How Do I Make a Custom Calendar Using Wire Calendar Hangers?

Creating a custom calendar with wire calendar hangers is easy! All that is required is a 3:1 pitch wire binding machine, a half-moon punch, 5/16” twin loop binding wires (3:1 pitch), wire calendar hangers, and color copies of your photographs or promotional images that have been prepared with your favorite calendar software. Begin by using the half-moon punch to create a semi-circle notch in the center of the edge to be bound (the edge that will be used to hang the calendar). Next, align your document in the punching portion of your wire binding machine so that it has an even number of holes on both sides (note: this may require you to disengage a few pins to avoid punching partial holes in either the notched section or the outside edges of your calendar). After punching your document, cut your wire binding spine down to the appropriate length for each side of the top edge. Insert your pages as well as the wire calendar hanger into the two spine sections, and use your wire closer to complete the bind. Now your custom calendar is ready to share with a friend or colleague.

What are Thermal Soft Covers?

Thermal soft covers are used for perfect binding, a popular binding style that uses heat-activated adhesives to create an attractive, uncluttered bind. Perfect binding is commonly used on both soft cover and hardcover books, as well as magazines, because it allows for easy stacking and storage (unlike other binding styles which tend to have a bulkier finish). Since the documents are secured with glue, no punching is required to achieve a secure bind.

Like traditional binding covers, thermal soft covers are made from paper or clear plastic (or a combination thereof) and are available in a variety of finishes. Instead of having separate front and back covers, thermal soft covers come as a pre-scored, solid piece (similar to a file folder) that has a strip of thermally-activated adhesive down the center. To create a bind, simply place your document within the cover and insert the cover into your thermal binding machine (following the manufacturer’s instructions). Because the covers are made as single pieces, they are available in different spine sizes that are specifically designed to accommodate the thickness of your report. They are offered with spines as small as 1/16″ (capable of holding 1-10 pages of standard 20 lb. paper) and 1-3/4″ (capable of holding 280-350 pages of standard 20 lb. paper).

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.

What are the Most Popular Varieties of Clear Binding Covers?

Clear binding covers are traditionally used as front covers for business reports, proposals, and employee manuals, both because of their classic look and because they allow the contents of the first page to be read without the book being opened. They also make a great, low-cost substitute for custom-printed covers, since they enable any standard-sized sheet of paper to function as a cover page.

There are five standard varieties of clear binding covers: PVC covers, non-glare covers, heat-resistant covers, matte-suede translucent covers, and matte-gloss translucent covers. PVC binding covers are traditionally the most popular clear cover style, with the widest range of sizes and thicknesses available. Non-glare binding covers are a newer addition to the marketplace, but they are quickly gaining popularity because of their glare-free finish. Heat-resistant covers are designed to withstand the extreme temperatures of thermal binding (or for use in other high-temperature environments). Matte-suede binding covers are tear- and scratch-resistant, with a smooth, matte finish on one side and a pebbled texture with a frosted finish on the other side. Matte-gloss binding covers feature a glossy finish on one side and a satin-like, anti-reflective finish on the other to help reduce glare.

An Overview of Matte Laminating Pouches

Many people know about the wide variety of sizes and thicknesses that thermal laminating pouches are available in, but not everyone is aware of the different finishes that are offered. In this post, we’ll explore the unique properties of matte laminating pouches and discuss a few of the most popular uses for them.

The Basics

Like other thermal laminating pouches, matte laminating pouches are designed to work with a pouch laminator. To use a thermal matte laminating pouch, simply place your document within a pouch of the appropriate size and run it through your laminating machine, ensuring that it has reached the proper laminating temperature that corresponds to the thickness of the pouch that you are using. Both matte and glossy laminating pouches are clear, however matte laminating pouches have a non-glare finish. Matte laminating pouches are also more scratch-resistant than glossy pouches, and their delustered surface can be easily written on with pens and permanent markers.

Uses

The unique qualities of matte laminating pouches make them ideal for certain applications and within specific industries. Because they are non-glare, they are the preferred choice for use in high-light environments, such as photography studios or television sets. Their “writeable” finish makes them a great choice for luggage tags and identification cards that are written on after lamination. Since they are more scratch-resistant than their glossy counterparts, matte pouches are an excellent way to protect frequently-handled documents, such as price lists or reference materials.

In Review

Using thermal laminating pouches is one of the easiest and most effective ways to add durability to any document you’re looking to protect. Matte laminating pouches work the same way as glossy pouches and are equal in clarity, but they have a smooth, non-glare finish that makes them resistant to scratches and allows the user to write on them with ease.

Lamination Depot carries a wide selection of matte laminating sheets in varying sizes and thicknesses, as well as matte/clear pouches that feature one side of matte lamination and one side of glossy film.

Five Creative Gifts Made with Your Binding Machine

The holidays are just around the corner, and there’s no better way to show loved ones that you care than a handmade gift created just for them. Even if you don’t see yourself as the creative type, there are many unique gifts that can be made using your binding machine and a little imagination. Below are five ideas for one-of-a-kind gifts that are made with a binding machine:

  1. Custom Calendars – Did you know that your wire binding machine can be used to make your own custom calendars? Simply select 12 of your favorite photographs (such as pictures of your family, scenic images from recent vacations, or other photos that have personal significance) and use any free calendar software to assemble your calendar pages. Print them out in color onto cardstock and use a half moon punch to create a notch in the center of your calendar pages. Bind the calendar using your wire binding machine and a 5/16″ twin-loop wire, inserting a wire calendar hanger into the spine before you close it (this will allow the calendar to be hung on a wall). Creating your own personalized calendars is just that easy, and you don’t have to deal with the high minimum orders and substantial cost of going through a professional print shop.
  2. Photo Albums – Bound photo albums featuring your children throughout the years make an excellent gift for proud grandparents (or aunts, uncles, great-grandparents, etc.). Choose your favorite photographs, and lay them out onto letter-sized sheets (this can be done with the actual photos and sheets of paper or using your preferred photo editing software). Create color copies or print outs and bind them together. If you’re experienced with digital photo editing, you can also add borders, effects, or even text to your album pages to make them pop.
  3. Year in Review – If you have family members that live out of state, then creating a “Year in Review” book with your binding machine will bring them up to speed on all of the exciting things that your family has done over the past year. This is a great way to share photos from sporting events, newspaper clippings, stellar report cards, art projects, school pictures, and copies of other assorted mementos like ticket stubs.
  4. Family Tree – Spend a little time researching your family’s history and put together a book that details your genealogy. Once you’ve created your family tree, create additional pages that share the information that you’ve discovered about each family member, including photographs, birth dates, and other interesting facts. Compiling a detailed family history will take some time, but you’ll create a gift that will be cherished for years to come.
  5. Cookbooks – From Nana’s famous banana bread to Uncle Scott’s spectacular barbeque sauce, every family has their signature recipes. Compile a cookbook that includes everyone’s best recipes, and send copies to all of your family members. For an extra special touch, you can include photographs or stories from each family that relate to each recipe.

What are the Most Common Collation Styles for Printable Copier Tabs?

Printable copier tabs are an easy and effective way to create branded presentations, training manuals, and other company documents. There are many brands and styles of customizable index tabs on the market, allowing you to produce the perfect dividers for any project. Below we take a look at the three most common collation styles for printable copier tabs:

  1. Reverse Collated: Also called “single reverse collated” or “single reverse.” The tabs are collated in reverse order (i.e. 5-4-3-2-1). This style is most commonly used in copier models from the Xerox DocuTech family as well as machines from Kodak, Canon, IBM, Heidelberg, Océ, Ricoh, and many others.
  2. Straight Collated: Also called “single straight collated” or “single straight.” The tabs are collated in order (i.e. 1-2-3-4-5). These tabs are used in the Xerox DocuColor family as well as copier models by Savin, Toshiba, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, Gestetner, and Canon.
  3. Uncollated: The tabs are sorted in groups by tab (i.e. all 1, all 2, all 3, all 4, all 5). These are the most universal collation style as they can be used by any machine capable of printing index tabs.
Printable Copier Tabs

What are the Punch Patterns of the Most Common Binding Styles?

Each binding style has its own distinct hole pattern, which only works with the spines that correspond to that specific binding method. In this post, we’ll take a closer at each of the punch patterns to help you distinguish between each of the styles.


There are two separate punch patterns used for wire binding, 2:1 (two holes per inch) and 3:1 (three holes per inch). The 2:1 pattern uses slightly elongated, rectangular holes, and has a total of 21 holes per 11″ sheet. The 3:1 wire binding pattern uses square holes, and has a total of 32 holes per 11″ sheet. Unless your wire binding machine is dual-function or modular (which would allow you to change out your punching dies), it will only punch one of the two pitches. Being aware of which punch pattern your wire binder is capable of producing will ensure that you purchase the twin-loop binding wires that match.

Coil binding ultilizes only one punch pattern – a 4:1 (four holes per inch) pattern made up of 4mm circular holes. Standard plastic binding coils are available in 12″ lengths with a total of 48 loops, which allows you to create crimped ends when binding your 11″ document. Some coil binding machines also offer oval holes instead of circular holes, which makes the pages of the document turn more easily with less resistance from the coil itself. (Note: The 4:1 pitch pattern is the most common coil binding pattern in the United States and Europe, but other some other countries, including Canada, use a 5:1 pitch when binding with coils).

The comb binding pattern is made up of 19 rectangular holes per 11″ sheet. These rectangles correspond to the 19 prongs present on comb binding spines. Each rectangle measures 8mm x 3mm, which provides extra room to turn the pages when the binding comb is inserted.

VeloBind (also called hot knife binding or strip binding) has an 11-hole punch pattern that consists of 1/8″ circular holes, and is designed to work with 11-pin VeloBind strips.  There are also four- and six-pin styles, but those are far less common than the traditional 11-hole pattern. The four-pin VeloBind spines can be used in conjunction with the 11-hole punch pattern or the actual four-pin pattern, but the six-hole hot knife strip only works with a specific binding machine model from GBC (which has been discontinued).