subject: An Overview Of The Four Most Popular Binding Styles [print this page] If you've been trying to figure out which binding method to use, you know it's not an easy decision. There's a lot to think about including costs, how easy the method is, and if your documents will lay flat. So here's an overview of the four most popular binding styles. After reading this, you should be able to decide on a style that's right for you.
1.) Color coil: If your work needs a little splash of color, color coil is the binding method for you. It utilizes plastic spiral coils that are threaded through the holes in your document. The coils are available in a phenomenal amount of colors ranging from basic black and white to more flashy hues such as neon green. In fact, 60 colors are available, so this is a great method for any company that needs its documents to stand out. Coils are available in a variety and can bind up to 440 pages. They'll hold their shape in the mail, plus they allow your books to lay flat so your readers will have a wonderful time perusing your work. And they're not too expensive either so you can have durability and great looks for not a lot of cash.
2.) Plastic combs: Comb binding is probably the most popular style around and has been for almost half a century. It's easy to see why since plastic combs are inexpensive, come in many sizes and colors, and are easy to obtain. Plus, you can re-open the combs if you need to edit your work after it's been bound. Combs are either oval or circular, depending on how many pages they can bind, with the oval ones having the larger binding capacities. (A 2" oval comb can bind up to 425 pages.) Documents bound with plastic combs will lay flat when they're opened, but they don't travel through the mail very well, so you'll want to consider that if you plan on mailing your books.
3.) Thermal binding: If you're looking to heat things up, this style is what you should choose. When you use this method, you won't need to punch your documents. You can just print them, drop the pages into a thermal cover, and then place them on your machine. The machine will melt the glue inside the cover's spine, creating a strong bond. It's easy and fast, and best of all, your documents will look great because the covers used tend to look the covers of real books. The only drawback to this method is that the supplies cost more than either plastic combs or color coils. Nonetheless, if cost isn't an issue, this method makes it easy to create both hardback and softcover books that look very professional. This is the method to use when you really want to impress someone.
4.) Twin-loop wire: Aside from thermal binding, twin-loop wire is the most elegant of all the methods listed in this article. Twin-loop wire spines can only be up to 1.25" thick, so this isn't the best methods to use if your documents tend to be lengthy. Plus, these supplies cost a bit more than combs or coils and you cannot edit your documents after the fact. Documents bound with wire spines also don't do too well in the mail because it's very easy for the spines to become crushed. Nonetheless, this is a method that will provide you with beautiful results, so if you need to create an eye-catching book, this method is a great one.
Choosing a binding style can be difficult, but it's not impossible. Now that you're aware of the four most popular styles, choosing one for your documents should be super easy.
