Best way to bind my book??? Please Help!?
Question by I Can’t Be Normal: Best way to bind my book??? Please Help!?
OK I’m trying to make and sell a type of book where the pages are laminated and are bound on a wire comb type spiral. I also want a thin cardboard type of front and back cover that is also punched to have the wire comb spiral through it. Is there a machine that I can have at home that can punch and bind the covers and pages? The book will only have 5-10 laminated pages and the front and back cover.
Also, what are those cardboard covers wrapped in? I mean, when I see notebooks or other books that have this cardboard type cover, they are wrapped in a big sticker type thing that is printed on. Can I print on those at home to have a cover for my book?
I know these are really ignorant and stupid sounding questions, but I don’t know the terms for any of this stuff or how they are used. Any help would be MUCH appreciated! I’m totally lost. lol
Best answer:
Answer by BOBO
I don’t know anything about book binding but you can watch these videos about book binding. That way you will probably find a way how to bind the book the way you want to. The link is – http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=book+binding+&aq=f
Hope I helped somehow. Good luck! 
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I would use plastic comb binding and laminated front covers, you can buy both a comb binder and laminator, they are not hugely expensive. If you use plastic instead of wire you can have nice colors, if you use a laminator you can print a cool design and have it look professional under a plastic laminate. Hope this helps.
Tip- if you use a laminator print on good quality paper.
I don’t know if you are in the USA but here’s an example of a plastic binder for $46
and a laminator like this one one Ebay
Here are some of the items you will need for your project:
http://theprintersshopper.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=68&cPath=2
http://theprintersshopper.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=750&cPath=2
http://theprintersshopper.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=955&cPath=2
http://theprintersshopper.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=95&cPath=9
http://theprintersshopper.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=755
I would recommend the plastic spirals over the wire ones – they are a little easier to use and won’t deform like wire ones. Also, you will need the crimping tool to cut the coil to size and to help keep the spiral on. The coils themselves are fairly cheap, and I only included the link for the lowest cost punch, but more expensive models with more features are available on the website as well.
Unless you will be marking the pages (like with a dry erase marker or china pencil) to erase and reuse, you might find that laminating the pages is more costly than it is worth. If you are looking for something that is more durable and “tear-proof”, look for poly paper (http://www.graytex.com/tearproof-paper.htm). This will be tough a durable and will reduce the amount of work you will need to do. Make sure to get a size and thickness that will work with the printer you intend to use.
As far as the covers, you won’t be able to go too thick with the stock, since you won’t be able to punch something very thick or very hard. As far as the printing, you might use full sheet label stock and print the desired image then apply it to the cover stock of your choice. Or you can print the image directly on a thicker weight of paper if your printer can handle that.
The laminating and binding itself is fairly easy, even with the lowest level equipment above. The covers will be more time consuming.
You should be able to find label stock, heavier weight paper and lamination pouches at any office supply store. You can also usually find plastic combs (instead of the coils) at an office supply store. I recommend looking for a paper wholesaler in your area that also deals with the public (one in my are is called Kelly Paper). They stock a wide range of paper and printer supplies and might even be able to suggest a few options for your covers as well as your inside pages. You will probably have to speical order the binding machine and possibly the laminator, although those are often available at office supply stores or hobby shops.
If you have any more questions about this project that maybe I didn’t cover, please e-mail me – I work in a print center and do projects like this quite often. I hope this information helped.