Smart businesses are always looking for
ways to improve their image. One simple, relatively inexpensive, but
often overlooked way to do just that is to put some serious thought
into the appearance of your presentations, reports, and proposals. Here are the top ten most-used binding methods, and their relative
merits and disadvantages.
Smart businesses are always looking for
ways to improve their image. One simple, relatively inexpensive, but
often overlooked way to do just that is to put some serious thought
into the appearance of your presentations, reports, and proposals. Here
we list the top ten most-used binding methods, and their relative
merits and disadvantages.
Staples: Well, they had to be mentioned. Along with paper
clips, staples are, of course, easily the most common method of binding
paper together. But it should go without saying that mere staples are
not exactly the way to show your hard work in the best light.
Spiral
Coil Binding: This binding style features a colored wire that winds
through perforations in the booklet's edge. The ends are bent so the
the wire doesn't slip through. Great for lying flat and copying, and
for smaller-sized booklets.
Comb Binding: This is a style
commonly seen in popular cookbooks and the like. Handy because it lies
flat for viewing and for use in the copy machine, but perhaps a little
too common-looking to use for your best presentations. One of the least
expensive binding options.
Double-Loop Wire: Uses metal wire
in twos, either twenty-one or thirty-two holes for a standard eleven
inch document. Generally hard covers are used, and the look and feel is
considered very elegant for the price.
Velobind: This is the
top choice when document security is a concern. As such, it is used
most often in government offices and law firms. Plastic strips are
heated in order to seal the pages of the document together on the front
and back, and rivets are used to hold the pages of the document
together permanently.
Proclick: This is one of the best
option for your most frequently-used and updated documents. It utilizes
the same hole pattern as double-loop wire, but the binding is more
easily opened and closed, allowing for quick changes when necessary.
Thermal
Binding: One of the two (along with unibind) most book-like and
permanent-looking binding styles, it is also one of the most easy to
use. In a thermal binding unit, pages are simply dropped into the hard
cover, and they are adhered to the cover with heated glue. You then
simply allow the document to cool, and it is ready to go.
Zipbind:
Similar to, but much more easily editable than comb binding. Simple and
inexpensive to use and implement, this is a great choice for larger-run
documents that may need to be changed on the fly.
Unibind:
This style is very much like thermal binding, but the book's spine is
made of steel, making the publication that much stronger and more
permanent. This binding style is just as easy to use as thermal
binding, and gives the same top-of-the-line look and feel.
Ring
Binders: This is, of course, a very popular style for in-house
publications such as employee manuals and policy books. Not the best
choice for your top-shelf client or shareholder presentations, it is,
however, easily changed and updated, even by the end-user.
Jeff McRitchie is the director of marketing for MyBinding.com and lives in Hillsboro, Oregon. He writes extensively on topics related to Binding Machines, Binding Supplies, Report Covers, Binders, Index Tabs, Laminators, Laminating Pouches, Roll Film, Shredders, and Paper Handling Equipment.
