Abstract: A bundle of loose sheet material such as printed matter is produced by stacking the material; compressing the stack flatwise between pressure jaws; gripping the compressed stack at vertical transversely spaced edge portions thereof by an up and down movable clamping unit; releasing the pressure jaws; lifting the clamping unit and gripped stack above the released pressure jaws; wrapping banding tape around the lifted stack by rotating the lifted clamping unit and stack about a central vertical axis; lowering the clamping unit and stack; and finally opening the lowered clamping unit to release the banded stack.