As we go through our daily lives, whether in school or office settings, we must constantly sit through presentations, lectures, meetings, and more that require note-taking. While you can always take them on a computer, there are strong reasons to take notes by hand: to avoid distraction, better memory retention, higher quality notes, and to take pleasure in your craft!
Various binding types are available, and the spiral binding is one of the most well-known. It is durable, opens a full 360 degrees, has no spine tension, and lays flat on a table, making it practical and ideal for note-taking. Let's take an in-depth look into spiral bound books.
Spiral Binding vs Wire-O Binding
While there are similarities between wire-o and spiral-bound books, they aren’t the same. You typically use spiral binding for projects such as journals, handbooks, guides, manuals, catalogs, reports, and workbooks used daily. Bookbinders bind the pages together with a plastic coil inserted into a hole along the paper page's edge, making it more durable. It also allows the pages to turn 360 degrees without damaging the strength of the binding or edges of the paper. It is effective for documents between 1 to 300 pages and comes in various colors. However, it looks less professional than wire-o binding. People prefer them in the following settings:
Workplace training and education
Schools and colleges
Public administration
Hospitals and health clinics
Marketing
Wire-o binding, on the other hand, is a more organized, formal, and professional presentation of information. You mainly use it for business reports, cookbooks, directories, fine art photography, and documents. The pages are bound together by punching holes into a sheet, which bookbinder lace with a wire comb. It comes in two types:
Wire comb binding
Double loop wire binding
They have less page count limit and are more malleable than spiral-bound books but are capable of 360-degree page rotation. Opt for wire binding if your project is for formal use, but we recommend spiral-bound books for everyday use. Spiral binding is also the cheaper binding method.
Standard vs. Custom Spiral Bound Books
Popular dimensions for standard spiral-bound books follow standard sizes of other books/printing: 8.5×11”, 8.5×5.5”, and 6×9”. The stock coil option is black because it is simple and professional. However, you can customize it to your needs. You can use oversized spiral-bound books or mini spiral-bound books based on the dimensions and orientation you want: portrait spiral or landscape spiral. Opt for any color that matches your brand (and colored coils). You can also go for color pily covers, vinyl backing, or pocket covers.
Can You DIY Spiral Bound Books?
The equipment needed to make spiral-bound books are:
Handheld coil crimper
Spiral binding hole punching machine
Stack of prints or paper
Spiral binding coil (preferably plastic coil instead of metal)
Start by gathering your stack of paper with your cardstock or clear covers on the front and back, then punch holes into the pile to thread the plastic coil through the book. Leave a quarter inch on the bottom and top of the book. Crimp the ends using the handheld coil crimp by squeezing and twisting the tool to keep the coil from unbinding the book, and you’ve done it. While you can do it yourself, getting it printed and bound online can save time and access to higher quality without requiring any investment in equipment.
Endnote
You can learn how to spiral bind a book at home, but the technique requires meticulousness and skills, and a simple mistake can ruin the whole thing. Instead, take it easy and opt for the easier decision of ordering it online and getting it delivered to you! Spiral binding is more economical than other binding types and is ideal for note-taking and other projects that require daily use.