MyBinding Knowledge Base
Why should I choose Fastback Binding?
There are many binding choices on the market today, and all of them have their strengths depending upon your needs. Fastback is one of the more unique products available today and has some definite advantages over traditional punch and bind methods such as plastic combs, coils, wire and so on. Here are five of the greatest advantages of Fastback:It is different: Fastback from Powis Parker is very unique. You will not find a binding system that can match its appearance, ability and versatility. A Fastback bound book has a sleek and slim finish then is ideal for mailing, storage on a shelf or stacking. Traditional punch and bind options do not stand up well to mailing, give you little or no shelf recognition and do not stack flat on a surface. Fastback offers a professional and unique appearance that is sure to stand out from other binding styles.Fastback is fast: The name says it all. The Model 15xsCP from Powis Parker has a 17 second binding cycle. No other table top binding system can assemble a book that fast. Simply put your loose document in the binder, press the button and insert the strip. Once the book is bound, you place it in the cooling rack and you are ready to move on to another book. Traditional punch and bind systems require you to punch the document, which may be several steps depending upon how thick your document is, then apply the binding element. The binding time is at least twice as fast and the time savings is even greater for thicker books.
It is Green: Powis Parker is a very green company. From day one, Kevin Powis Parker, the founder of Powis Parker, made a commitment to the environment. Unlike most plastic binding elements that are produced overseas with little or no 
It is easy to use: Anyone can walk up to a Fastback binder and begin binding books with little or no training. The 15 has easy to follow instructions on the machine. You simply assemble your document, insert it into the machine, press the button and insert the strip. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
It is versatile: With Fasback you can do tape binding, perfect binding and can even bind documents with hard covers and can create photobooks. Binding strips are available in a huge variety of colors and you can even print a custom title on the strip using the Powis Parker spine printer. The possibilities are nearly endless and no other binding system is capable of so many different types of binding.
< 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)
