Custom Binding

Book Binding 

The binding of printed materials has been part of cultures pretty much ever since people began recording information on paper or a related medium. 
How you choose to bind a document depends very much on the presentation or use you have in mind.  For binding solutions, Copy Central has a number of techniques from which our clients choose. Here is a rundown on those various techniques and the common uses for them.

Coil Binding 

Coil binding involves hole punching the sheets to be bound, and then inserting a spring- like plastic coil through the holes. Many coil sizes are available to accommodate the number of pages in the volume.
Coil strips can be custom ordered in many colors, if you are trying to produce books with a branded look to have the color match a logo or other images.
A key advantage of coil binding is that the document will open and lay flat. This is very useful for a workbook or other study guide, where you don’t want to “hold the book open”.

Wire-O Binding

This method also involves hole punching the sheets to be bound. A metal wire is then inserted in the holes and it is “crimped” to seal the bind.
Many of our clients consider the Wire-O bind to be much more “classy” than a coil bind, partly because not too many companies offer it. It thus has a more unusual/unique look. Also, since the material is metal, rather than plastic, it tends to have a richer look.
It will also lay flat for easy reference and reading. 

Comb Binding

This method is similar to the above two styles, but uses a plastic “comb” to assemble the pages. It is an older method than coil or Wire-O but still preferred by some customers.
It offers the same functionality of having the pages lay flat for easy reading and study.

Velo Binding

Also using the hole punching process, the materials are assembled with a two part flat strip that is heat fused together to seal the bind.
This is still the stipulated binding required for submission of briefs in many court jurisdictions. It also works well to store/archive documents, because it is a “tight” bind and the binding strip does not extend out beyond the thickness of the materials.
Unlike the other binds covered above, a velo bound book does not open and lay flat on its own.

Tape Binding

With this technique, a glue-treated strip is fused to the covers and spine of the material using a machine that operates at high heat. The strip visibly wraps around the binding edge of the covers and spine.
The strips can be custom ordered in many colors, making them useful for matching a color theme in bound materials.
Like the velo bind, tape bound books do not lay flat.
Our clients often use tape binding for books of illustrations, course reader textbooks for college classes, and other presentations.

Booklet/Saddle Stitch Binding

This method involves printing the materials and then folding them in half and stapling on the fold. It produces a finished booklet. Many sizes can be produced, from a very small “pocket sized” booklet up to a full 8.5 x 11 (where the paper is twice that size and folded to make an 8.5 x 11).
The booklet style of bind is often used for newsletters, event programs, catalogs, magazines, comic books and many other purposes. In large quantities, it is the most economical bind.

Hole Punching

Circular hole punching is of course used with materials to be placed in ring binders.  It can also be used when you want to just drill one hole and perhaps affix the pages with a loose binder ring. This is sometimes done where a series of documents are needed for easy reference and hung on a hook in an office area, attached together with the ring. Such documents are often also laminated in order to withstand repeated handling.

Production Time 

All of the above binding methods are generally achieved with very fast turnaround, often while our clients wait, if just a few are needed in a hurry.

Perfect Binding

A perfect bind is a bind where a single sheet of cover stock wraps around the front, back and spine. It is what you would see in a “paperback” book.
They can be done in a variety of sizes. A few can be produced, or hundreds.
Perfect binding is often used for annual reports or other types of reports, published studies, catalogs, publishing of books for sale, and just about anything else.
It does usually take a few days to complete a perfect binding project.

Hard Cover Binding

One of the classiest binds of all is generally considered to be a hard cover binding. The options are very broad, including full color covers, leather covers including foil stamping, recessed covers with embossing, etc.
Our clients have used hard cover binds for very high-end presentations for sales purposes, for acknowledgments, tributes, art books, “coffee table” books, “wrap books” for completed film and tv productions, and many other purposes.
They can be made in any custom size.

Paper Stocks

Of course, depending on the document, better qualities of paper make all the difference in the presentation. Simple reference materials or classroom materials generally do not require any special stocks. 
However, for marketing and presentation materials, the right stock for the pages printed is just as important as the type of binding. Especially with color printing, the right finish and thickness of stock is very important.
There are a variety of stocks available, from matte to semi gloss/silk, to high gloss, both in text weights and card stock weights. In response to the expanded need, Copy Central has expanded the number of stocks we carry, so that we can customize your presentation to fit your needs.

Covers

With any binding, the cover will have a significant impact on the finished product. For the faster turnaround binds covered above, clients often use clear vinyl covers on the front and a black vinyl cover on the back.
Some clients prefer a card stock cover. Covers can be printed in b/w for basic materials, or in full color, depending on the need and the type of presentation.

Customization

With most all binding options, there are ways to customize the finished look. Our staff can help you choose the options that would be of most value to you.
Customization is typically of more importance when you are making a presentation where making the best impression is critical. We most commonly see our clients customize their materials when they are in sales and marketing situations, or otherwise want to make a very special impact.
A few examples of customization include: Extra thick covers that can be produced using illustration board, rounding the corners of pages, creating extra thick covers by using a thick lamination. Those are just a few.

In Summary

You can consult with our team at any time to review your options for binding and finishing your materials to achieve the best result for your project. We are here to help.