One of the most overlooked binding methods is
using screw posts. These are metal rods that can be threaded through
your documents to produce great-looking books. Screw posts are easy to
use, affordable, and you don't need any special equipment to use them.
Here is a look at these great binding supplies and how to use them.
One of the most overlooked binding methods is
using screw posts. These are metal rods that can be threaded through
your documents to produce great-looking books. Screw posts are easy to
use, affordable, and you don't need any special equipment to use them.
Here's a look at these great binding supplies and how to use them.
Screw posts can be used to bind documents that are
short, medium, or long. These supplies can range in length from 1/8" to
5". You can purchase extenders if your document is thicker than 5" so
this is really a perfect method for assembling long documents.
One
of the best things about screw posts is that they're very durable. Most
of the ones you can currently buy are made out of aluminum so you can
expect them to hold up for a long time. (And if you need supplies that
are almost indestructible, you can get steel screw posts.) If you're
looking for fancier posts for items such as menus, wine lists, and so
on, you can find some that are brass or even gold. This really makes
using these supplies very versatile.
All
you need to work with these posts is a screwdriver and something that
can punch holes in your document. (The screwdriver is used to tighten
the posts.) You'll need to punch holes to thread the posts through so
you need to have either a hole punch or paper drill. If you're working
with smaller documents, a three-hole or handheld punch will do the job
quite nicely. However, if you're going to be binding longer books, you
might want to consider using a paper drill. These machines can drill
through hundreds of sheets of paper at once which will help you finish
your work in a snap.
When you're binding
with screw posts, it's really important to choose supplies that are just
the right size for your documents. If you choose supplies that are
either too small or too big you're going to run into problems. Either
all the pages won't fit or else the binding will be too loose. So make
sure you take a ruler and measure the thickness of your book before you
select the screws.
Finally, you can use
screw posts to bind just about any type of document. Some possibilities
include legal pleadings, financial reports, anthologies, photo albums,
art portfolios, and so on. These supplies don't take up very much room
so you can keep some in a box for binding at a moment's notice. You can
even take these items on the road so you can put together documents when
you're not at work.
There are few binding supplies that are as convenient and easy to
use as screw posts. You don't need any special equipment (save for a
screwdriver and hole punch), they can be used to bind extremely long
documents, and they're very durable. If you need to put together your
documents, be sure to consider using screw posts.
Jeff McRitchie is the Director 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 articles have been published in thousands of
locations on the Internet. If you're looking for information about screw posts his articles are a great place to start.
