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Since the invention of paper in the first century A.D., people have been folding paper into various shapes. In the sixth century, the Japanese made an art of paper folding and called it origami. Skip forward to the 21st century and paper folding is much more than an art form?it's a necessity. Every week, churches across the country print millions of bulletins, programs, and newsletters. And guess what? These documents all need to be folded before handing them off to the mailman or church members.

How does your staff meet its document deadlines? Do they rely on volunteer help, or will they consider a 21st-century solution?a paper-folding machine? According to a 2002 survey conducted by Your Church, 96 percent of large churches (annual budget over $500,00) and 69 percent of medium-large churches (annual budget between $250,001 and $500,000) chose the automated solution over manual labor by purchasing a paper-folding machine.

The advantage of a folding machine is that paper gets folded quickly?hundreds or thousands of sheets per hour?and precisely. If you've never owned a paper-folding machine, you might not know where to start in looking for one. We're here to help.

"Administrators should look for machine flexibility, ease of setup and operation, cost, durability, and service availability when shopping for paper-folding machines," says Charles MacNeil, marketing director at Formax, an industry leader in the design, engineering, sales, and support of paper-processing equipment.

The most commonly used paper-folding machine is the friction-feed paper folder, which uses a roller to pull a sheet of paper into the machine, and folds it. Formax has three tabletop folders that fall in this category and are popular with churches?the FD 320, FD 340, and FD 380. These folders, which can process paper up to 17 inches in length and perform a variety of folds, are user friendly, inexpensive, and durable.

The Model FD 320 offers a "drop-in" feed system, which eliminates the need to fan paper before feeding it through. Common folds are clearly marked on both fold plates. Its conveyor system allows for neat, sequential stacking of folded documents and it can fold up to 11,000 sheets per hour. It weighs about 55 pounds and lists for approximately $1,795.

The Model FD 340 is a fast, dependable, and easy-to-use solution for virtually all folding applications. Six popular folds (letter, zigzag, single, gate, fold out, and double parallel) are clearly marked on the fold plates for quick setup. Adjustments can be made to process unique custom folds. An optional semi-automatic multi-sheet feeder system enables folding of up to three stapled or unstapled sheets of 20-pound paper in one pass. Fine-tuning knobs on the fold plates allow precise control of the fold position. It holds 500 sheets and has a folding capacity of up to 12,000 sheets per hour. The FD 340 weighs 67 pounds and lists for approximately $2,595.

The Model FD 380 is a fully automatic folder ideal for any church that demands quick and easy setup. Six common folds, pre-set for 11-, 14-, and 17-inch paper, can be activated with the touch of a button. Up to nine custom folds can be programmed and stored in memory. The telescoping output stacker holds up to 500 folded documents and ensures that the forms remain in a neat and sequential order. It also has a multi-sheet feeder that folds up to three 20-pound sheets of stapled or unstapled paper at the same time. The FD 380 has a folding capacity of up to 12,500 sheets per hour, weighs 77 pounds, and lists for approximately $3,595.

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