There are 4 main binding machine methods available to you. The challenge is finding the best method for you. Let’s take a look at comb binding, spiral binding, wire binding and the Unibind system. We will also see what elements will be needed.
Comb Binding is the most traditional and inexpensive binding method often seen in cookbooks and manuals. I would use PVC plastic comb spines. I would place the plastic comb in a comb opener to separate the round rings, and then close the comb around a stack of paper, which binds the book. Standard 8.5″ x 11″ sheets use 19-ring combs. You can easily reopen these books to add or remove pages.
Coil Binding is where you see a continuous plastic coil twisted through a series of closely spaced holes along the binding edge. This allows the pages to rotate 360 degrees, so the books can lay flat. An electric spiral binding coil inserter is the ideal tool for fast delivery. It also allows you to crimp excess spool by simply pressing a foot pedal.
Wire binding is what you typically see on calendars and notebooks. Wire binding uses a continuous hinge of paired loops to bind books together. I would use a wire pliers to crimp the excess wire ties. Like the coil, the wire allows the document to open wide smoothly on a flat surface while giving the document a sleek look.
Unibind is a brand of thermal binding process seen on wraparound book covers. The adhesive is heat activated when the spine is placed on the heating element. You put the loose pages into the thermal binding cover, which can be a hard cover or a soft cover, and feed them into the binding machine. The weight of the document will activate the heating element. It has a preset time for its operation. Once complete, move the document to the cooling rack.
The system to use will depend on the purpose of the document binding. For merchandising, the Unibind coil, wire and system provide the flexibility to accommodate your brand merchandising. If you are printing training manuals, a roll-fed system would be best as it is strong and flexible for readers. Page turning or removal is easy with the comb systems.
However you use it, document binding makes your organization look professional. If not used for marketing, it still represents your brand in a positive light. The next step is to find out which one works best for you.
