Comb binding

Comb binding is one of many ways to bind pages together into a book. This method utilizes round plastic spines with 19 rings (for US Letter size) or 21 rings (for A4 size) and a hole puncher that makes rectangular holes. Comb binding is sometimes referred to as GBC or Ibico binding since GBC manufactures a lot of binding machines and supplies.

Binding Process

To bind a document, the user first punches holes in the paper with a specialized hole punch. Pages must be punched a few at a time with most of these machines. If hard covers are desired, they must be punched as well. In bulk applications, a paper drilling machine may be used.

Then the user chooses a spine size that will match the document. Standard sizes are 3/16 inch (for 10 sheets of 20# paper) up to 2 inches (for 425 sheets). Spine lengths are generally 11 inches to match the length of letter-size paper.

The rings on the spine open and insert into the holes in the page, then rest against the body of the spine, resulting in a closure that can be opened again for making changes to the book.

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Connolly Printing Brochure Folding Guide

We offer printed brochures in several different sizes and folded several different ways. The following guide explains the different folds we offer and what you need to know about folding before laying out your folded brochure design.

Single Fold Brochure

A single fold brochure is made by folding a printed page in half. After folding it consists of four panels, two on the front and two on the back. 

Tri-Fold Brochure

A tri-fold brochure is made by folding a printed page in thirds. After folding it consists of six panels, three on the front and three on the back. 

Double Parallel Brochure

A double parallel brochure is made by folding a page in half and then folding each folded page in half again in the same direction. After folding it consists of eight panels, four on the front and four on the back. The last two panels need to be slightly narrower than the outer panels so that they fit inside when folded. 

A Double Gate Fold brochure is made by folding the ends of a page inward so that they meet in the middle and then folding the folded page in half in the same direction. After folding it consists of eight panels, four on the front and four on the back. The panels on each end need to be slightly narrower than the outer panels so they will fit inside the others when folded. 

Accordion Fold Brochure

An accordion fold brochure is made by folding a page in equal parts in front of and behind itself. After folding it consists of six panels, three on the front and three on the back.

A french fold brochure is made by folding a page in half in one direction and then folding the folded page in half again in the opposite dimension. After folding it consists of eight panels, four on the front and four on the back. 

A laminate is a material that can be constructed by uniting two or more layers of material together. The process of creating a laminate is lamination, which in common parlance refers to the placing of something between layers of plastic and glueing them with heat and/or pressure, usually with an adhesive. However, in electrical engineering, lamination is a construction technique used to reduce unwanted heating effects due to eddy currents in components, such as the magnetic cores of transformers.

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Thermally activated binding

Some of the different types of thermally activated binding include:

1. Perfect binding is often used, and gives a result similar to paperback books. National Geographic is one example of this type. Paperback or soft cover books are also normally bound using perfect binding. They usually consist of various sections with a cover made from heavier paper, glued together at the spine with a strong flexible glue. The sections are rough-cut in the back to make them absorb the hot glue. The other three sides are then face trimmed. This is what allows the magazine or paperback book to be opened. Mass market paperbacks (pulp paperbacks) are small (16mo size), cheaply made and often fall apart after much handling or several years. Trade paperbacks are more sturdily made, usually larger, and more expensive.
2. Thermal Binding uses a one piece cover with glue down the spine to quickly and easily bind documents without the need for punching. Individuals usually purchase "thermal covers" or "therm-a-bind covers" which are usually made to fit a standard size sheet of paper and come with a glue channel down the spine. The paper is placed in the cover, heated in a machine (basically a griddle), and when the glue cools, it adheres the paper to the spine. Thermal glue strips can also be purchased separately for individuals that wish to use customized/original covers. However, creating documents using thermal binding glue strips can be a tedious process which requires a scoring device and a large format printer.
3. A cardboard article looks like a hardbound book at first sight, but it is really a paperback with hard covers. Many books that are sold as hardcover are actually of this type. The Modern Library series is an example. This type of document is usually bound with thermal adhesive glue using a perfect binding machine.
4. Tape Binding refers to a system that wraps and glues a piece of tape around the base of the document. A tape binding machine such as the Powis Parker Fastback or Standard Accubind system will usually be used to complete the binding process and to activate the thermal adhesive on the glue strip. However, some users also refer to Tape Binding as the process of adding a colored tape to the edge of a mechanically fastened (stapled or stitched) document.
5. Unibind is a variety of thermal binding that uses a special steel channel with resin rather than glue inside of it to give it a more sturdy bind to hold the pages in place. Unibind can be used to bind soft covered documents with a look that is similar to perfect binding. It can also be used for binding hardcover books and photo books. Like Thermal Binding, unibind usually requires you to purchase a one piece coverset to bind your documents. However, Unibind also offers SteelBack spines that allow you to use your own covers in the binding process. The majority of Unibinds covers can be printed on as well to give documents a unique finish. (Unibind is also the name of a International binding company)

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Bookbinding/Saddle stitch

A saddle stitch is appropriate for small booklets and, in general, for volumes with only a few pages. Most magazines that are not glued are saddle stitched: that is, they are held together by staples that run through the gutter. Once the pages are aligned and in the right order, this type of binding is quite straight forward. Staplers with extremely long jaws, designed specifically for saddle stitching, are available in office supply stores. Some photocopiers produce saddle-stitched volumes automatically. 

If neither of these options is readily available, an improvised saddle stitch can be accomplished by using an ordinary stapler in "tacking" mode. This usually requires swinging the anvil away from the bottom, or detatching the lower jaw of the stapler. The working surface should be reasonably soft and durable, such as carpeting or a cork board. Staples can be driven through the centerline of the pages to be bound, and then bent down individually using the cap of a pen.

Saddle stitching can also be done to the individual codex, using a needle and thread, as part of the process of binding them together into a larger book.

Shrink wrap, also shrinkwrap or shrink film, is a material made up of polymer plastic film. When heat is applied it shrinks tightly over whatever it is covering. Heat can be applied with a hand held heat gun (electric or gas) or the product and film can pass through a heat tunnel on a conveyor.

Shrink wrap is commonly used as an overwrap on many types of packaging, including cartons, boxes, beverage cans and pallet loads. A variety of products may be enclosed in shrink wrap to stabilize the products, unitize them, keep them clean or add tamper resistance. It can be the primary covering for some foods such as cheese and meats. It is also used to cover boats after manufacture and for winter storage. Heat-shrink tubing is used to seal electric wiring.

Shrink bands are applied over parts of packages for tamper resistance or labels. It can also combine two packages or parts.

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Coil binding 

Tape Binding refers to a system that wraps and glues a piece of tape around the base of the document. A tape binding machine such as the Powis Parker Fastback or Standard Accubind system will usually be used to complete the binding process and to activate the thermal adhesive on the glue strip. However, some users also refer to Tape Binding as the process of adding a colored tape to the edge of a mechanically fastened (stapled or stitched) document.

Ultra-violet cured coatings can be applied over ink printed on paper and dried by exposure to UV radiation. UV coatings can be formulated up to 100% solids so that they have no volatile component that contributes to pollution. This high solids level also allows for the coating to be applied in very thin films. UV coatings can be formulated to a wide variety of gloss ranges. UV coating can be most conventional industrial coating applications as well as by silkscreen.

Due to the normally high solids content of UV coating/varnish the surface of the cured film can be extremely reflective and glossy. 80 text and heavier weights of paper can be UV coated, however, cover weights are preferred. UV can be used on smooth, uncoated papers.

UV can be applied by flooding the page. This coating application can deepen the color of the printed area. Drying is virtually instantaneous when exposed to the correct level of UV light so projects can move quickly into the bindery. Like the other coatings, consult the bindery for projects requiring gluing. Using a strippable coating blanket can eliminate glue issues. New, Innovative coating blanket solutions have been developed recently that allow for this to be done.

A printed page with UV coating applied can be very shiny or flattened to a matte finish. A good example of UV coated paper is photo paper sold for home printing projects. UV coatings that are not fully cured can have a slightly sticky feeling. 

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VeloBind

If you've ever received newsletters or brochures in the mail, chances are they were held together by wafer seals. Wafer seals are self-adhesive paper disks used to prepare self-mailing materials for delivery or to seal envelopes securely without glue. Some wafer seals are perforated to prevent damage while opening, while others may be serrated for decoration or embossed for personalization. Many stamp collectors also have an interest in certain vintage or historic wafer seals.

 The use of wafer seals for envelopes and self-mailing documents was most likely derived from the earlier practice of using wax seals. Official wafer seals could also be commissioned in order to verify the authenticity of a decree or military order. Any hint of tampering or unauthorized reading could be detected by examining the wafer seals. It is these elaborate wafer seals which most interest stamp collectors today. As other forms of document protection, such as the self-sealing envelope, became more common, the use of official wafer seals declined. The practice is now mostly used during ceremonies or as official seals on formal invitations.

Today, most wafer seals are sold on rolls through office supply stores and party shops. The more generic wafer seals may also be called mailing tabs. Their main functions are to seal self-mailing newsletters and other bulky brochures and to provide a decorative seal for envelopes.

Changes in the postal system have resulted in an increased need for wafer seals and mailing tabs. Folded newsletters and other self-mailers can no longer be sealed with metal staples. The approved solution is to use one or two wafer seals along the bottom or top edge of the folded material for security. The wafer seals or mailing tabs must be placed in specific areas, usually near the edges, so they do not block any official mailing bar codes or address information.

Wafer seals come in a variety of styles and colors, from utilitarian butterfly tabs to elaborately embossed invitation seals. Some are clear in color, while others can be shiny or metallic. There are also wafer seals suitable for specific holidays or other occasions. Prices for wafer seals can vary widely from supplier to supplier, so it pays to do some comparison shopping if you need to buy wafer seals in bulk.

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Wire binding

Wire binding is one of the most popular commercial book binding methods used in North America and is known by a number of different names including twin loop wire, Wire-o, double loop wire, double-o, ring wire and wirebind. 

With this binding method, users insert their punched pages onto a "C" shaped spine and then use a wire closer to squeeze the spine until it is round.[1]. Documents that are bound with wire binding will open completely flat on a desk and allow for 360 degree rotation of bound pages.

Hole patterns and pitches

There are three common hole patterns used in binding documents with double loop wire. Each hole pattern has specific sizes and applications where it is best suited. Here is a quick overview of the different options.

3:1 pitch (3 holes per inch)

The three to one pitch hole pattern is most commonly used for binding small sized documents with double loop wire. Spines for this binding style are available in sizes between 3/16" (48mm) and 9/16" (140mm) in diameter. Three to one pitch wires are not available in sizes larger than 9/16". The size of the holes used with this pattern simply does not allow for larger spines to be manufactured. The hole pattern used for 3:1 pitch wire binding can use either square or round holes.

2:1 pitch (2 holes per inch)

Although a two to one pitch hole pattern is most commonly used for binding larger sized documents it can also be used for binding smaller diameter books. Two to one pitch wire is most commonly found in sizes ranging from 5/8" (1.59 cm) up to 11/4" (3.2cm). However, a couple of manufacturers make special small sized 2:1 pitch wire for binding documents as small as 1/4" (64mm).

19 loop wire

In the past, some comb binding machines would come with a wire closer. These machines were designed to be used with 19 loop wire. Nineteen loop wire is designed to be used with a plastic comb binding pattern. This hole pattern will have longer rectangular holes that are 9/16" on center. This style of binding used to be referred to as Ibiwire which was Ibico's name for this style of binding. However, when Ibico was purchased by the General Binding Corporation this type of supplies was discontinued. Today, 19-loop wire is commonly called Spiral-O Wire.

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