What's So Great About Coil Binding Anyways?

What's So Great About Coil Binding Anyways?


Coil binding, also known as spiral binding, is one of the most common binding options available. Its versatility and ease of use make it a popular choice for all sized businesses. The durability of the coil means that your document will wear out before the spine does. And the low cost keeps production moving at a steady rate.

Go anywhere and you’ll eventually see the iconic shape of a coil bound document.

Not all documents are suited for coil binding, however. Depending on your needs, coil binding could be more detrimental than beneficial. Here are a few things to think about when you get ready to bind.


A document being coil bound by the Akiles CoilMac EPI+ Coil Binder
Coil Binding is a popular binding method. The durability, ease of use and affordability makes coil binding great for almost all projects. The Akiles CoilBind EPI+ pictured here.


Advantages

The biggest advantage to coil binding is the ability to open pages all the way around the spine. Unlike all other binding options, only coil binding allows for pages to be seen from a complete 360 view. This ensures that no information gets lost within the centerfold and double-sided prints benefit greatly. Information can also span across two pages with a seamless transition.

The coil also allows for documents to lay completely flat when open. Walking away with an open coil won’t have you coming back to a closed document. If you will be writing on your document, coil binding also comes without the hassle of pushing on the spine to flatten, potentially damaging your document. Even if you do press down on the coil while writing, the flexibility of the plastic bounces back into shape.

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Coils are also available in a wide variety of options. MyBinding alone offers over 45 different colors to choose from. Coils range from 6mm to 50mm in size, or 30 pages to 440 pages thick. If you have smaller document sizes than the standard coil, cutting the coil will not damage the overall integrity. The customizations offered by coil binding is hard to match when compared to other traditional binding options.


A coil crimper and collection of coil binding.
Cutting coil binding does not damage the integrity of the coil. Get the perfect length coil for any sized project.


Cost and ease of use are more benefits to coil binding. When it comes to binding a document with coil, it is by far the easiest solution available. Coil binding can be hand-threaded without the use of a machine simply by twisting the coil into place. For short run document production, this helps cut down on the cost of another machine. The longevity of the plastic coil allows it to be reused as often as needed, and the plastic material keeps prices low.

When you see all the benefits of using coil binding, it becomes clear why it’s a such a popular binding method.


Disadvantages

The biggest disadvantage to coil binding lies in its appearance. The general shape and material of a coil is not always ideal in a business setting. The coil can draw attention away from the document as it stands apart from the document. Additionally, plastic is often frowned upon because of the texture of the material.

A coil bound monthly report by a company called Tech Performance
Coil binding is sometimes considered less professional compared to other binding options.

Stacking documents with coil binding can also create problems. If you were to stack your documents on top of each other with coils directly on top of each other, the pile will eventually start to stagger. The only way to stack coil bound documents is to have the coils alternating per side. Doesn’t make for the cleanest, or easiest, stack to access.

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Coils are rarely the exact size of the punched hole. This helps making binding it easier, and the general turning the paper easier. However, this also means the paper has room to move. Pages may not perfectly align to each other and shift around when the document gets jostled. This isn’t ideal when you’re trying to make a display of ‘perfectionism’.

Crimping the coil curls the final coil into the coil before it, creating an end to the coil. If the coil hasn’t been properly crimped the document can unravel. Coil binding is the only binding option that has a chance to fall apart if turned too many times.

Plastic is not the most temperature friendly. If put under enough extreme heat, your coil could easily melt. Alternatively, if put under enough extreme cold, the plastic becomes fragile and break with one good hit. If you know your document could experience such extremes, it might be better to go with another binding option.

The slogan is “When Image Matters” and coil binding may get a little heat. While coils are fun to look at and play with, sometimes business needs to be serious.


So, should you spiral bind your document?

Coil binding is a popular option in the wide world of binding. Like all binding methods, it comes with its advantages and disadvantages.

The real question should be: “What is your document being used for?”

The advantages of having your document lay completely flat and open make it ideal for notetaking or quick references. The variety of colors also allows you to have fun with the customizable options. And if you only need to bind a few documents, coil will do short work without the cost of investing in a larger machine.

However, if you’re going into a strict, corporate setting, coil could subtract from the image you’re trying to make. The feel of the plastic isn’t as luxurious and the jutting out of the coil makes it stand apart from the bound document. If your crimped ends weren’t crimped just right, your document could just fall apart while presenting.


A calendar waiting to be bound by coil binding.
Calendars are commonly bound with coil binding.


This question can only be answered by yourself and your goals. Hopefully this has helped you decide on if coil binding is the right binding method for you or not.


Common Uses

Coil binding can often be found on documents that are being constantly referenced, such as cookbooks or company policies. The ability to have your document lay completely flat and fold upon itself is perfect when you don’t have that much space.

Coil binding is also commonly found on documents that will see heavy use to write on or will need edits made. It would be a great option for first drafts as it would allow for everything to be seen, and you can reuse the coil after it’s been used.

Calendars also commonly use coils. The color variety makes for some fun combinations that calendar companies fully utilize to their advantage.




If you have any additional questions, please reach out to [email protected], or call us at 1-800-944-4573.

Thank you for choosing MyBinding.com, When Image Matters

Infograph on the pros vs cons of using coil binding