About 11 years ago I used to work for the Federal Government. In the mailroom they had a comb binding machine. I believe it may have been an Ibico, however, I was unfamiliar with makes and models (nor did I care) at the time. It looked like something from the 80s. I do remember that binding machine had an electric comb opener. I used the machine to bind a few reports and presentations as needed. One thing I do remember is that the motor that powered the electric opener was pathetically underpowered and had a bad habit of stopping in the middle of the process.

As fate would have it, I have had customers ask me if we offered a similar machine. Just today I had a customer looking for a comb binding machine that had an electric comb opener. The problem they ran into is that they couldn’t find any machines with that capability. Comb binding machines were aplenty, but models with an electric opener weren’t around. She asked me if I knew of any.

Having researched this myself, I can tell you that some models do still exist with an electric comb opener, but none from well-known manufacturers that I’m aware of. There is a good reason for this. It is faster to use a manual comb opener than an electric comb opener.

While the punching portion of comb binding requires a lot of effort (hence the advantage of an electric punch), the comb opener requires little effort. Even with the electric comb openers the operator is still required to place the comb on the opener’s fingers by hand. The only difference is that with the electric opener you push a button and wait, where the manual version requires you to tilt a tiny lever.

Even the most robust and complex Akiles, Renz, Tamerica and Intelli-Bind electric comb binding machines still have manual comb openers. This is because, as I have mentioned earlier, manual comb openers are faster and have fewer issues.

You can find our entire selection of manual comb binding machines here and electric comb binding machines here.

If you’re shopping around for a binding machine, or even a laminator or paper cutter, one manufacturer you may want to consider using is Tamerica. Established in 1985, Tamerica Products Incorporated (TPI) has been manufacturing and distributing office machines for over 24 years. ABC Office has been selling Tamerica products for decades and they are considered a customer favorite.

Tamerica states that they operate under process-oriented principles of Kaizen, which is Japanese for “improvement” or “change for the better.” In true form, Tamerica is always making improvements and increasing the performance of their machines.

Tamerica is best known to our customers for their line of binding machines. Their 190PB, 210PB, 213PB and TCC 210EPB comb binding machines are particularly popular. These binding machines all utilize durable metal components and are known for their rich features for little cost. You can find our entire selection of Tamerica comb binding machines here.

A few years ago Tamerica released one of the first-ever alternatives to the GBC VeloBind bookbinding format known as SecureBind. SecureBind, found in their V2000-Pro, uses the same hole pattern and thermal process as standard GBC VeloBind machines, but at a fraction the cost. The V2000-Pro has an impressive 2″ binding capacity.

While Tamerica is extremely well known for their binding machines, they also manfacture an impressive line of stack paper cutters, roll laminating machines, pouch laminators, business card cutters, paper folding machines, laminating film and workstations.

Here are just a few of Tamericas most popular cutters, laminators and folding machines

• Tamerica TPF-42 Paper Folding Machine
• Tamerica Guillomax Stack Paper Cutter
• Tamerica C-Lam 3306 Pouch Laminator
• Tamerica TCC230 Pouch Laminator

Tamerica is continually developing new machines, so be sure to check back often to see what’s available. You can find our entire selection of Tamerica office equipent here. Please feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions.

If’ you’re binding children’s books, you probably want to use a format that is durable, tough and resilient. My 3-year-old son was recently given a book that was bound in twin-loop wire. As you might imagine, that book isn’t in such good shape anymore. When it comes to children’s books, a lot more needs to be taken into consideration than just looks. I will cover in this article the best binding machines you will want to use for binding kid’s books.

If you will be binding a child’s book using a binding element (i.e. Wire, Coil or Comb), you need something that is tough, can take an impact and will cut down on page tearing. The two most resilient binding formats are comb and coil. I’ll explain why I would personally use these binding styles for a kid’s book.

The one format I would never use is twin loop wire, unless you’re binding a teenager’s book. Wire, to put it simple, bends and looses its form when stepped on, thrown on the ground, stacked on with other books or is thrown in a backpack.  I have seen some books bound in thick-gauge twin loop wire. The thicker gauge stuff seems to hold up much better than your standard gauge twin loop wire.

As mentioned earlier, I would use comb or coil for a children’s book. Let me explain the benefits and the disadvantages of both.

COMB BINDING – This is my second choice for binding kid’s books. This format is made from tough plastic and will rarely break or bend. Comb binding supplies are cheap, costing very little for a box of 100 elements. Comb is also available in dozens of colors, making it a colorful choice for binding children’s books. The individual comb fingers are wide, providing added support to pages, making them tougher to accidentally rip out.

The biggest con to comb binding is the fact that combs can be re-opened, even without a machine. It is tough to do, and extremely unlikely to happen, but it is possible. I still don’t think this should count out comb binding.

Because you may be binding books smaller than 8 ½” x 11″, I would recommend that you use comb binder with selectable punching pins.

These are some comb binding machines I recommend for binding kid’s books:

• Intelli-Bind IB500 Comb Binding Machine
• Akiles EcoBind-C Plastic Comb Binding Machine
• Akiles AlphaBind-CM Comb Binding Machine

COIL BINDING – Coil binding is my first choice for binding kid’s books. Binding coils are made out of extremely durable PVC plastic. These coils won’t bend or break and can withstand the unforgiving wrath of a child. Binding coils are colorful, which kids like, and can be used to bind thick or thin books.

I personally recommend using 4:1 pitch coil for children’s books (4 holes per inch) as the wide hole pattern makes the pages harder to tear out. A 5:1 pitch hole pattern (5 holes per inch) have the holes too close together for kids, making the pages much easier to tear out.
As you will probably bind books in a wide range of sizes, I recommend using a coil-binding machine with disengagable punching pins and an electric coil inserter.

These are some coil binding machines I recommend for binding children’s books:

• Intelli-Bind IC310 Coil Binding Machine
• Akiles CoilMac-ER Spiral Binding Machine
• Akiles CoilMac-ECI Coil Binding Machine

Hopefully these recommendations help you in your book binding endeavors. We have decades of experience with book binding machines, so please feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions. You can find our entire selection of binding machines here.

When you bind a booklet, presentation or report, you typically expect that book to hold up for some time…right? You certainly don’t want paper ripping out as you turn pages. If your comb, coil or wire bound document is experiencing pages tearing out, premature wear, pages binding or overall difficulty in using a book bound in these formats, you’ll want to read this guide.

Comb, wire and coil binding are all three very distinct binding formats, but they all suffer from similar issues when a book is bound incorrectly. While binding a book is extremely easy to do, there are a few minor settings, if left ignored, can result in a complete failure of a binding job. Here are the two most common issues:

Pages Keep Tearing Out: If you have pages that seem to be tearing out of your book, you are probably experiencing issues with your margin depth, which is how far holes are punched into the paper. As a general rule, you want to punch holes deeper into the paper when binding thicker books. Thinner books can have the holes punched closer to the edge. If you punch holes close to the edge, while binding a thicker book, pages will eventually begin to tear out.

Many modern binding machines have a margin depth selector that will allow you to adjust how far into the paper the holes are punched based on the thickness of the book. Akiles machines are especially easy to use when it comes to adjusting the margin depth.

Unfortunately not all binding machines have a margin depth adjustment. If this is the case, you will either need to deal with the occasional page ripping out, bind thinner books or upgrade to a different machine.

Here are three great binding machines that feature an adjustable margin depth:

• Comb: Intelli-Bind IB500 Comb Binder
• Wire: Akiles WireMac Wire Binding Machine
• Coil: Intelli-Bind IC310 Coil Binder

Paper Binds When Turning Pages: If you’re experiencing issues turning the pages in your bound document, the guilty culprit is the binding element itself. What you are probably doing is using a binding comb, wire or coil that is too small for the paper you are binding. What you need to do is use a slightly larger diameter binding element.

Many binding machines now include a diameter selection guide. If you’re binding machine doesn’t have this feature, you can get a good idea on the diameter you need by looking at our supplies pages. Our binding supply pages feature the diameter and how many sheets it can bind.

Binding Supplies

• Comb Binding Supplies
• Wire Binding Supplies
• Coil Binding Supplies

Hopefully this guide helps you out and helps cut down on frustrations. If you are still experiencing issues with your binding machine, please feel free to give our Service Department a call at 1-800-658-8788 x129. If for any reason you need a new machine, you can find our entire selection of binding machines here.

If you use, own or are planning to purchase a comb binding machine, you probably want to know how to use it. Because many of the binding machines out there are made out of the country, the “English” manuals are often very difficult to follow. Many people simply lose their manuals. We recently filmed a “How to Use a Comb Binding Machine” video demo.

To begin with, this demo covers the Intell-Bind IB400 comb binder from Intelli-Zone. This is because the IB400 is a fairly simply and common style of binding machine. You punch the paper, open the combs, insert the combs through the paper and you’re done (in very simplified terms). Once you know how to use this binding machine, you’ll easily be able to use a GBC, Fellowes, Akiles, Renz or other brand of binding machine.

While there are a few design differences between machines, the are almost all the same in operation. Hopefully this video helps you set up your own machine.

How to Use a Comb Binding Machine Video Demo

As you can see, the process is very simple. I have found that it takes about a minute to bind a basic book. The speed varies, depending on the machine’s capabilities, and electric machines are faster. There is definitely no reason to be intimidated by a comb binding machine. They can be used to bind presentations, reports, books and much more. The spines are available in a wide range of sizes and colors.

If for any reason you need a new manual for your comb binding machine, or if this demo does not help with your machine, please feel free to speak with our Service Technician at 1-800-658-8788 x129.

We also offer a great selection of binding machines. You can find our entire selection of new comb binding machines here and all our binding machines here. Good luck and happy binding!

Binding machines, whether it be comb, wire or coil, are wonderful to have, but they do pose a problem to many businesses. “What problem is that,” you might ask? Desk space. Many of us are strapped for desk space. Heaven knows my desk is stacked with magazines, papers, monitors and other stuff. The last thing I need on my desk is a binding machine. There is, however, a great piece of furniture that should help you out. It is commonly referred to as a binding workstation.

Binding workstations, often called binding desks or tables, are designed with the sole purpose of making binding more organized and saving space. Two of the most popular binding workstations we offer are the Akiles Utility Station and the Tamerica WS Workstation.

Akiles Utility Station – The Akiles Utility Station is designed from the ground up to be portable, easy to use and is perfect for organization. The bench height is placed at an ideal height for using a comb, wire or coil binding machine. The bench is wide enough for most machines and can even be used to support electric punch machines. It has a combined supportive weight capacity of 550 pounds.

Below the bench are 3 shelves that can be used to hold boxes of supplies, binding covers or even paper. An additional top 2 shelves can be used to hold additional supplies. Everything is easy to access and organize. The four supportive casters make this cart easy to wheel around the office.

Tamerica WS Workstation - The Tamerica WS Workstation is smaller than the Akiles Utility Station and is perfect for limited office space. This workstation is at about desk height and can be wheeled up to a desk for easy book binding from the convenience of a chair. A total of 7 wire (transparent) drawers can be used to hold binding supplies of every diameter and color. These drawers are easy to pull out, easy to access and keep everything in one easy-to-find place.

The Tamerica WS is also easy to move around the office thanks to 4 locking casters. This binding station, unlike the above-mentioned Akiles model, only has a weight capacity of 50 pounds. That makes this station excellent for most manual binding machines and some electric binding machines.

We offer a great selection of other binding stations including other models from Akiles, Tamerica, Alvin and other manufactures. You can find our entire selection of book binding workstations here.

Creating your own product is fun and fulfilling. One hobby that I enjoy, and many businesses perform on a daily basis, is bookbinding. It’s fun to produce something that is tangible and looks professional. One of the best-looking binding formats is wire binding. It’s clean, looks great and is ideal for the most important presentations and reports. One machine I personally recommend using is the Akiles WireMac wire binding machine. I have used this machine myself and this is my review.

To start with, I have to say that Akiles is one of the best binding machine manufacturers around. They manufacture comb, wire and coil binding machines and they almost always turn out to be high quality products. The reason I bring this up is because if the WireMac doesn’t fit your bill, you should still consider an Akiles Machine.

The WireMac wire binding machine is designed for low to medium-volume book binding. That isn’t to say that it is a low-volume machine, but it features a manual punch. That means the WireMac’s biggest limiting factor to speed is the operator. The machine itself could stand up to higher-volume binding, but the operator would probably get tired.

You can get the Akiles WireMac in two different designs. One design comes with a 2:1 pitch hole pattern and the other comes with a 3:1 pitch hole pattern. The pitch you use depends entirely on your preference. I can say, however, that the 2:1 pitch has been more popular, due in part to the fact that a 2:1 pitch hole pattern can bind more paper.

Using the WireMac is extremely easy. Simply take a stack of paper (up to 20 sheets of 20 lb paper) and punch it. Keep punching paper until you have the designed amount punched. You then insert a wire binding element into the punched holes and close the wire shut using the built-in wire closer. Sounds easy, right? It really is an easy machine to use.

Don’t let this machine’s simplicity fool you. It is also packed with features. One of my favorite features is the selectable punching pins (aka disengageable dies). This allows you to shut of any of the 40 dies (3:1 pitch) or 27 dies (2:1 pitch). This eliminates half-punched holes and makes it possible to bind books of varying sizes. This machine has a 14″ punching length. Because it is open ended, you can technically punch paper even longer than 14″.

I also really like the adjustable margin depth and diameter selector. Both of these features make it extremely easy to bind books of varying thicknesses.

The WireMac has been around for years and we have sold untold amounts of these machines to customers. Akiles has a great track record with our customers and the WireMac has proven to be extremely reliable, lasing for years without any issues.

Having handled this machine myself, I can tell you that it is solid. The all-metal construction really helps improve the book binding experience. I highly recommend this machine for those interested in binding books, reports and presentations.

You can find the Akiles WireMac wire binding machine here and our entire selection of Akiles book binding machines here. You can find ABC Office’s entire selection of binding machines here.

VeloBind, made by GBC, is one of the most popular book binding formats used today. It is right up their with coil, comb and wire binding. There are currently 3 main VeloBind machines people use today. These are the System One, System Two and System Three Pro. I will explain the differences between the three and why you may want to consider one over another.

First off, modern-day VeloBind machines use a hot-knife process for binding books, presentations and reports. All three of the GBC VeloBind models I listed use 11-prong binding strips. Once holes have been punched in paper, a top strip is inserted through the holes and a back strip is placed on the back of the book. The machine then cuts off the excess prongs and seals the front strip to the back using heat. The process is extremely solid.

Most people like VeloBind because it is sturdy, tamper proof and ideal for binding large volumes of paper. I have seen lawyer firms, construction companies, universities and many others use VeloBind to bind just about anything you can imagine. These machines are generally considered to be reliable and usually hold up for years.

Here are the biggest differences between the VeloBind System One, System Two and System Three.

GBC VeloBind System One – This machine is designed to bind up to 1″ of paper. It features a manual punch with an electric “hot knife” system that finishes the job. This particular system is ideal for low to medium-volume book binding. If you need to bind more than 1 book every 3-5 minutes, you may want to consider upgrading to a faster machine like the VeloBind System Two.

GBC VeloBind System Two – The System Two is a VeloBind system capable of binding books, reports and other material up to 2″ thick. This particular machine features an electric punch, which is nice for higher-volume binding and for use by people that don’t like the idea of manually punching paper. This system doesn’t have to bind huge books. It can also be used to bind thinner material (only 2 pages) and can use the System One’s 1″ strips. Backwards compatibility is always nice.

GBC VeloBind System Three Pro – The System Three Pro is the monster of the VeloBind line. This bad boy can bind up to 3″ of paper at a time! I am not aware of any other “element” style book binding machine with this large a capacity. It is also backwards compatible and can use 1 x 11 and 2 x 11 strips from the System One and System Two. Basically you can bind as few pages as 2 or hundreds, it all depends on the project. This machine is great for medium to high-volume binding. It even includes a debinding feature.

Regardless of the machine you need, you should consider ABC Office for your purchase. We offer some of the best prices available online, stock our own products (faster shipping) and have a Service Department that can help you keep your VeloBind machine up and running for years.

You can find our entire selection of GBC VeloBind machines here and our VeloBind supplies here. Good luck and happy binding!

If you’re looking for a book binding machine, you probably want to get one from a manufacturer that has a good reputation. While there is a lot of information out there on the best cars, Blu-ray players and laptops, there is little information regarding the best book binding machines. I have been using, selling and working with binding machines for over a decade. I have compiled a list of the best binding machine brands.

As previously mentioned, I have a lot of experience with book binding machines. This includes comb, wire, coil and many other formats. I have to admit that while I have used some absolute amazing binding machines, I have used a lot of lemons as well. I will explain why these binding machines brands are the best and why you may want to consider using them.

Best Book Binding Machine Brands

1. Akiles Binding Machines – Akiles is probably one of the best and most reputable manufacturers of binding machines. They manufacture the WireMac, CoilMac and MegaBind book binding machines along with several other models. Akiles machines are known for their durable “metal” construction and ability to hold up after years of rigorous use.
2. Intelli-Bind Binding Machines - Intelli-Bind, from Intelli-Zone, has been around for about a year and has developed a reputation for offering extremely affordable machines with many high-end features. Most of Intelli-Bind’s coil binding machines feature electric coil inserters. Other binding formats (coil, comb & wire) often feature disengageable punching pins and much more. These machines have a great track record with customers.
3. Renz Binding Machines – Renz book binding machines feature elegant designs and the ability to handle higher-volume binding operations. They are probably best known for their high quality wire binding machines. Many publishers, copy centers and organizations like to use their machines for commercial wire binding operations.
4. Tamerica Binding Machines - Tamerica (sometimes called Tahsin) offers a great line of comb, wire and coil binding machines. These machines are affordable and generally fall in the range of low to medium-volume book binding.
5. SircleBind Binding Machines - SircleBind offers a great selection of comb, wire and coil binding machines. Having used these machines myself, I have to say that make a good low to medium-volume machine. The only thing I don’t like about their machines is there is a lot of plastic involved in the manufacturing process. That said, they have a good reputation with our customers.
6. GBC Binding Machines – GBC offers a wide range of book binding machines, from coil to VeloBind. I have to say that it is hit and miss with GBC. I really like their VeloBind line of machines and really like their GBC C800 Pro comb binding machine, which is a modification of a very popular Ibico binding machine.

I hope this list helps you find a good machine. You can find our entire line of book binding machines here.

If you have questions, or simply need more information, feel free to speak with one of our binding machine specialists by calling 1-800-658-8788.

Are you coil binding books on a daily basis, perhaps hundreds of books a day? For this many books, reports or presentations, I recommend using a robust machine like the Akiles CoilMac-EPI coil binder. This coil binding machine is popular, well built and a huge hit with our customers. I have had the opportunity to use this machine on several occasions and had the chance to shoot a video demo of my experience.

While not fully automatic, several electric components make this machine fast. This includes a fully electric paper punch (4:1 pitch hole pattern) and an electric coil inserter. Combined, book binding takes just minutes. The 4:1 pitch hole pattern can be used to bind books as thick as 1 ¼”, which is about 230 sheets of paper. An included foot pedal allows for two-handed operation.

The build quality on the Akiles CoilMac-EPI is extremely high. The thing feels like it weighs a ton. While it really only weighs 80 pounds shipped, the all-metal construction makes it feel like one of the most solid pieces of equipment I have ever used. Here is a video demo of me using it.

While not featured in this video, the CoilMac-EPI is also available in a variation called the CoilMac-EPI Plus. The only difference between the standard model and the Plus model is the hole design and the disengageable dies. The Plus uses oval holes, rather than round, and has fully disengageable dies where the standard model only has 5 disengageable dies. Other than that, they are pretty much the same machine and this video demo can really be used for both machines.

I highly recommend the Akiles CoilMac-EPI for medium to higher-volume binding. It is a solid machine, and simply put, it will last for years. You can find the Akiles CoilMac-EPI here and our entire selection of coil binding machines here.