincidencethattheMnchbookbinderyhasvirtuallybecomethepio-neeroftheshortersignaturesoption.ThecompanywhichmovedintotheTapeten-werkacreativequarterforartistslocatedonthesiteofaformerwallpaperfactoryin2007hasalwaysdaredtotakerisks.Inor-dertomakeprintproductsmoreattractiveandensuretheystandoutyouhavetotrysomethingneweverynowandthensayBettinaandAndrMnchespeciallygiventheincreasingcompetitionfromelectronicmedia.OffsetandDigitalHissisterrecognizesthatthread-sewnbookswithshortersignatureswillremainaniche.HoweverBettinaMnchiscon-dentthatdemandforsuchproductswithintegratedfoilstransparentpaperandvar-iousdifferentfoldtypeswillincreasenotleastbecauseofthegrowingpopularityofthedigitalsegment.AndrMnchwhohimselfoperatestheVenturaMCanda1571gatheringmachinefromMullerMartinirecentlyacquiredonthesecondhandmarkethasobservedthatheisprocessingincreasingnumbersofdigitallyprintedjobs.IncreasingSignaturesTheresultisthattherunsofexhibitioncatalogsbookcoversdissertationsandBachelorsandMastersthesesintheA5toA4rangewhichareorderedbyprintingplantspublishersindustrialcustomersgraphicdesignersadvertisingagenciesandgalleriesartistsandprivateindividualsfromLeipzigtoBerlinareonthedecrease.Currentlyhoweverthenumberofsigna-turesgatheredin-housepre-insertedviaabrochurelineordeliveredisgrowingsteadily.ThatiswhyAndrMnchchangesoverthenewbooksewingmachineuptoseventimesdaily.HebenetsnotonlyfromthefactthattheVenturaMCisdesignedbothforoffsetanddigitalIalsolikeitshighlev-elofexibilityhighproductionspeedstheopeningsystemthetightstitchingandinparticulartheshortthreads.1TheancientbooksewingmachinefromthedaysofthegrandfatherofBettinaandAndrMnchisstillusedtodayforone-offproductionruns.InthebackgroundisthenewVenturaMC.2BettinaandAndrMnchruntheMnchbookbinderyinLeipzigtogether.RightHansThomasSalesRepresentativeatMullerMartiniGermany.3AndrMnchchangesovertheVenturauptoseventimesinashift.