subject: Five Great Things About Proclick Binding [print this page] GBC is an innovator when it comes to document finishing and one of their greatest inventions is ProClick binding. This method involves using special plastic ProClick spines which are incredibly easy to use either by hand or with a special tool that can open up the spines even after your book has been bound. Here are five great things about this type of binding.
1.) A different look. ProClick materials are made of plastic and each one has 32 rings. They look a bit like a cross between a wire binding spine and a plastic comb, but rest assured, they look great and will add a professional feel to all of your documents. These supplies are 11 inches long, so they're perfect for letter-sized documents, although half-letter sizes (5.5" x 8.5") are also available. Four colors are available: black, white, navy blue, and frost. These spines are available in three different thicknesses/binding capacities: 5/16" (62 sheets), 1/2" (100 sheets), and 5/8" (125 sheets). These supplies are even available as part of Pronto cartridges, which can be used with a machine such as the P3000. (More on this in just a minute.)
2.) Make your documents easier to read. One of the best things about ProClick binding is that it makes your documents a lot easier to read. Thermal and plastic comb binding don't allow the pages of your book to rotate a full 360 degrees. As a result, reading a book bound by one of these methods can be a bit difficult. When you bind with ProClick your document's pages will be able to lay flat as well as circle around completely, making for a better reading experience.
3.) Do it by hand wherever you are. ProClick spines can be used anywhere because you don't need a big fancy machine to work with them. As mentioned above, they open up easily with a special zipper-like tool that comes in every box of spines. This tool allows you to open the spines up so you can create new documents or edit your existing ones. There's even a hole punch, the P50, that's small enough to be slipped into your briefcase or backpack, making this a truly portable document finishing method.
4.) Prefer a machine? If you prefer to work with a binding machine, there are definitely some models that were designed to be used with ProClick supplies. One of these is the powerful P3000, a machine that utilizes Pronto cartridges which contain 20 spines. The P3000 can punch up to 15 sheets of paper at once. And, even more impressively, it can bind a book in a mere 6 seconds, making it the ideal device to use when you need to create a lot of books in a hurry. Other machines are also available, including the P200, which is great for smaller offices.
5.) A great selection of supplies. There are some other wonderful supplies that are unique to this binding system. One of them is the Do-It-Yourself Presentation Kit, a set that includes 10 spines, 10 clear covers, 10 black covers, and some pre-punched paper. Also, the editing tools can be bought on their own, so if you lose yours, you won't have to buy a whole new box of supplies to get another one. Finally, pre-punched paper can be bought both by the ream and case. Using pre-punched paper eliminates the need for a punch (such as the P50) and it can also make you more productive since you won't waste time punching paper.
Whether you want to use ProClick spines manually or with a machine, out in the field or in the office, it's no secret that this is a truly unique binding method. Give it a try today!
