Binding a document creates a professional looking document and is durable so it can be referenced many times without becoming ‘dog-eared’. Bound documents stand out from the normal piles of paper found in the office so can be easily identified and retrieved. Binding is ideal if you want to create monthly reports, user guides, training manuals and customer presentations
What you need to consider before purchasing a binding machine.
- Appearance – Each binding method produces documents of different appearances. A Thermal bound document is arguably the most professional looking but this does not allow the document to be opened through 360 degrees for easy reading. A double wire bound document allows the document to lie flat and be opened through 360 degrees and at the other end of the scale, plastic comb bound documents are cheap to produce, documents can lie flat but the pages can be easily removed and the look of the document is arguable the least professional looking.
- Volume – If you are binding on a small scale then a low volume binder with up to 12 sheet punching capacity should work but if you’re binding in volume you might want a machine capable of punching up to 450 sheets at a time such as the GBC CombBind 366, anything over this and you’ll need to look for an electric binding machine.
- Type of document –If you need a training manual or user guide then you need a bound document which will lie flat or open through 360 degrees such as offered by wire binders or coil binders. If you are binding reports or customer presentations which contain up to 20 sheets of paper then a thermal binder offers the best solution.
Types of Binding Machines
Plastic Comb Binding
Plastic comb binders are the most inexpensive yet popular forms of binders. Plastic combs binders are widely used in businesses, education and at home. Plastic comb binders first punch rectangular holes along the edge of the paper. You then need to place a plastic comb in the binder, pull a lever which opens the comb then threads the comb through the punched holes before closing the comb and binding the paper. One drawback with comb binders is that the bound papers can easily be removed, a positive is that the plastic combs can be re-used.
Plastic combs come in a variety of colours and many sizes allowing anything from just 6-8 sheets
of paper up to over 400 sheets to be bound.
Wire Binders
We’re all familiar with wire-bound documents in the form of notebooks, notepads and diaries. Wire binders work by first punching a series of holes in the papers to be bound then securing them with a spine of looped wire which the wire binding machine passes through the punched holes and then squeezes the wire into a cylinder incorporating and binding the pages.
Wirebound documents can lie flat and also be opened through 360 degrees.
Wire binder spines come in sizes from 5mm capable of binding up to 35 sheets of paper up to 14mm which can hold 125 sheets of paper.
GBC are arguably the market leaders in wire binders.
Thermal Binders
Thermal binding arguably offers the most professional looking document with an almost book quality appearance. Create thermally-bound presentations, proposals and reports with a clean, sleek look, in seconds! Bound books are easy to use, mail and file easily, and have a library quality appearance.
Thermal binding machines work by using pre-glued spines, usually made of a tough fabric. The papers to be bound are placed against the glued spine and then the document is placed into the binder which heats the glue which melts and melds itself to the paper. Once cooled, you have a well bound document. Often thermal binding covers are used which consist of a front and back cover joined by the binding strip. Although the pre-glued spines are a more expensive than other methods of binding, they provide a professional bound document for the low volume user.
Office Allsorts supply a wide range of Binding Machines to suit all budgets. For further advice on which type of binding machine will be best for you please call our friendly and helpful team on 0115 9455833.