It has been estimated that the annual usage of library catalogue cards is on the order of 4,000,000,000. Because of this substantial volume of cards, there has been increasing pressure towards producing cards at high speed by computer printing. However, the international standard for library catalogue cards has been established in the metric system of dimensions as 7.5 centimeters by 12.5 centimeters. Such metric dimensions of the card pose problems in their computer printing on high speed printers of United States manufacture which are typically arranged to feed or space by dimensions in the English system. In other words, the card dimensions are not readily compatible to high speed printing in the United States.
Heretofore the unique size of the catalogue cards has resulted in a variety of ways to achieve the appropriate outsize through the use of forms manufactured in inches. In accordance with one method, a form has been provided in a 31/2 inch or 3 inch card depth to facilitate printing on substantially any United States high speed printer in a conventional manner. Subsequent to printing, the form is die cut in an area between the cards to force the 7.5 centimeter size. In other words, if the card depth is 3 inches, the die cut is such as to remove 0.12 centimeters of material and thereby leave a 7.5 centimeter dimension.
Another method is to use a 31/2 inch depth which may be burst into single cards subsequent to printing. Thereafter the cards are trimmed on a guillotine cutter to the correct size.
Because of the foregoing approaches to the production of catalogue cards, these cards are expensive in manufacture and expensive in use.