Are you shopping around for a wire binding machine and can’t seem to settle on a specific hole pattern? The two most common hole patterns found in twin-loop wire binding is 2:1 and 3:1 pitch. So which format is best for you and which is most popular? Here are a few answers that may help you out.

To begin with, 2:1 pitch wire has a two-holes-per-inch pattern, where 3:1 pitch wire has a three-holes-per-inch pattern. Both styles of wire look great and both have some great benefits. Here is a brief breakdown on the two hole patterns.

2:1 Pitch Wire

• Hole Pattern – 2 Holes Per Inch
• Loop Wire Spaced Farther Apart
• Binds Up To 1 ¼” Of Paper

3:1 Pitch Wire

• Hole Pattern – 3 Holes Per Inch
• Loop Wire Spaced Tightly Together
• Binds Up To 9/16″ Of Paper

Looking at these stats, you can see that 2:1 pitch wire can bind more sheets of paper together. This is the reason I believe 2:1 pitch wire is the most popular hole pattern used today. On the flip side, many people tell me they prefer the tighter look of the 3:1 wire. A lot of it depends on your personal preference.

Many people still have a tough time settling on any one hole pattern. For this reason many binding machine manufacturers have created multi-format / combination binding machines. These types of wire binding machines typically have two different punching dies. This allows you to bind in 2:1 and 3:1 wire. While these machines typically cost a little more, they do open the door to more binding options.

You can find our entire selection of wire binding machines here and wire binding supplies here. If you still have questions, feel free to speak with one of our wire binding machine specialists at 1-800-658-8788.

I have had people ask me which type of binding or report cover is the best. Most of these people simply want some advice or direction. To be honest, there really isn’t a best report cover, but there are situations that warrant one style over another.

There are a few questions you will want to ask yourself prior to purchasing a binding or report cover. Answers to these questions should help to point you in the right direction.

Which Covers Work Best With Binding Machines?

• I have found that most binding machines can handle binding covers. You will, however, probably have to scale back the number you punch at a time as binding / report covers are typically heavier stock and thicker than standard copy paper.

Will You Be Printing On The Cover?

• If you will be printing on the cover, you may want to go with a paper-based report cover versus a clear or poly cover.

Is The Document For Long-Term Or Short-Term Purposes?

• If you expect the document to be thrown away within weeks or months of being bound, you may want to go with a paper-based cover that is more environmentally friendly. Many clear covers and poly covers, however, can be recycled.

Will The Bound Document Be Around Food?

• If a bound document, such as a cookbook, will be around food, I recommend using a clear cover or poly cover. These covers are easy to clean and will not absorb food like paper-based covers will.

How Durable Does The Cover Need To Be?

• If you are expecting your bound document to be banged around, stuffed in a bag or otherwise mishandled, you may want a poly cover. Polypropylene covers tend to maintain their form and have less a chance of bending than clear covers or paper-based covers.

Are You Trying To Match The Spine?

• You shouldn’t have too much trouble matching your covers with the spine. Most of our report and binding covers are available in multiple colors. If you are unable to find a perfect match, you may want to consider using a clear cover for the front and a black cover for the back. This combination usually matches just about any binding spine (coil, wire, comb or Velobind) out there.

These are the different types of report and binding covers we offer:

1. Clear Report Covers
2. Polypropylene (Poly) Binding Covers
3. Card Stock (Paper Based) Report Covers

These are just a few of the most common questions. Hopefully this has helped you determine which binding or report cover you should use. If you are still on the fence, or don’t know which cover to get, feel free to call one of our book binding specialists at 1-800-658-8788.

You can find our entire selection of book binding machines here.

Do you own a manual comb binding machine or are in the marketing for a new comb binding machine? Consider going electric! Electric comb binding machines can double or triple your book binding speed. One affordable option you should probably consider is the Intelli-Bind IB850 electric comb binding machine. This is my review.

The Intelli-Bind IB850 comb binding machine is made by Intelli-Zone. Intelli-Zone currently makes over a dozen different comb, wire and coil binding machines. The IB850 is one of two electric comb binding machines made by Intelli-Zone.

The IB850 is what’s categorized as an electric comb binding machine. It has a foot pedal that activates an electric motor that punches the paper. I personally like the foot pedal as it allows for hands-free operation. This means you can easily keep paper firmly in place during the entire punching process.

The motor is capable of punching up to 20 sheets of paper at a time, which is impressive. As with any binding machine, however, I still recommend scaling that back (perhaps by 5 sheets). I firmly believe that not maxing out the punching capacity on a binding machine will help significantly prolong the life of the machine.

While the Intelli-Bind IB850 is electric, it is still pretty compact. The machine weighs in at 38 pounds shipped. A lot of the weight is from the heavy-duty metal components used in construction. It is heavy enough that you don’t want to move it around every day, but it isn’t bad enough that it can’t be moved.

The IB850 is designed to punch and bind paper up to about a letter-size sheet of paper, although the maximum punching length is officially 11.7 inches. All of the punching dies can be disengaged, thanks to selectable punching dies. This is a huge advantage when it comes to binding custom-sized books and smaller sheets of paper.

The Intelli-Bind IB850 is capable of binding books up to 2″. The typical book, that is about ¼” thick, takes only a couple of minutes to bind on this machine. It can easily be used in schools, churches and most businesses.

The price to value ratio on the IB850 is amazing. As of writing this article, the IB850 costs just under $300, which is unprecedented for an electric punch comb binding machine.

If you need a machine for medium-volume book binding, I highly recommend the IB850. The warranty is great, manufacturer support is excellent and it is inexpensive and affordable.

You can find the Intelli-Bind IB850 electric comb binding machine here and our entire selection of Intelli-Bind book binding machines here. Our entire selection of binding machines can be found here.

Do you have a wire binding machine, but aren’t sure what diameter of wire you should use for the paper you are binding? While many binding manuals will offer some assistance, many machines leave users in the dark. There are many reasons why it is important that you use the correct size of double-loop wire when binding books.

To begin with, a book bound using a wire that is too large will look funny. It will still be functional, but it will not look proportional or professional. Binding a book using a wire that is too small will cause pages to bind, tear and fall out.

I am including in this post a guide that should help you determine the amount of sheets you can use for a specific diameter of wire. This should help smooth out the binding process and will hopefully save you a headache later down the road. This applies to 2:1 pitch, 3:1 pitch and Spiral-O 19-ring wire. Be aware that 2:1 pitch diameters go up to 1 1/4″, 3:1 pitch diameters go up to 9/16″ and Spiral-O 19-Ring diameters go up to 1″.

Double-Loop Wire Binding Sheet Capacity & Diameter Guide
(Based On 20# Paper)

3/16″ (4.76mm) – 10 Sheets
1/4″ (6.35mm) – 20 Sheets
5/16″ (7.94mm) - 40 Sheets
3/8″ (9.53mm) – 55 Sheets
7/16″ (11.11mm) – 70 Sheets
1/2″ (12.7mm) – 90 Sheets
9/16″ (14.29mm) - 100 Sheets
5/8″ (15.88mm) – 120 Sheets
3/4″ (19.05mm) – 50 Sheets
7/8″ (22.23mm) – 170 Sheets
1″ (25.4mm) – 200 Sheets
1 1/8″ (28.58mm) – 220 Sheets
1 1/4″ (31.75mm) – 230 Sheets

At ABC Office we offer our wire supplies in all the diameters listed above. Our double-loop wire is made out of durable heavy-gauge wire and comes in a variety of different colors. You can find our entire selection of double-loop wire here and our entire selection of wire binding machines here.

While not a common problem, I have had customers complain that their plastic binding combs wouldn’t close all the way. There is a very simple explanation and solution for this annoying problem.

I have personally found that in 90% of the cases where plastic binding combs wouldn’t close all the way had to do with the fact that the customer was over extending the combs when opening them. This typically happens with smaller diameter combs.

Most binding machines allow the operator to adjust the comb opener based on the diameter of the comb. This is done precisely for the very reason that opening a comb too far will cause the plastic to bend too much, preventing the comb from naturally recoiling back into its natural shape.

If your plastic binding comb is bent out of shape, you can sometimes manually close each of the 19 rings individually, bending them back into place. This doesn’t always work, but usually does.

In very rare cases, I have found that extremely old or sun-damaged combs will become brittle or degraded to a point where they lose their elasticity. There isn’t much you can do in this situation other than buy new combs.

In conclusion, properly setting up the comb opener will almost always solve the issue of combs not closing all the way.

You can find our entire selection of plastic binding comb supplies here and plastic comb binding machines here.

Do you need to comb bind a book, but don’t know what size comb binding element to use? You’re not alone. Sometimes it’s though to visually gauge exactly what size of binding strip to use. While some comb binding machines include a handy guide, most don’t. Many manuals don’t even include a capacity or diameter guide for binding books.

Using a binding comb that is too big causes the bound book to look odd, not to mention pages flop around with the excess diameter. Books bound using a comb binding strip that is too small causes pages to rip out and makes page turns difficult.

One nice thing about plastic comb, versus coil and wire, is that there’s only one pitch. Combs come in what’s known as a 19-ring hole pattern. Don’t be surprised if your combs aren’t totally round in diameter. Combs that are between 1 ½” to 2” often have an oval shape to accommodate the thicker size and make page turns easier.

I have come up with this guide to help you determine the correct diameter and size of comb to use with your books.

Comb Binding Quick Reference Capacity & Diameter Guide

(Based On 20# Paper)

3/16″ (4.76 mm) – 12 Sheets
1/4″ (6.35 mm) – 20 Sheets
5/16″ (7.94 mm) – 40 Sheets
3/8″ (9.53 mm) - 55 Sheets
7/16″ (11.11 mm) – 70 Sheets
1/2″ (12.7 mm) – 90 Sheets
9/16″ (14.29 mm) – 100 Sheets
5/8″ (15.88 mm) – 120 Sheets
3/4″ (19.05 mm) - 150 Sheets
7/8″ (22.23 mm) - 170 Sheets
1″ (25.4 mm) – 200 Sheets
1 1/8″ (28.58 mm) - 220 Sheets
1 1/4″ (31.75 mm) - 230 Sheets
1 1/2″ (38.1 mm) - 290 Sheets
1 3/4″ (44.45 mm) – 360 Sheets
2″ (50.8 mm) – 425 Sheets

You can find our entire selection of comb binding supplies here and our comb binding machines here. Do you still have questions about comb binding supplies? Call one of our experts for answers at 1-800-658-8788.

While thermal binding is nowhere near as popular as comb, wire or coil binding, it is still very popular and, in my personal opinion, looks really nice. Covers are already pre-made, which means you don’t have to track down report covers or backings for books.

Thermal binding is easy. Simply take your paper, place it in a thermal cover and let the machine do the rest. So which thermal binding machine is the best to use?

When it comes to thermal binding machines, there is really only one brand that hits the mark every time. This brand is Fellowes. Fellowes, known for making all sorts of shredders, also makes some of the best thermal binding machines available today.

Here are the best-rated thermal binding machines we offer:

• Fellowes Helios 30 Thermal Binding Machine
• Fellowes Helios 60 Thermal Binding Machine

Both of these machines are simple to use. The end results look great, and as mentioned earlier, the process is extremely easy.

You can find our entire selection of book binding machines here.

It’s a bold statement to make, but I feel safe in saying that we offer some of the best prices and widest selection of comb, wire and coil binding supplies available online. I’ll explain why you should consider buying your comb, wire and coil supplies from us.

Unlike many online office equipment dealers, we actually stock our own binding supplies in our own warehouse. We have tens of thousands of square feet of warehouse space stocked with supplies and equipment. This means that when you place an order with us, your binding supplies will ship out within 24 hours and should arrive to you within a week (often sooner), depending on where you live.

Many other online dealers drop-ship their binding supplies. This means they ship it from other people’s warehouses and are subject to their rules and conditions. This also means that they have little control over shipping speed and supply stock.

We actually manufacture many of the supplies we offer. This means that we are able to offer you some excellent “wholesale” prices. We are especially good at giving you a bulk discount rate. You can request your discounted “bulk” binding supply prices from us by calling 1-800-658-8788.

As mentioned before, we stock most colors and sizes of comb, wire and coil binding supplies. You can find them here:

• Wire Binding Supplies
• Coil & Spiral Binding Supplies
• Comb Binding Supplies

Binding doesn’t have to be expensive. It should be fun, hassle-free and dependable. You can view our entire selection of binding machines and supplies by visiting us here.

People are binding a lot of thing these days. This ranges from cookbooks to scrapbooks and manuals to archived documents. So which binding machine is best for binding a presentation? There are a lot of opinions out there on this subject. Here are my recommendations.

To begin with, presentations are often intended for the most professional situations. People often use presentations for selling products or ideas. A badly bound or bad looking presentation can often leave a bad impression.

To date, the most popular binding machine for binding presentations is the wire binder. Wire binding, sometimes called twin-loop or double-loop binding, has a clean and tight look to it. Pages turn nicely and the wide range of colored wire available makes color coordination a piece of cake.

You can find our entire selection of wire binding machines here and wire binding supplies here.

Black seems to be the wire color of choice. This is not only because black has a regal quality to it, but black also matches well with almost any back or front cover.

Most people use some sort of card stock for the backing of the presentation and then utilize a clear cover for the front. You can find our card stock here and our clear covers here. Bound presentations usually do not exceed a ¼: thickness, however, wire can be used to bind thicker documents.

Be aware that wire binding is available in 3 different hole patterns. The most popular are 3:1 pitch (3 holes per inch) and 2:1 pitch (2 holes per inch) hole patterns. The Spiral-O 19-ring hole pattern is the least common. I have found that 3:1 pitch seems to be the most popular for presentations.

Other machines that our customers have used to bind presentations include coil binding machines, VeloBind machines and comb binding machines. I would have to say that VeloBind probably comes in 2nd, coil binding 3rd and comb binding 4th in popularity for presentation binding.

You can find our entire selection of binding machines here. You can find our report and presentation covers here. Good luck binding your presentations. Feel free to contact us at 1-800-658-8788 with questions or for advice on presentation binding machines.

So you’re looking for a binding machine, but don’t know what all the terms mean? No worries. I have been involved in the binding machine industry for over a decade and have come up with a list of common terms and their definitions. This should help you out.

Binding Machine Glossary

• Combo / Combination – A combination book binder is a machine that can bind books using multiple binding formats and techniques. The most common combination binding machines can bind in both comb and wire formats.
• Compound – Compound is a term used to describe paper padding press glue & adhesive.
• Diameter – The diameter is used to describe the size of a binding element. This term is used with comb, wire and coil binding.
• Dies – Dies are the sharpened pins that are used to punch holes in paper.
• Disengageable Dies – Disengageable dies are dies that can be selected and enabled / disabled by the operator. This is ideal for cutting down on half-punched holes.
• Double-Loop – Double loop is another term used for wire binding. This is because the wire has the appearance of two double wire loops per hole.
• Edge Distance - The edge distance is the amount of clearance there is from the side of a sheet of paper to the first punching pin on a binding machine. Most binding machines have an adjustable edge distance.
• Hole Pattern - The term hole pattern is used to describe the distance between holes. Different binding machines utilize different hole patterns.
• Hole Shape – Different binding formats utilize different hole shapes. Wire binding, for instance, may have a square, round or rectangular hole. Coil binding may have a round or oval-shaped hole. Comb binding always has a rectangular hole.
• Hot Knife – Hot knife is used to describe a VeloBind machine. Part of the VeloBind process involves a hot knife that cuts of excess prongs and seers remaining prongs to a back strip.
• Inserter – Coil binding machines often use what’s referred to as an inserter. This inserter is typically electric and spins coins through pre-punched holes.
• Margin Depth - The margin depth is the distance that holes are punched from the edge of a sheet of paper. Not all binding machines have an adjustable margin depth, however, it is a nice feature to have when binding several different book thicknesses.
• Modular – A modular binding machine is a machine that is built up from a punching base. Someone who has a comb binding base may want to buy a modular comb opening attachment.
• Multi-Format – These types of binding machines are capable of binding books using different binding formats. The most common type of machine is one that binds books in either comb or wire.
• Pitch - The pitch is the distance between holes. Wire binding uses 2:1 (two holes per inch), 3:1 (three holes per inch) and 19-ring patterns. Coil uses 4:1 (four holes per inch) and 5:1 (five holes per inch) pitch patterns. Comb is 19-ring (19 holes along 11-inch sheet of paper). Be sure the supplies you buy for your machine fit the pitch your machine uses.
• Punching Capacity – The punching capacity is the amount of sheets that can be punched at any given time. The punching capacity typically goes down when thicker paper is punched.
• Selectable Dies - A machine with selectable dies allows the operator to enable or disable specific punching pins. This is idea for binding custom-size books and eliminates annoying half-punched holes.
• Twin-Loop - This is a term used to describe wire binding. This is because wire binding creates the look of twin loop wires in each punched hole.

So there you have it. Some of the most common binding terms used in the industry. Hopefully this has helped clarify a few things for you. If you still have questions, please feel free to call one of our binding machine specialists at 1-800-658-8788. You can find our entire selection of book binding machines here.