Benefits of continuous forms

Since 1987, we make continuous forms in many versions. Fast, reasonably priced and always printed in the highest quality.

Continuous forms have advantages:

Low printing costs;
Reliable in “difficult” environments;
No problems with curled paper (due to high laser printer fuser temperatures);
Low purchase price and long life of a dot-matrix printer;
Coloured carbonless copies for a clear overview in your administration;
These forms meet the legal requirements and are fraud-proof;
Environmentally friendly (no emission of toners).

Questions? Click on the texts below for more information

What is a continuous form

Continuous stationery is paper which is designed for use with dot-matrix printers with the proper paper feed mechanisms. Other names for continuous stationery are fan-fold paper, sprocket feed paper, tractor-feed paper, and pin feed paper. It can be single-ply (usually woodfree uncoated paper) or multi-ply (two or more layers of carbonless paper), often described as multipart stationery or forms.

Standard dimensions

The dimension of a continuous form is based on the American/English measurement system. Depth: 1 inch = 25.4 mm. = 6 pica. 1 pica = 4.233 mm. Width is in inches or mm. The most common dimensions for continuous forms are:

12" x 240 mm. (12" = 304.8 mm.)
11” x 240 mm. (11" = 279.4 mm.)
8" x 240 mm. (8" = 203.2 mm.)

Special dimensions continuous forms

In addition to the standard sizes 8, 11 and 12 inch, we offer a wide range of custom sizes. We also supply 11.4/6” (A4) continuous forms.
Other possibilities are printing up to the four edges of the form, applying separate horizontal en vertical perforations and two or more punched holes in a form.

The inch sizes (depth) we can manufacture are:

4.000 inch = 101.60 mm.
4.167 inch = 105.83 mm.
4.250 inch = 107.95 mm.
4.500 inch = 114.30 mm.
5.000 inch = 127.00 mm.
5.500 inch = 139.70 mm.
5.833 inch = 148.17 mm.
6.000 inch = 152.40 mm.
7.000 inch = 177.80 mm.
8000 inch = 203.20 mm.

  8.333 inch = 211.67 mm.
  8.500 inch = 215.90 mm.
  9.000 inch = 228.60 mm.
10.000 inch = 254.40 mm.
11.000 inch = 279.40 mm.
11.667 inch = 296.33 mm.
12.000 inch = 304.80 mm.
14.000 inch = 355.60 mm.
16.000 inch = 406.40 mm.

Pitch distance of the characters

Printers can be set to various character widths, Most common are 0.1 or 0.083-inch character spacing. When designing a layout for a continuous form, this information has to be taken into account. Of course, you can also create a print on blank paper and design your layout around it.

Printers for continuous forms

There are two types of dot-matrix printers:

Printers with pull tractor: transport of the form takes place after the paper is printed;
Printers with push tractor: transport of the form occurs before the paper is printed.

When using multi-part continuous forms, it is often necessary to use multiflex fastening. You can also add a pull-tractor for a better paper transport.

Paper

Printing

After press

Paper for continuous forms

There are 2 types of paper used for continuous forms. Woodfree offset paper for single part forms and carbonless paper for multipart continuous forms. Carbonless paper can be divided into CB = coated back, CFB = coated front & back and CF = coated front. In the coating of these papers, there are microscopic small ink capsules that break open under pressure and form an equal image in the underlying paper.

Offset paper

▪ Standard woodfree offset 80 gsm white
▪ Standard woodfree offset 120 gsm white
Our woodfree offset is also suitable for further processing on laser and inkjet printers.

Carbonless paper standards

▪ Top sheet (CB) 60 / 80 gsm white
▪ Middle sheet (CFB) 53 gsm white / blue / yellow / pink / green
▪ Bottom sheet (CF) 57 gsm white / blue / yellow / pink / green

On request available

Woodfree offset
▪ Woodfree offset 80 gsm coloured
▪ Woodfree offset 90 / 100 / 140 / 160 / 190 gsm white
▪ OCR 90 gsm white

Carbonless
▪ Top sheet (CB) 56 gsm blue / yellow / pink / green
▪ Bottom sheet (CF) 80 / 130 / 170 gsm white
▪ Self-contained: SC 55 gsm yellow

Printing continuous forms

These prints are possible:

All sheets printed equally in one or more colours;
Only top sheet printed, middle and bottom sheets stay blank;
Top sheet printed in 2 or more colours, middle and bottom sheets printed in 1 colour;
Middle and bottom sheets printed differently;
Print on the back of the sheets, usually with terms of delivery or other conditions;
Middle and or bottom sheets printed with desensitizing ink, commonly used for price block out;
Printing up to all four sides of the form.

Raster printing

Is used for printing continuous tone images and flat tints. Rasters can vary in lines per inch. The lpi values for continuous forms lie between 120 and 150 lpi. Higher values give much more detail in print, lower values means less detail. All depends on the printing press and the used paper.
The coverage of a raster area is indicated in percentages. Below you'll find a view of the colour process blue in steps of 10%.

When printing continuous forms we use a raster with 140 lines per inch. (55 lines per cm). A suitable coverage for flat tint areas is 5% to 20%. Please note that dot gain will occur and that heavy raster areas (> 30%) may adversely affect the imaging of the underlying parts of your form. Please consult us before you start designing.

Block out

For not depicting characters printed on the underlying sheets of a multipart form. For example a combined set of an invoice/packing form with no financial information visible on the packing sheet.
There are two solutions for block out:

A heavy grid pattern in a random shape, printed in black or another dark colour;
Transparent desensitizing ink. This ink layer is (partially) printed on the front coating of the carbonless paper so that there is no chemical reaction with the sheet above.

Rich black in full-colour print

If you have large black areas, a value of 50% cyan and 100% black will suffice and gives a nice deep black colour. Rich black is not suitable for small text and thin lines since this can lead to registration inaccuracies.

Maximum ink limit at full-colour continuous forms

The ink limit is the sum of all 4-colour channels in the CMYK colour space ( theoretical 4 channels x 100% = 400%). For continuous forms, the maximum ink limit of these channels may not exceed the value of 260%. This value prevents unwanted transfer of the ink in the delivery. This can be accomplished by conversion to the colour profile, ISOuncoated_vigc_47L_260 (from VIGC/X-rite).

Maximum surface coverage for full-colour continuous forms

The total area that can be printed in full-colour is between 15 and 20% of the NET format.

Continuous forms can be finished in several ways

Perforations

Vertical perforations: the most common ones are 15 mm. left and right for the pin feed edge, the gross paper size of 240 mm. becomes 210 mm.;
Cross perforations: always one cross perforation for the vertical format;
Additional horizontal perforations and/or special perforations are also among the possibilities;
For 80 and 90 gsm paper we use, where possible, micro perforation. For all other paperweights, we recommend normal perforations. Extra vertical perforations rarely give any problems, provided that they are not too close to each other.

Crimplock fastening for continuous forms

Crimp fastening

This is the fastening of the multipart form in the pin feed edge, which releases the sheets with a light pull and yet allows a 90° bend. Use this fastening for a 2-4 multipart form. When using a 5 or 6 multipart form it is advisable to use multiflex fastening, depending on your printer type (push or pull printer).

Multiflex fastening

This is a flexible fastening of the multipart form in the pin feed edge, which is necessary for flexible paper processing throughout the printer. This fastening is important in all printers that work according to the push principle. A piece of tape attaches the first sheet to the last by one of the sprocket holes. For a visual explanation see this movie.

Punched holes

Sheets with 2 or 4 punched holes for convenient storage of the sheets in ring binders. Please note the place of these punched holes if you design a form so that these holes don’t overlap with important text.

Snap-out set

As with the detachable pin feed, snap-out left or right, depending on your requirements.

Loose forms

Without the pin feed edges but glued at the short or long side of the form.

Pads and books

Continuous forms are easily and quickly processed to pads and books. Please contact us about the many possibilities.

DTP

Desktop Publishing

Before the forms are printed, all text and images are formatted. We can offer you the following solutions:

Text

OCR (Optical Character Recognition);
Cleaning up text.

Images

Scanning of positives and negatives;
Colour correcting images;
Retouch images;
Upsampling pixel images and logos;
Vectorisation of logos (conversion of pixels images to vector images).

Miscellaneous

Lay out text and images;
Text and image conversion;
Text and image extraction;
Recolour artwork
Edit and customize pdf files;
Make Microsoft documents suitable for print.

DTP specific for continuous forms

Designing continuous forms in inches and picas;
Adapting A paper sizes to the nearest inch sizes;
Conversion of full-colour (CMYK) to the nearest Pantone colours (uncoated);
Making full-colour images suitable for printing on a continuous form press (adjusting the maximum ink limit).

You did not find the information you were looking for?

If you have any questions about continuous forms, please fill in our contact form and we will reply within 24 hours.

Contact

Zekkenstraat 36
3151 XP Hoek van Holland
Netherlands

E-mail: info@drukkerijsk.eu
Web: www.drukkerijsk.eu/en
Telephone: +316-20874415

Chamber of Commerce Rotterdam 72865407
VAT no. NL859265936B01

Opening hours:
From Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm.

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