What is binding a document?
Binding a document simply means sealing the pages together. There are a few ways that a document can be bound together, including comb binding, wire binding, saddle binding and perfect binding. It really depends on what the document is for as to which binding process is most suitable.
What paper should I use for printing the inside pages of my bound document?
We offer standard and premium paper, so it depends on what you’re using your document for and what will work best. Standard paper is easily an everyday kind of paper, so if you’re printing bulk manuals, reports, workbooks, or bulk documents, this is likely the best paper for you. However, if you’re printing a presentation, portfolio, thesis, proposal, or report, the premium paper stock option will uplift your document and offer a better finish for you.
What is the difference between wire binding and spiral binding?
That’s a great question! It’s easy to get confused between them, although it’s just as easy to tell the difference. Spiral binding uses plastic coil binding, whereas wire binding uses metal wire to bind the pages together. Both are great options for bound documents.
Videos
Printing large files/packets with lots of pages
How do you bind or otherwise manage the PDFs you print out?
Printing your PDFs
I use an online service for printing my books. I'm in the US, so I don't know how cheap their shipping is for other countries.
https://www.printme1.com/
It was about $25 to get a printed copy of the Genesys rulebook PDF with bound with spiral coil and a color front page.
More on reddit.comIs this a good plan to bind printed PDFs?
I have dozens of pdf's for my profession and am of the same preference as you when it comes to having a physical copy in front of me. I have experimented with sazeracs suggestion of pressboard covers. Another friend of mine has a spiral bound punch machine like the one your considering buying and loves it. I will share my experience and choice with your exact same predicament. For me I had a few requirements on binding.
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Be relatively easy to bind, as I have dozens of pdfs for reference, I do not want to spend all weekend binding a single pdf, when there are half a dozen to bind. I have a job and other interests outside of binding, so I do not want to spend hours case binding a pdf that I'm going to use every now and then. Of course for the nice pdfs, I will do a Lumbeck/Double Fan Binding, or if I can get it printed on tabloid then a full case binding, but these are one offs and usually pretty rare.
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Lay flat. As a scientist all of the pdfs that I use are reference material and typically support the task that I'm working on, either in the field, in the lab, or in the office. There are several bindings that are easy to do, but do not lay flat, for instance the Japanese stab binding. Being able to stay open to the page I need on the desk is a key factor for me.
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Stand up to wear and tear, both in the field, and throughout my life. Having a pdf that I can take with me, or put on a shelf is more useful than a bulky three ring binder, or loose sheets that can get damaged. Having a sturdy binding that can take years of abuse, while still being easy to manage is the last important quality for me.
Based on these three criteria, time/feasibility, laying flat, and sturdiness I landed on post bindings. Here is a good example of what I mean.
https://nbbookbinding.com/custom-book-binding-services/chicago-screw-post-binding/
The costs are the
Chicago screw posts, a pack of 75 on amazon costs 10$
Chipboard 8.5x11 100 for 20$
Cloth 6$/Yard
Bookbinding equipment I already purchased.
I can three hole punch the pdf, and then use a Screw Post case to bind it. An added benefit is that I can use the cases for other pdfs as I see fit as the screws are not permanent. The screw post binding meets all of my requirements, while still taking only an hour to make, with the possibility to make many more at one time. Overall I'm satisfied with my choice, and have found that I have benefited from binding my printed pdfs in this way. There is one caveat, and that is the margins. I have to print the pdf with and increased inside margin so that the spine does not cover up material. As I have had ample experience with Imposition & Printing this is not an issue for me, however I realize this may pose a challenge for other people.
Pros:
Cheap, easy to make, reusable, hard cover, sturdy and lays flat on a table
Cons:
Cannot print normally from pdf file -> some formatting required, the spine of the book is exposed to the elements leading to increased damage over time, posts only come in certain sizes which can pose a problem for smaller pdfs (<25 pages)
More on reddit.comI need a place for printing PDFs with a lot of pages. Chicago library in the loop cost 25 cents a page if its double sided (and 15 cents a page if single sided). Is there anything cheaper than that? I need to print 160 pages and will also need to print different editions with the same or more amount of pages in the future.
Looking for places to print PDFs with 160 pages or more.
Also, will the Chicago library even let me print that amount of pages if I did decide to go there?
Thank you for any help.
I'd like to look into some simple forms of book binding and I'm curious what you use. So far I've used some of the cheaper method like clips or cheap spirals that they offer at most print shops. I've seen others keep their printed sheets of paper in plastic sheets.
For some of my material, especially ones I'd consider finished, I'd want to go with something more book-like. I started looking into book binding, but most of it seems a little too complicated to get into, maybe other than just gluing the pages together, which I'd suspect doesn't have a lasting result.
What do you use for simple, lasting book binding?