MyBinding Knowledge Base
What is the difference between different laminate thicknesses?
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1.5 and 3 mil. These are the thinnest films and they’ll provide your documents with a flexible coating. They’ll be protected from a number of things including spills and rips. Most of the school laminators on the market are compatible with 3 mil film so you can use it for banners and artwork. Also, pouches that are 1.5 and 3 mil thick are usually quite inexpensive, so they’re good for big jobs.
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5 mil. These are the middle-of-the-road pouches. They offer a great deal of protection and will make your documents somewhat rigid. It will be be difficult to fold or crumple your materials and they’ll be more or less waterproof. These pouches are good for a variety of materials including signs, certificates, and so on.
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7 and 10 mil. If you documents need heavy-duty protection, then you should use pouches that are either 7 or 10 mil thick. Documents laminated with these supplies are almost indestructible and will be able to withstand heavy handling. Often, these films will protect your materials from UV rays so they’re great for items that will be used or displayed outdoors. These supplies are also great for ID cards and security badges.
< 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)
