Guide to Binding Equipment and Supplies

Binding equipment is typically easy to use and a useful investment for anyone who needs to put together professional documentation or publications. With a process as simple as hole punching, you'll be able to put together an attractive document that's manageable and easy to read.

Binding equipment varies by type of binding material, ranging from plastic combs to spiral wire to book tape. The price of binding equipment varies, as well as the price of the bindery supplies you use with the equipment, but the result for all of them is a functional professional document.

When shopping for bindery equipment and supplies, consider:

1. Comparing the features of different types of binding equipment.
2. Looking for hole punching options like plastic comb and spiral wire binding.
3. Looking for book binding options like tape and glue.
4. Browsing some multipurpose binding equipment if you need more than one type of binding machine.
5. Shopping for binding supplies to use with your new equipment.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Compare features on different types of bindery equipment

Binding equipment is available in different types, and each type includes different features, such as number and size of holes punched, durability of binding material and size of document.

I recommend: Compare the specifications of different types of binding equipment before you shop for any one type of binding machine.

Browse binding equipment that punches holes to bind

Hole punching equipment is the most typical kind of binding equipment, and includes plastic combs, wires and spiral binding. This type of binding equipment will punch the holes in your paper and bind the document.

I recommend: Plastic comb binding is common and easy to use, and can use plastic combs to hold together large numbers of pages. Coil binding is a type of binding with spiral plastic coils holding the pages of your document together. Coil binding gives a professional look and may be more durable than plastic combs. Wire binding is another good option for binding equipment, which is even more durable than the plastic materials.

Look for binding equipment with no holes required

Some binding equipment doesn't require hole punching at all, but instead utilizes book binding glue and tape to bind your documents the same way published books are bound.

I recommend: Check out both tape binding and glue binding, also called thermal binding. Tape binding equipment can be pricier than hole punching bindery equipment, but taping is the best option for collecting and binding large documents, and taped binding can be easily repaired if it wears down over time.

Check out multipurpose bindery equipment for more options

Get your money's worth out of binding equipment by looking for multipurpose options or machines with interchangeable punches that will enable you to use differing kinds of binding.

I recommend: Multipurpose or combination binding equipment is an economical option if you want to use several different types of binding but don't want to purchase multiple machines. Combination binding equipment usually features a standard hole punch as well as one or two different punches for coil or comb binding.

Find the bindery supplies you'll need to complete the project

New machines typically come with limited supplies, but make sure you have a good source for ordering refills and backup supplies, or for a wider range of bindery supplies.

I recommend: Bindery supplies are typically available from any company that manufactures binding equipment. Binding equipment and supplies can sometimes be bundled, or you can pick out variety packs with different color combs, coils and tape or heavy duty materials.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Before you buy your own bindery equipment, try renting equipment or using binding equipment at a company such as Kinko's, where you can familiarize yourself with expensive equipment before you buy and better know which machine will suit your needs.

The official source of Binding Equipment and Supplies is
the Binding Equipment and Supplies page at Business.com