With so many comb binding machines on the market, how on earth can I pick the one right for my needs? There are several factors to consider.
Determining your document requirements and use is the first step. Therefore, I recommend answering the following questions to help you determine the best finishing solution.
- What is the document application?
- How will the document be used? Who will be using it?
- How many documents a day or week will you be making?
- What are your most common document sizes …letter, A4 or legal?
- How important is the image or appearance of the document?
If you are comb binding just a couple of projects a week or only a few a month, you should consider a manual comb binding machine. No electricity, just you punching and inserting the pages in the comb binding spines manually.
On the other hand, if you are assembling multiple jobs a day, you definitely need an electric punching feature with a manual-binding element.
Alternately, if you have enormous amounts of proposals and reports daily, you definitely should look at an electric punch and electric comb binding machine. There is just no other way to get the production finished in a timely manner unless you are outsourcing the work, which defeats the cost savings purpose. Be sure and get a model with a foot pedal to make this a hands free operation.
The versatile comb binding machine system is great for price lists, brochures, reports, etc. Pages lay flat when opened and can be easily changed later. Be sure if you have legal size paper, that you choose a model that can accommodate your needs. They usually have adjustable pin placements just for this.
Comb binding supplies and accessories put the finishing touches on your presentations. Plastic binding combs are available in many colors. Comb spines can also be custom printed with your name or logo and using your firm’s colors. What a great combo!
Cover sheets come in many styles, colors, and thicknesses. Remember, an attractive cover captures your reader’s attention. I recommend oversized covers (11 1/4″ X 8 3/4″) if you are using plastic comb binding. Oversized covers have two rounded corners and are ¼” larger than the document to protect it from fraying edges and tearing. If you are using desktop publishing software for your presentation, a transparent or frost cover can enhance the finished look. There are many customization options available to enhance my document finishing. Choose from custom printing options such as silkscreen, offset, embossing and foil stamping. Add index tabs to separate topics or sections.
Remember, a consistent look to all your documents supports the brand image of your firm.
