There are many reasons why you might need a bound document. If you do any kind of internal training, having a durable means of transmitting that data to your staff is going to be a very helpful thing.
You may have sales proposals that you want to give to your clients, or reports to the annual shareholders. For every need and type of document, there is a binding machine that can do the job for you.
- 2:1 or 3:1 pitch?
This choice is going to be one you make a little further into the process of buying your binding machine, but given the popularity of wire binders, it is definitely one you should be thinking with.
So, what does it mean? It refers to how far apart the wire is spaced, and this is going to affect how much paper can be used. 3:1 means the coils are more tightly bound.
Just to make the choice more interesting, while you can get a machine that only does one or the other, there are also those that do both. Like a lot of binding machines, your choice will depend on what you need from the final product of the bound document.
- How much binding are you going to do?
If you are not intending for the binder to be a long term part of your set up, then are you going to want to spend as much money on it? You can find some very cost effective solutions when choosing the right binding machine.
If you are looking to do a lot of binding you are going to also have to factor in the durability of the machine, and the capacity of it. Having something that requires that you constantly have to reload it because you can only punch a few sheets is not only going to be tedious, it is going to be costly and time-consuming.
- Electric or manual binding machines
The question of whether you want to use an electric binding machine or a manual one is going to depend entirely on the volume of documents that you intend to bind.
Obviously a lower volume of documents indicates that you are likely going to be OK opting for a manual binding machine. It can also be affected by the type of document that you are binding as well. If you have something that is really heavy or thick, even a low volume of documents may be too time consuming. You will have to punch all those holes and you won’t be able to do it in the amounts or speed that an electric machine affords.
- What Kind Of Document To Bind?
Is the document that you are binding something that needs to last long term, or is it something that is likely to be looked at once and then disposed of?
It doesn’t necessarily mean that you can trade aesthetics off against durability in either case. Sometimes if something looks flimsy and like it might fall apart it definitely communicates that its value is lesser than something that looks like it was built to last.
Is it for internal use or external use?
A binder that is going to be used to create different kinds of documents for different situations, and different clients, is going to need to be versatile. If the versatility entails changing out of moveable parts it is also going to require a certain amount of durability.
- What will the application of your bound document be?
Is this document going to a client to convince them that you are the company should go with? Are you a design company that is renowned for its design prowess, and is this document likely to survive as a testament to you company’s design skills and production values?
Is it for a report that is only going to be internal, which is purely functional?
Is it a training manual that is going to pass through the hands of multiple employees that needs to look official and imposing, and aesthetic, while being durable?
These are all things you must consider.
- What is the Best Style of Binding to Meet My Needs
There are a number of different kinds of binding which you are going to want to consider. Plastic comb binding is both durable and reusable. Double loop wiring is great because it allows your document to lay flat and wrap around for easy reading. Coil binding, made from a PVC filament also allows the book to lay completely flat. Velobind is super secure, locking pages in place – your books would again lay flat for easy filing and mailing. Tape binding encompasses thermal tape and cold tape binding – with these methods you do not need to punch the pages, but they are best suited for smaller documents. Perfect binding uses hot glue to bind the paper together, and is great for a low volume pad and book binding. Thermal binding uses pre-glued spines, the binder heats up the glue, and is it cools your document is bound.
- What is My Biggest Priority?
Looking at all of the different aspects of what a binding machine offers separately is useful, but you also need to decide, out of those things, what is the most important?
Are you looking for something that is intended for a single project, or do you need something that will be able to last the course of multiple projects? Are each of these projects going to have the same format or do they need to be different?
Is your budget the most important factor, or is speed and volume? Versatility versus durability. One of these things will trump the other.
Conclusion
There are machines out there for every need, and equally as many binding solutions.
Your ideal binding machine is going to provide a balance of practicality, and aesthetics. You want to be able to produce the volume of documents that you need easily, and you want them to look good. How good they look and how long they need to last for is going to depend on the use of the documents. How many different types of documents you need is going to require versatility from the machine, and for long term usage you are going to need durability.