Binding Overview

Plastic Comb, Coil, Wire and Thermal binding methods use strips of plastic comb, coils or double loop wire (of various sizes to suit the document thickness) that passes through a series of punched holes which are then closed to secure your document in place.

Plastic Comb

Plastic comb binding binds your document using a strip of plastic rings of various sizes to suit the thickness of your document. The plastic comb strip becomes the spine of your document. The plastic combs are placed into the binder�s opening /closing holder. The operator pulls a handle which opens the combs exposing the "teeth". The machine punches rectangular holes down the side of your document. The punched pages then fit over the plastic comb�s �teeth�. Once all punching and binding is done, the operator closes the teeth by releasing the handle.

Plastic comb binding is flexible, easy and cost effective. It will bind up to 480 sheets of 80gsm paper and allows your documents to lay flat when opened. The plastic combs can be reopened to insert additional pages or extract pages as required.

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Wire

A sturdier alternative to the single wire spirals or the plastic comb is double wire binding. Wire binding has become very popular for its aesthetic appeal and practical application in recent times.

The strip of semi-circular wire is held securely under a lip of your binder. The operator then inserts the pages into the punching slot which perforates the pages along the edge of the document. The punched pages are then placed onto the open looped wires. Once the pages have been punched and inserted over the wire loops the operator inserts the wire strip into the binder�s closer where a setting allows a handle to be brought down to close the wires together to hold the document securely in place. Wire binding is not as heavy a finish as plastic comb binding. It also allows you to fold your document back to back much like a calendar is turned over making the document very easy to handle and read rather than having to lay it flat on a desk top. Wire binding gives your documents a stylish, top-quality finish and is permanent and secure.

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Plastic Spiral Or otherwise known as Coil binding is a very popular choice of binding for hobbyists such as scrap-bookers, schools and professional musicians. Spiral binding is a continuous coil of wire or plastic which winds through closely perforated little holes along one side of your document. Plastic coils can add a fun, colourful look to your project. The ends are neatly snipped off and crimped under using special pliers. The plastic or wire is threaded through either manually or with an electric coil inserter but is generally more expensive than comb or double loop wire binding. Flexible and resilient, plastic coil binding gives your documents a unique, contemporary finish.

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Thermal

Great for documents which are not read often as pages can dislodge. Ideal for real estate appraisals as thermal produces sleek flat documents glued within wrap-around covers. Binds documents up to 435 sheets (80gsm) using 1mm to 45mm covers. No need to punch holes.
Step 1 - Place your document into the wrap-around cover
Step 2 - Drop into the hot thermal binder for the required time
Step 3 - As the glue melts push pages into spine for a solid bind
Step 4 - Place in the cooling area for a few minutes to cool

A few extra things to note with this type of thermal binding.

Documents look very neat, but won't lay flat when opened.
Not ideally suited for documents opened regularly due to durability. Pages tend to come adrift if thumbed too often. Thermal binding gives a clean, sleek, professional finish. Great for presentations!

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Covers Durable, attractive covers enhance the image of reports and documents for any reader. Most covers for binding are slightly over-sized to protect interior pages. Choose among various textures and colours for the best look for your document, and then colour coordinate with binding elements. As you can see from the variety of samples above, the sky is the limit on how you can use various colours and combinations of binding elements to enhance your documents. A clear or matt PVC protective cover is often used to give an attractive finish and also protects your document.