subject: Frequently Asked Questions About Wire Binding Machines [print this page] If you're reading this, you're probably curious about wire binding. Wire binding is a popular binding method that can lend a sophisticated look to your company's documents. Here are the most frequently asked questions about this binding style. Read and enjoy!
1.) What is twin loop wire? Twin Loop wire is a style of binding that is also known as double loop, wire-o or double o binding. It is a way to give your documents a fabulous, professional look. This style of binding involves using a wire spine to fasten the pages of your document together.
2.) What can this binding style be used for? Anything you need to bind can be bound using a wire-binding machine. One obvious example would be business reports, as well as real estate appraisals, journals, marketing materials, and so on. In fact, many companies prefer the look of wire-o binding to other binding methods (such as plastic comb binding) because of the way wire binding looks.
3.) What's so great about this style vs. other styles? Aside from wire binding's aesthetic advantages, some benefits to this style include the vast selection of binding spines available and the fact that wire-binding is easy to do. Depending on your machine, you can also choose what hole pattern to use, such as circular or oval holes. Also, documents bound with wire can be easily read, since the covers and pages can be rotated 360 degrees. This also makes documents easy to photocopy.
4.) What do hole patterns have to do with pitch? Hole patterns and pitch are intimately connected: one doesn't exist without the other. Pitch refers to how many holes there are per inch of paper. For example, a 3:1 pitch would indicate that there are three holes per inch. Most wire binding machines will produce either a 2:1 or 3:1 pitch, with the former being ideal for larger documents and the latter good for smaller items. Some machines, however, are capable of punching holes in both pitches, so if you want to bind a mixture of both big and small booklets, you'll need what's known as a modular wire binding machine.
5.) This wire binding spine is shaped funny. What's up with that? Wire binding spines definitely look kind of odd before you bind with them. When you get a wire binding spine, it's sort of shaped like the letter "C." Once you use the spine closer on your machine, the spine will look like it should, as in, it will look like the letter "O" instead of "C."
6.) I made a mistake when binding my booklet and I need to add (or subtract) some pages. Can I edit my document? Unfortunately not. Once a document is bound with wire, you can't edit it. If you try to open the spine back up, you'll ruin the binding, meaning you'll have to start all over again. So be careful! If you need to edit a book bound with twin loop wire you will need to grab one end of the spine and pull so that the wire unravels. Then you can edit the book and re-bind it with a new spine.
7.) What's the best wire binding machine to get? That's a good question and it's really a matter of personal preference, as well as factors such as cost and how often you'll be using the machine. Some companies that manufacture great wire binding machines include Akiles and Fellowes, so be sure to check them out when shopping for your machine.
