Powis
Parker makes a number of innovative products including the Fastback P31
PowisPrinter. This is a device that can print customized spines for all
the documents you produce with a Fastback binding machine. Here is a
look at its strengths and weaknesses so you can decide if this product
is right for you.
Powis
Parker makes a number of innovative products including the Fastback P31
PowisPrinter. This is a device that can print customized spines for all
the documents you produce with a Fastback binding machine. Here's a
look at its strengths and weaknesses so you can decide if this product
is right for you.
Strengths:
The PowisPrinter makes it easy to create customized
spines for all of your bound documents. All you really need to do to
operate this device is turn it on, type out the text you want on your
spine, and then print it out.
This device can produce results
very quickly. You can type your text right into the machine with the
included keyboard. It only takes about 20 seconds to print out a spine,
so it's a great machine to use when you need to make spines for a lot of
books.
When used on its own, the PowisPrinter can produce a
number of terrific fonts. Some of the ones it can print include
Palatino, Zapf Chancery, and Bodoni. It can also print the ever-popular
Times font. However, if you hook this printer up to your computer, you
can print any font you want.
The type can range in size from 8
to 84 points so your text can be as large or as small as you want. Your
text can be printed in a number of different metallic colors and can be
vertical, horizontal, and stacked.
You can use this machine
to print spines for documents of a number of different sizes. Some of
those sizes are 8.5”, 14”, and A5.
This printer isn't very
big so you'll be able to find room for it on your work surface. Its
dimensions are 14” (width) x 12” (height) x 9.25 (depth), so it's
actually a bit smaller than a typical ink-jet printer.
Weaknesses:
The PowisPrinter's largest weakness is that it's not
really compatible with Macs. There's no support for OS X, so you really
need a PC to use this device. (You can use a USB cord to hook this
printer up to your computer. Various versions of Windows are compatible
with this device including XP.)
This little machine can only
print spines. If you want to make your own customized covers, you need
to use the Fastback FoilFast printer.
The PowisPrinter
doesn't have a particularly good warranty. It only lasts for 6 months
which is baffling because this is a pretty expensive device.
The
Fastback P31 PowisPrinter is a good machine, especially for users of
other FastBack products. This device makes it easy to create customized
spines for your documents. It can print a number of great fonts, it
works with different sizes of spines, and it's not too big so it won't
take over your desk. However, it's really disappointing that this device
can't be used with Macs. (Perhaps there will be a driver for Mac use in
the future.) The warranty could be better too. Nonetheless, if you want
to print your own spines for your documents, the PowisPrinter is
definitely worth some consideration.
If you'd like to purchase the PowisPrinter P31, you should really visit MyBinding.com.
They have this product available at a great price and they also have a
wide selection of other Fastback Equipment. Plus, you'll get free
shipping on all orders over $75.00. If you'd like to learn more about
these types of products, you can read all about them at MyBindingBlog.com. Check it out for yourself now!
