Thermal binding is extremely popular for many
reasons. It's quick, relatively easy, and it can make all of your
documents look great from proposals to legal briefs, anthologies to
financial records. Maybe you have been using this type of document
finishing method for a while. Or you may be new to it. Either way, here
are five tips to help you out as you put your books together. Check them
out....
Thermal binding is extremely popular for many
reasons. It's quick, relatively easy, and it can make all of your
documents look great from proposals to legal briefs, anthologies to
financial records. Maybe you've been using this type of document
finishing method for a while. Or you may be new to it. Either way, here
are five tips to help you out as you put your books together. Check them
out....
Choose the right size cover for your book.
One of the most important things you can do to make your thermal binding
process successful is by using the right size cover for your document.
It's very important to choose a cover that can accommodate all of the
pages of your work securely. You don't want a cover that's too big or
too small because pages will fall out and then you'll need to start all
over again. Save yourself time and bind with the right cover from the
get-go.
Make sure the pages are flush before you bind.
Before you even think about binding your document, you need to make
sure that the pages are flush. This is important because otherwise
you'll end up with poorly bound documents that have a tendency to lose
pages. All of the pages need to be in contact with the adhesive or else
things won't go according to plan.
Glossy stocks may need some additional securing.
If your document contains pages that have been printed on a glossy
stock, you might find that you get a more secure binding if you staple
the pages together first. (You can just use a regular stapler for this,
preferably one with a high stapling capacity.) Sometimes the glue just
isn't enough to secure glossy stock, especially if your document is
really thick. (Note: this also applies to photo paper.)
Bind more than one document at a time.
Most thermal binding machines are designed to process more than one
book at a time. If you haven't already done so, try to take advantage of
this feature, especially if you have a lot of work to tackle. It will
help you save a lot of time and you'll be using the machine to its
fullest extent. Then you'll be able to turn your attention to other
projects and get on with your day.
Let things cool off.
After the machine has gone through the binding cycle, remove your
documents from it and tap them against a table/desk or some other hard
surface. This will help the pages settle and help keep them flush. Then,
set the books aside and let them cool off. Do not touch them for a good
five minutes or so. This will allow the adhesive to harden so the pages
will be securely bound and you'll have documents that can be handled
repeatedly.
These are five tips that can make using your thermal binding
machine - and getting great results - easier than ever before. Good luck
with your projects and happy binding!
Jeff McRitchie is the Director of Marketing for MyBinding.com.
He regularly writes articles, reviews, and blog posts on topics related
to book binding, 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 thermal binding machines his articles are a great place to start.
