“Work-and-turn” denotes a technique employed in the printing and publishing industry in which the production of materials such as books, pamphlets, brochures, and magazines is maximized while minimizing waste.
Work-and-turn, or tumble or double-sided, is the process of printing two different works on separate sides of a single paper. After that, the paper is turned upside down or horizontally to put both pages in the correct order, and the printing process is repeated. Paper is cut after printing and finished to create pages for binding or further production stages.
This process helps printers save on paper usage, using half the paper compared to the conventional one-sided printing technique. The method also helps minimize the cost of buying paper, storage, and disposal. Specifically for such projects as books or reports that are printed on both sides of the paper, the work-and-turn technique is a beneficial tool.
Printers commonly use imposition software to align the pages appropriately on the sheet. Meticulous planning and coordination are necessary to ensure that everything gets noticed during print and that the pages appear sequentially and correctly.
In short, the work-and-turn method is essential for effectively using resources, cost efficiency, and maintaining quality standards in the printing and publishing industry.