Jeff McRitchie

Five Things to Consider When Buying a Coil Binding Machine

Coil binding is one of the most popular binding styles out there, and there are some very good reasons for that.If you are considering purchasing a coil binding machine for your office, here are five important things to consider:

1. Coil-binding is usually best for smaller documents. Using coil binding for pieces that are more than an inch and a quarter thick can be troublesome in many ways. It is more difficult to insert at those thicknesses, and the functionality of the document is often compromised, meaning, simply that the pages are harder to turn. If you have to bind larger documents with spiral coil you may want to consider a machine that punches oval holes. Oval holes will make binding larger documents much easier and the pages will turn more freely.
2. The standard measurement for punch patterns in coil binding is four holes per inch. Other pitches are available, but their use is far less common. A four to one or 4:1 hole pattern is the industry standard and most coil binding supplies are manufactured to this specification. Most machines punch round holes for coil binding. However, there are some that punch oval holes, which can make insertion of the coil easier.
3. Coil binding supplies are available in almost any length and color, further enhancing its reputation for versatility. This makes it the perfect choice for irregular-sized documents, from smaller handbooks to bigger pieces such as learning materials and manuals. One thing to consider if you are going to be binding larger documents is to ensure that your machine has an open throat and disengagable dies. That way you won't have an open or incomplete hole at the top or bottom of your book.
4. Most coil binding supplies come in twelve inch sizes for use in standard eleven inch documents. The extra inch is removed during the crimping process. No matter what size document you are producing, you will want that extra inch so you will have enough left over to properly crimp the ends. Crimping is an important step in the coil binding process. It helps to ensure that the spirals don't unwind themselves from the edge of your document. There are specialized crimping/cutting pliers available for this purpose, and using them can be a little bit of a bear to learn. However, if you remember to keep the red dot on the handle of the pliers toward the ceiling, you should get the gist relatively quickly.
5. You will need to put some thought into whether you want to purchase a machine that has coil-inserting rollers or not. For larger runs, it will be a good idea. The rollers can help you spin the spiral coils through the holes on the edge of your book. Machines without inserting rollers will require that you complete the inserting process by hand. This, of course, can get tedious rather quickly. For this reason, it is recommended that you either purchase a machine with coil-inserting rollers, or buy a standalone coil inserter to accompany your coil binding punch.

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