FAQ

Coil Binding as a method is gaining in popularity. Also referred to as Spiral Binding, it consists of a flexible coil that withstands impact and tough handling. If compressed, the coil bounces back to regain its shape. Coil is offered in a wide variety of colours. Books lie flat for easy reading, and pages can be turned onto the back cover for reading the book in its most compact format. In other words, you can turn pages 360° around the coil. Coil-bound documents may be bound up to 50 mm thickness. Coil is inserted (twisted) through the holes manually, or electrically with a coil inserter. Coil crimpers allow you to cut and crimp the ends of the coil, holding the pages and covers in place. Coil binding is a great solution for odd size documents. Coil bindings are available in a length to bind A4 or shorter documents. Coil is generally available in 4:1 pitch (4 holes per inch), although a 5:1 (5 holes per inch) pitch also exists. Note that the 4:1 & 5:1 coils are not interchangeable, they require punching machines with a pattern to suit their respective pitch. Coil binding machines are available with manual or electric punching and some feature electric coil inserting.

Plastic Comb Binding has been invented in Paris in 1933 and still today is one of the most popular binding methods. There are two key advantages with comb binding: The pages lie flat for easy reading, and the comb can be reopened and closed for easy updating of pages.

So, if you discover a typo, or the contents of a particular page have changed, you simply open the comb, swap the sheet, close the comb, and you are done! The same comb can be reused.

You can bind documents up to 50 mm in thickness, that is 500 sheets - or 1000 pages! Plastic comb bindings come in a variety of colours and are extremely cost effective. The standard length of a comb is 21 rings for binding A4 in portrait - or A3 in landscape. Comb binding machines are available with manual or electric punching. Binding operation is manual with all of them.

Wire Binding arguably delivers the most hi-tech looking results in binding a document. The supplies are referred to as Double Wire Combs and are also known as Double Loop Wire Bindings, Twin Loop, Wire-O or Ring-Wire. The pages in wire bound books open 360 degrees and lie flat, since the wire loops encircle the pages. This makes it a great choice for instruction manuals of a larger volume. Wire bound reports, once bound, cannot be edited easily and the binding wire cannot be reused.

Double Wire Combs are offered in a variety of colours and sizes. There are 2 different hole patterns with Double Wire Combs. The standard and most popular Wire Binding Machines punch 34 holes (3:1 pitch) that allows you to bind from 6 to 14 mm. Traditionally 2:1 wire bindings have come in sizes from 16 to 32 mm. At Pfeiffer we also cover 6 mm through 14 mm wire bindings in the 2:1 pattern. Wire binding machines that punch 23 holes (2:1) now allow you to bind 6 mm to 32 mm in thickness. Standard double wire combs are 34 (3:1) or 23 (2:1) loops for binding A4 in portrait orientation, or A3 in landscape. A5 combs are also available, in 24 loops (3:1) and 16 loops (2:1) respectively.

Wire binding machines are available with manual or electric punching.