The process of creasing and bending a sheet of paper so that one part lies on top of another. Folding places stress on the paper fibers, which can cause cracking, especially with heavier papers like cover stocks or bristols. To achieve a clean, smooth fold on these heavier papers, scoring is recommended before folding.
The strength of the fold is particularly important in printed materials that require multiple folds, such as books, maps, and pamphlets. In contrast, for single-fold applications like greeting cards or envelopes, preventing cracking at the fold is the primary concern. Folding strength can be compromised by the drying heat used in certain printing and finishing processes.
For related processes, see: binding, finishing, gatefold, imposition, and scoring.
