Four Ways to Get Organized with Binding

If getting organized is one of your resolutions this year, then you’ll love these four organizational ideas that utilize your binding machine.

  1. Custom Day Planner – Using your favorite word processing or page layout program, create a blank template that is tailored to your specific needs. Unlike mass-produced planners, these custom pages give you the ability to add sections that are specific to your business or activities. Once the template is completed, print out as many double-sided copies as desired and bind them together to create the ultimate custom planner.
  2. Training Materials – Every organization has a set of training materials that have been created over the years. Make it easy for your employees or coworkers to stay on top of company procedures by binding your own training manuals. Simply gather the most frequently referred to documents, such as price lists, product brochures, and company policies, and use your binding machine to create easy-to-use guidebooks for everyone in your office.
  3. Calendars – Did you know that you can use your wire binding machine to bind your own calendars? Using free, downloadable calendar software or your favorite graphics program, create the pages for your calendar, add a notch to the center on the binding edge with a half-moon punch, then bind them together with twin-loop wire (inserting a wire calendar hanger before closing the wire). This is especially useful for organizations that need unusual calendar layouts (such as Monday through Sunday or work week-only).
  4. Log Books – Have you found yourself having difficulty keeping track of company-specific expenses or appointments in past years? Try creating your own custom log books to help you stay on top of your own information or that of your employees. Use your favorite word processing or page layout program to design a blank template for tracking expenses, listing client information, appointment notes, or whatever other information you may need to log, then turn it into a booklet with your binding machine.

What are PaperCombs?

The PaperLock binding system uses adhesive-backed paper strips called PaperCombs to create secure, eco-friendly bound documents. Though the machine itself does not perform any punching, it utilizes the same 19-hole punch pattern as traditional comb binding. To bind with the PaperLock system, begin by inserting your pre-punched document into the binding slot and clamping it in place. Insert the appropriate size of PaperComb into the holes and remove the adhesive backing, then use the Overturning Panel to flip the comb onto the document. Once the comb has been turned onto the spine, simply pull the binding handle down to complete the bind. After you have loosened the clamp, retrieve your finished document from the binding slot.

Like presentations bound with plastic combs, documents bound with the PaperLock system lay completely flat when opened, making them ideal for reports and proposals. Because the spine is flush against the surface of the paper, the resulting documents are easy to stack, file, and mail. PaperComb spines are secure and tamper-proof by nature, however you can add an extra layer of protection by signing or applying a company stamp across the seam of the bind – a feature that is unique to this binding style. Since the binding spines are made of paper, they are Earth-friendly and biodegradable, which is why a growing number of environmentally-conscious organizations have begun to use them in place of traditional comb binding spines made of plastic. Unlike plastic combs which require users to stock a broad range of sizes to accommodate different documents, PaperCombs can bind as few as four pages or as many as 200 with only three sizes. They are available in many attractive colors that will compliment any corporate brand identity.

Four Earth-Friendly Binding Solutions

A growing number of businesses are looking for ways to be more ecologically aware, which includes seeking out more “green” binding supplies and methods. Below is a list of four Earth-friendly binding solutions for organizations of any size:

  1. Paper Binding Covers – Available in a wide variety of vibrant colors and attractive finishes, paper binding covers are an Earth-friendly alternative to traditional poly binding covers. They’re made using up to 20% recycled materials and up to 30% post-consumer waste, plus they are completely recyclable.
  2. Aluminum Screw Posts – Aluminum screw posts (also called Chicago screws or binding posts) are a reusable binding solution that allows you to easily make revisions to any swatch book or other document. They are made from 100% aluminum, so they can be recycled, but their reusable nature gives them a long functional lifespan.
  3. PaperLock PaperCombs – The PaperLock binding system is designed to work in conjunction with your traditional comb binding machine, and provides an eco-friendly alternative to plastic binding combs. PaperLock PaperCombs are made of paper, so they can be recycled with ease.
  4. Fastback Binding Strips – Fastback binding strips by Powis Parker are innovative thermal binding spines that offer a number of “green” features. The strips are paper-based and contain up to 50% recycled material, including up to 25% post-consumer waste. Their adhesive compounds are specially designed to be environmentally neutral, meaning that they won’t pollute landfills or water tables.

How Does the PaperLock Binding System Work?

The PaperLock binding machine is a unique binding system that works in conjunction with your comb binding machine to create binds that are durable, stackable, and eco-friendly. Just punch your document using the 19-hole punch pattern designed for comb binding, and insert the PaperLock PaperComb (following the manufacturer’s instructions). The video below showcases the benefits of this innovative binding machine, and provides a step-by-step overview of the binding process.