Binding Machines Buying Guide

A comb binding machine uses plastic combs to bind the document. These binding combs allow the pages to lie flat and fold back on itself. A document made with a plastic comb binding machine can be edited by opening the comb and adding or removing pages. A comb binding machine is an economical method to do document or book binding. Plastic comb binding machine is widely used by schools, businesses and are easy for home use.

You have the option to purchase a machine with an electric or manual punch. Manual punches are usually used for small to medium volume jobs and the electric punches are usually used for medium to high volume jobs. It all depends on how much work you want to do.

The main features for plastic comb binding machine are :

• Plastic comb binding machines punch 19 holes along the 11 inch side of a paper.
• Plastic combs allow document pages to lie flat and turn easily, so you can photocopy pages and make notes in the margin.
• Plastic combs allow for easy adding and deleting of pages.
• Depending on the machine, punching capacity ranges between 5 and 22 sheets at a time.
• A larger punching capacity speeds up the binding process. Maximum binding capacity ranges from 25 pages with ¼” combs to 425 pages with 2″ combs. A built–in comb size selector measures document thickness to determine the appropriate comb size.
• Use the margin guide to align flush cut and oversize covers when punching.
• Plastic combs are designed to resist scratches and discoloration.
• Most machines easily fit on a desktop.

The steps involved in plastic comb binding are :

1. Punch your paper. Remember to only punch as many sheets as your machine is rated to handle.
2. Place your comb on the comb spreader. If your machine has a comb spreader adjusting knob, adjust to the diameter of the comb being used. Push or pull your spreader handle to open the comb.
3. Lay your pages on the comb so that the rings feed into the punched holes.
4. Pull or push your spreader handle so that comb closes.