MyBinding Knowledge Base
How to Bind Hard a PerfectBack Book with the Fastback 15xs?
Now you can make books that look just like paperbacks-where the front cover, spine, and back cover are all one piece. Perfectback strips let you create books with wraparound covers, so you can have graphics on both covers and the spine! You will need a scoring machine to crease your covers. The Fastback Scoring machine is definitely the easiest machine on the market for seeing and positioning exactly where your scores will be made. However, any scoring or creasing machine should work. Just be careful not to use a rotary scoring device on digitally printed output or you may end up with cracking along your fold lines.
Follow these steps to make a Perfectback book using your 15xs:
1. Assemble your document pages. Do not include a cover at this point. Jog the pages on the top of the binder or any flat surface to ensure they are straight and aligned. Now put your document in the Fastback binder, and slide it all the way to the right.
2. Be sure your pages are aligned, then press the green BIND button to clamp them.
3. Insert the correct width Perfectback(TM) LF, PS, or TA strip, glue side-up, into the binder.
4. When the clamps open, take your book out of the Fastback binder and put it in the cooling rack for a few minutes. HINT: Rest the book directly against the cooling rack, instead of against another book.
5. While your book is cooling, select your cover. Make sure it’s more than wide enough to wrap around your entire document pages.
6. Now you need to “score” your cover. Scoring creates a slight crease in the cover that helps the cover to bend. For best results, you should score the image-side of the cover in two places at the spine edges of your book, to allow the front cover to open more easily. Here’s how to do it:
a. Determine the width and proper location of the spine area of your cover. The width should be the same as your document thickness. The spine location should be centered around your spine title. This determines where your two scores should be made.
b. Make both scores in your cover. Check to be sure they are the same distance apart as your book thickness.
c. Gently fold your cover into a book form at these scores.
For Perfectback LF and PS binding only:
1. Pick up your document from the cooling rack. Peel off one section of release paper from the spine. This leaves a narrow adhesive band exposed. (If the release paper doesn’t come off easily, the glue may still be too warm. Place it back in the cooling rack for a few minutes, then try again.)
2. On a flat surface, put the document inside your cover, making sure the front cover corresponds with the front of your document.
3. Fold your front cover tightly over the book block. Starting from the middle, rub back and forth to secure the cover to the adhesive strip beneath it.
4. Flip the book over. Open the back cover and remove the remaining release paper.
For Perfectback TA binding only:
1. Pick up your document from the cooling rack. Peel off the release paper from the spine. Start from one side of the book, and then peel off the other side.
2. Position your document squarely inside the scored cover. Laser-printed copies and output from color printers can be damaged by the heat of a Perfectback bind. Some output from digital printers can withstand heat with the addition of a protective sheet. It is a good idea to test your cover first if you are going to be using a TA strip to make sure that you don’t have problems with your cover.
3. Place the whole cover/document assembly inside the binder and press the BIND button to close the book clamps.
4. Press and hold down the BIND button for two seconds to bind the cover to the Perfectback – TA document.
5. When the book clamps open, transfer the book to the cooling rack for a few minutes. It can help if you rest the book directly against the cooling rack instead of another book.
< Over the years, a number of customers have asked me whether they can use twin loop wire with their plastic comb binding machine. These customers often don’t want to have to buy a brand new machine but like the look and feel of twin loop wire binding. However, the answer to their question isn’t as simple as it seems. You see, they actually do make twin loop wire that is designed to work with the plastic comb binding hole pattern. With that said, if you want to use these wires you are going to need a way to close the wires. What is Spiral-O Wire? Let me explain a little bit more…There is a product that we carry called Spiral-O Wire. This wire has 19 loops and is designed to work with the hole pattern from a plastic comb binding machine. Spiral-O Wire is sometimes called Wire Combs or Ibico Wire and was originally designed for use with some of the older Ibico binding machines. A number of the older Ibico plastic comb binding machines also included a twin loop wire closer on the front of them to allow users to use both plastic combs and wire. This 19 loop wire was designed for this purpose. What Equipment is Needed? As the Ibico brand has been phased out by GBC and all of the older Ibico plastic binding machines have been replaced with new models, they no longer have the twin loop wire closer on the front of them. This presents a problem in trying to use these spiral-o wires since you can’t use the wires without a way to close them. One of the only options left is to purchase a Twin Loop wire closer. However, since twin loop wire closers are not incredibly cheap this option usually only appeals to users who have larger electric plastic comb binding machines. Otherwise, it is often advisable to simply buy a low end 3:1 pitch twin loop wire binding machine (the supplies are cheaper). This being said, if you have one of the older Ibico binding machines that has a wire closer included you are in luck. The Spiral-O binding supplies that we carry will work perfectly with your machine and you will be able to use both plastic combs and wire depending on your needs. These Spiral-O binding supplies are available in Black, Silver, White, Blue and Red and in sizes up to 1″ in diameter. If you aren’t sure what type of wire binding supplies that you need to work with your machine simply give us a call. Our trained sales representatives will be glad to help you find the correct supplies for use with your machine.(Read More)
