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The Icing on the Cake: Binding Covers
- By Jeff McRitchie
- Published 01/3/2008
- Publishing
- Unrated
Jeff McRitchie
Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for www.MyBinding.com. He has written hundreds of articles on topics related to Binding Machines, Binding Covers, Binding Supplies, Laminators, Laminating Supplies, Index Tabs, 3 Ring Binders, Paper Shredders and more.
View all articles by Jeff McRitchie
Choosing an attractive binding cover is the one of the most important steps in creating impressive bound presentations. Such presentations can be made for projects done by large corporations, small businesses, home offices, government agencies, schools, churches, and many other establishments.
Before you get to the point of deciding on the right binding cover for your presentation, you must first consider several other factors in the binding process. Let's start at the beginning. First, you must choose what information you want to present and how you want to say it. Typeface, graphics and other visuals should all be considered when putting together any kind of presentation.
Once you know what is going into the booklet, you must decide what type of paper you want to use. It can be flimsy or rigid, purple or green. Choose carefully because looks mean everything in these circumstances. You may also want to laminate the pages. This creates a more durable, impressive looking booklet. Colors are brighter and pages are going to stay fresh-looking and clean for a much longer time than paper alone.
Once you have your pages printed, organized and stacked, it is time to choose what type of binding style you want to use to finish your reports. There are several options when it comes to binding your reports and presentations:
* Plastic Comb Binding: Comb bindings utilize 19 plastic rings that insert into corresponding rectangular holes on the edge of your bound document.
* Spiral Coil Binding: Coil bindings consist of a continuous coil that spirals through the holes in the paper. This type of binding is plastic or and is available in more than sixty different colors.
* Twin Loop Wire Binding: Also called double loop wire or wire-o, twin loop wire is made from a single piece of wire formed into a double loop. These wires are shipped in a C shape and are closed into a round shape using a twin loop wire closer.
* Velobind: Sometimes called strip binding, Velobind uses a thin plastic binding strip that is applied to the edge of the document. Velobind can be applied using a hot knife Velobind system that rivets the strips in place or using recloseable Velobind strips that snap into place.
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Documents bound with plastic comb binding, twin loop wire and spiral coil binding can all open flat. Wire bound and coil bound books can also be folded back, so the front page meets the back page. This is great for convenience and durability.Before you get to the point of deciding on the right binding cover for your presentation, you must first consider several other factors in the binding process. Let's start at the beginning. First, you must choose what information you want to present and how you want to say it. Typeface, graphics and other visuals should all be considered when putting together any kind of presentation.
Once you know what is going into the booklet, you must decide what type of paper you want to use. It can be flimsy or rigid, purple or green. Choose carefully because looks mean everything in these circumstances. You may also want to laminate the pages. This creates a more durable, impressive looking booklet. Colors are brighter and pages are going to stay fresh-looking and clean for a much longer time than paper alone.
Once you have your pages printed, organized and stacked, it is time to choose what type of binding style you want to use to finish your reports. There are several options when it comes to binding your reports and presentations:
* Plastic Comb Binding: Comb bindings utilize 19 plastic rings that insert into corresponding rectangular holes on the edge of your bound document.
* Spiral Coil Binding: Coil bindings consist of a continuous coil that spirals through the holes in the paper. This type of binding is plastic or and is available in more than sixty different colors.
* Twin Loop Wire Binding: Also called double loop wire or wire-o, twin loop wire is made from a single piece of wire formed into a double loop. These wires are shipped in a C shape and are closed into a round shape using a twin loop wire closer.
* Velobind: Sometimes called strip binding, Velobind uses a thin plastic binding strip that is applied to the edge of the document. Velobind can be applied using a hot knife Velobind system that rivets the strips in place or using recloseable Velobind strips that snap into place.
After you have selected the right binding style for your document it is finally time to choose your binding cover. The first step in choosing a binding style is to select the color of cover that you are looking for. Binding covers are available in almost every color that you can imagine including black, blue, green, red, light gray, dark gray, ivory, white, purple, brown and more. It is important to choose the right color of cover that corresponds with the color scheme of your company or the color of your binding element.
After you have selected the right color of binding cover it is then important to select the right material for your covers. Binding covers are available in different types of paper, clear plastic, embossed poly, vinyl and more. Certain covers are better for certain applications. For instance, plastic covers are moisture resistant and do not tear. However, paper covers provide a more traditional look and feel. It is important to consider these factors when choosing a binding cover.
Finally, it is important to choose the right size of binding cover for your application. The most common sizes of binding covers are 8.5" x 11" and 8.75" x 11.25" with round corners. However, binding covers are also available in a number of other sizes including 9" x 11" for reports with index tabs, 8.5" x 14" for legal sized documents and 11" x 17" for large format documents.
From the cover to the binding supplies, you should be able to obtain everything you need from one place. This helps to ensure compatibility between products, as well as making it more convenient to purchase. If you choose, you can even get your hands on the actual machines that bind and laminate materials. This allows you to do it all completely on your own time and budget.
The binding cover is truly the icing on the cake when it comes to booklets. It is both the first and last thing a person will see when using a booklet. When creating such materials, keep in mind the importance of first impressions. A professional and polished booklet can take you a long way, regardless of the setting. Put a little extra time into creating an impressive presentation and you'll surely wow your audiences.