Unibind is an ideal solution for companies
that are looking for a high quality, professional document binding
system. Presentations bound with Unibind have an elegant professional
appearance that is unmatched by any other binding system on the market.This article is designed to help you better understand
some of the limitations of the Unibind binding system so that you can
make a fully informed purchase.
Unibind is an ideal solution for companies
that are looking for a high quality, professional document binding
system. Presentations bound with Unibind have an elegant professional
appearance that is unmatched by any other binding system on the market.
However, like any binding system, there are a few limitations to the
Unibind system. This article is designed to help you better understand
some of the limitations of the Unibind binding system so that you can
make a fully informed purchase.
All Unibind
binding covers utilize a steel spine for the edge of your book. The
steel spine provides extra strength to your bound documents. However,
because the spine is steel it is not flexible like the spines of some
other binding styles. This means that Unibind cannot be considered a
lay flat binding system (you can't open it flat onto a table. If this
feature is important to you, comb binding, coil binding or wire binding
might be a better option for you.
Unibind covers are only
available in a few sizes. Letter size Unibind covers are the most
common and are designed for use with 8.5" x 11" documents that are
bound on the long side. Unibind covers are also available for half
letter sized documents (8.5" x 5.5" bound on the 8.5" side). Unibind
SteelBack spines are available in 8.5" and 11" lengths for binding the
most common sizes of documents (letter, legal, half letter and 11" x
17"). However, if you anticipate binding other sizes of documents then
Unibind is probably not the best option for you.
Unibind
spines and covers are available in a number of different thicknesses
ranging from 1mm up to 36mm (about 1-1/2"). If the documents that you
need to bind fall into this range then you are set. However, if you are
ever going to need to bind documents that are larger than an inch and a
half then you may need to consider a different binding system.
It
is important that you have the right size of spine for your Unibind
bound documents. For organizations that bind a wide variety of reports,
presentations and proposals this means that you will need to invest in
an inventory of Unibind spines or covers in a number of different
sizes. Although it is possible to use a Unibind cover that is larger
than the thickness of your document if the cover is too large the pages
will not bind properly or will not look good in the spine. For this
reason it is advisable to use the closest spine size possible when
binding with Unibind.
Unibind offers a huge variety of
customization options with their binding supplies. However, it is
important that you allot enough time to ensure that your customization
project can be completed. Most common customizations such as die
cutting, embossing, debossing and foil stamping can be completed in a
couple of weeks under most circumstances. However, if you require
something more custom such as offset printed hard covers for yearbooks
it is important to order with plenty of time since these covers are
produced in Europe. Typical lead time for offset printed Unibind covers
is 10-12 weeks. Be sure to plan this in to your production schedule.
The final point is both a strength and weakness for Unibind. Unlike
most of the thermal binding manufacturers Unibind actually stocks all
of the different cover options that they carry. This generally means
short lead times on products and excellent service. However, since all
of Unibind's covers are made in Europe large orders or unexpected
demand can produce shortages in covers. If you expect to have an
extremely large job coming up it is always good to check stock as early
as possible to ensure that your volume needs can be fulfilled.
With these six points in mind, it should be easier to evaluate the
ability of a Unibind binding system to meet the needs of your
organization. Check it out for yourself today.
Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for MyBinding.com. He has written over 100 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders.