MyBinding Knowledge Base
Your Binding Machine: What You Can Bind With It
You finally did it: you bought binding machine you’ve been wanting for quite a while. Hopefully you’re pleased with your purchase and are looking forward to putting it to use. But that begs the question: what should you bind with your new binding machine? The good news is that there are so many different things you can put together with your new device. Here are a few ideas to help you get started….
1.) Professional documents. Your binding machine offers you an excellent way to put together your documents for work. You can bind any number of professional documents including reports, proposals, prospectuses, and so on. Clients are always impressed by something that looks professional and that may even win you points with your boss.
2.) School assignments. If you or someone you know is in school – be it junior high or even a graduate program – binding assignments is sometimes just what you need to do to get that A. It doesn’t matter if you need to hand in a lab report, writing assignment, or term paper. Binding your work can be a great way to get your teacher or professor to notice your work.
3.) Memory books. If you want to create a special gift or just a keepsake for yourself, you can make a memory book or photo album with your binding machine. These are great projects to commemorate an anniversary, graduation, or birthday, as well as preserve the special memories of a vacation or favorite pet. If you’re a professional or amateur photographer, you could also create a photo book to show off your best shots.
4.) Scrapbooks and journals. Journaling and scrapbooking are two very popular hobbies. If you get some fancy, acid-free paper, you can make your own scrapbooks and journals either to keep for yourself or to give away as gifts. Since these are both highly personal activities, you’ll be able to personalize the books to your heart’s content which can be creatively fulfilling.
5.) Self-published works. Creative writing is fun and it can be lucrative if you get lucky. If you’ve written a novel, memoir, book of short stories, or a collection of poetry, you can self-publish them with your binding machine. If you happen to have a thermal device, you can even produce a hardcover document which can be a lot of fun and impress everyone.
6.) Portfolios. Being a graphic artist or any other creative type is a great profession. When it comes time to present a portfolio of your work to someone important (such as a potential employer or a gallery owner), why not bind it with your device? It will look really professional and you can take pride in your work.
These are just a handful of the things you can put together with your binding machine. From school assignment to portfolios, professional documents to journals, you can bind just about anything you want or need. Have fun with your binding machine as you find out for yourself what you can create.
< 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)
