Many binding machines are designed to be used
with letter-sized paper. That's just fine if you solely use letter sized
sheets, but what if you want to use legal-sized paper? Don't worry
because there are some ways you can bind legal-sized documents. Check
them out:
Many binding machines are designed to be used
with letter-sized paper. That's just fine if you solely use
letter-sized sheets, but what if you want to use legal-sized paper?
Don't worry because there are some ways you can bind legal-sized
documents. Check them out:
Use a comb binding machine.
Comb binding is one of the most popular binding methods and it can be
used for legal-sized documents. However, you need to make sure that your
binding machine has an open punching throat and disengageable dies. The
throat needs to be 14" wide or more to accommodate your paper and
covers. And you need the disengageable dies so you can punch the
appropriate number of holes in your paper. Depending on what size combs
your machine can accommodate, your documents can contain up to 425
pages.
Use a wire binding machine.
Wire binding can give your documents a polished, professional use and
there are machines that can work with legal-sized paper. Again, you'll
need a device with a 14-inch feed opening and disengageable dies to get
the job done. Keep in mind that wire spines are available in 3:1 and 2:1
pitch varieties. (Pitch refers to how many holes are punched per inch.)
The 3:1 pitch wire spines can bind work that's up to 110 pages long
while the 2:1 spines are for work containing up to 300 sheets.
Use a coil binding machine. Coil
binding is a great choice if you want to give your legal-sized
documents a bit of color. Binding coils are available in a rainbow of
colors and can bind up to 440 pages. If you want to use coils, you'll
need to make sure they're 15" long and that your machine can punch the
right number of holes. You can spin the coil through your document by
hand or use an electric coil inserter. Don't forget to crimp the ends of
the coil with a pair of crimping pliers when you're done.
Use a VeloBind machine. Using
a VeloBind machine is a good choice if you need a strong, secure
binding. Some VeloBind devices can accommodate legal-sized comments
without any trouble. You'll just need to make sure that you have
VeloBind strips that are long enough to be used with your documents.
Depending on your machine and the supplies you use, you can bind books
that are up to 750 pages long.
Use screw posts.
If you can't use a binding machine for whatever reason, you should
consider using screw posts. These are just steel posts that can be
threaded through holes punched in your document with a paper drill or
hole punch. You get to choose how many posts to use to bind your work.
(Three or four should do the trick.) Make sure to tighten the screw
posts with a screwdriver so they won't fall out of your document. Best
of all, screw posts come in various sizes (the largest ones are 5"
long), so they're perfect for thick documents.
As
you can see, it's totally possible to bind legal-sized documents. Keep
these methods in mind so you can create professional-looking legal-sized
documents.
Jeff McRitchie is the Vice-President of Marketing for MyBinding.com.
He regularly writes articles, reviews, and blog posts on topics related
to bookbinding, laminating, paper shredding, and office equipment. More
than 2,500 of his reviews have been published in thousands of locations
on the Internet. If you're looking for information about binding machines, his articles are a great place to start.
