Coil Binding - Coil

Coil

One of the strengths of spiral coil binding is that the supplies are available in a variety of lengths. Most users purchase spiral coils in twelve inch lengths. This spine is inserted onto an eleven inch document and the excess length of coil is cut and crimped at each end of the book. However, the extrusion process for creating spiral coil binding elements allows them to be created in virtually any length. Many binderies and print shops choose to purchase coils in 36" lengths in order to have the flexibility to bind custom document sizes and to reduce waste. For binding documents shorter than eleven inches it is also possible to purchase shorter lengths of spiral coil in order to save time and money.

Spiral coil binding supplies are also available in a wide variety of colors. In fact there are more than sixty standard colors available for binding documents with spiral coil. This makes spiral coil binding an excellent choice for marketing agencies and design firms that want to match the spine of the document to a specific color palette. It is even possible to get a Pantone color match for organizations that want their spines to match the exact colors used in their printed materials.

Coil binding spines are normally measured in millimeters and not inches. Coils are available in sizes as small as 6mm (1/4") and as large as 56mm depending on the pitch of coil chosen. However it is important to note that binding thick documents using spiral coil can be difficult. When a large document is punched for coil binding the path through the holes will be straight. However, the coil binding spines are curved. This means that it is necessary to shape the spine of the document into a curve in order to allow the coil to travel smoothly through the holes. Special tools are generally used for this purpose.