by Milt Vine
Mechanical bindings are alive and well. . Long a favorite in corporate America (the groundbreaking stenographer's pad) and in education circles (the ubiquitous 3-ring binder), these versatile bindings have in recent years become the darlings of many other industries, from software to entertainment.
Pros. The advantages mechanical bindings have over perfect (adhesive) binding-even layflat perfect bindings, like Otabind-are many: They are very durable, even in extreme hot and cold temperatures conditions. There are virtually no size or paper stock limitations. Tabs are more easily inserted than in perfect bound books. And a mechanically bound product is truly "layflat." In fact, a mechanical bound book-except for some plastic comb, or GBC, bindings-may be flipped inside out (folded over on itself), which saves space on users' desktops and makes the book easier to reference. Finally, these bindings easily accommodate additional elements, such as inserts, tabs, pockets and fold-outs.
Many of the old disadvantages associated with mechanical bindings-doesn't allow printing on the spine, is too bulky and expensive-have become objections of the past. Today, wrap-around covers are available, which means books can compete effectively on retail shelving. Also, the wire comes in many thicknesses-from thick to delicate-which addresses the bulkiness issue. And since new automated equipment can now accomplish many of the functions which previously had to be performed by hand, the bindings are more affordable than ever.
For instance, it used to take two steps to insert and close Wire-OŽ. Now, with the Twinserter we installed a couple of years ago, it's accomplished automatically in one. And the new punch we recently acquired is five to ten times faster than traditional operations. These technological advances obviously translate into significant cost savings for clients.
Cons. Mechanical bindings still have a few drawbacks, however. Because of the natural movement of the page in the binding, text and graphics in two-page spreads can present problems. Also, all mechanical bindings require a gutter margin of at least 1/2".
Let's review the main mechanical binding options.
Spiral binding. Spiral binding leads the pack when it comes to software manuals and educational materials. And plastic spiral, though it is a little more expensive than its metal cousin, reigns supreme. Comprised of a single coil of metal or plastic wound in a continuous spiral through holes in the binding edge of the sheets, plastic spiral comes in a wide range of colors that can be coordinated with covers and tabs, which makes it the preferred choice of designers and marketing professionals.
Wire-OŽ. This binding consists of a double coil with interlocking "fingers" running through slots punched in the binding edge. Because play between the page and binding is more restricted, crossovers align more closely than in spiral binding. Wire-OŽbindings are popular for calendars, cookbooks and similar publications. Here, too, the wires come in a range of colors and in semi-concealed styles. Although there is no printable spine on ordinary Wire-OŽ, it is possible to print on the spine of the semi-concealed styles.
Plastic comb binding doesn't allow pages to be rotated in a full circle, but they do align. They can be inserted and removed at will, which is an advantage for reports and works in progress. Combs are available in many colors, have imprintable spines and will accommodate text up to three inches in thickness.
Some pointers. When choosing between perfect and mechanical binding, your first consideration should be end use. Does it need a printed spine? How user-friendly does it have to be? Under what conditions will it be used? Must it fit in someone's pocket? What shelflife should it have? There are also marketing considerations, such as whether the product should employ the same binding method as other, similar products, so that it's recognizable in its market, or whether it should make use of an atypical method in order to distinguish it from competing products.
If you need a hard cover on your manual or cookbook, we can do that, too. We simply wrap your offset printed cover around chipboard, punch it and the cover at the same time, then secure it with the binding. Voilá! Though we call it the poor man's cover, it's rich in looks and durability.
A final tip . . . if you print the job in signatures, usually 16 or 24 page formats, we can basically make a perfect bound book and then trim the spine. Compared to single sheet collating, this results in much faster turnaround, reduced cost and better quality control. Also, if you include blank pages in your signature in the position where the tabs are to be inserted, collating the tabs into your book is much faster, a time- and cost-savings that far outweighs the extra paper cost.
There are a lot of issues to consider when selecting these bindings. Each technique has its own unique characteristics and requirements. Check with your bindery to avoid any mechanical breakdowns.
Milt Vine is president of Seattle Bindery, a post-production house specializing in
index tabbing in addition to providing folding, stitching, perfect binding, scoring ,
perforating and trimming services for the trade. You can reach Milt at 206/682-2558.
Š 1996, Seattle Bindery. Reprinted from Northwest Trader, December 1996.