Binder

[fattony]

I'm looking into getting a binder, I need to bind a few 10 page documents and wonder how the thermal binders actually work, do they need a glue or is it simply put the document in, it heats it up and viola?

 

[DesignerNick]

Whenever I have used a thermal one it needs glue on the spine

A pro would be able to confirm though I think!

 

[akirk]

you take your print outs - put them into a cover which has a spine of the correct width, and which has glue already in the spine...

the heat in the machine melts the glue in the spine of the cover and glues it all together...

doesn't work on just your printouts... you have to have the purchased cover...

Alasdair

 

[WirralPrinters]

I'm looking into getting a binder, I need to bind a few 10 page documents and wonder how the thermal binders actually work, do they need a glue or is it simply put the document in, it heats it up and viola?

For such a low qty, I would probably glue (padding glue) the header edge and wrap some binding tape across it same as NCR Pads are usually bound).

Or plastic bind ? (plastic ring binders).

 

[fattony]

hmmm where would I buy the padding glue and tape from?

Considering sending the document as a promotional tool so it needs to look professional, plastic binding machine is more then I want to pay, and a thermal one could work out expensive if I have to buy cover sheets each time, I'll have a look on staples

 

[WirralPrinters]

hmmm where would I buy the padding glue and tape from?

Considering sending the document as a promotional tool so it needs to look professional, plastic binding machine is more then I want to pay, and a thermal one could work out expensive if I have to buy cover sheets each time, I'll have a look on staples

After considering your requirements, I would do the following:-

Produce your A4 finished size document as a flat size A3 and wire stitched.

This means, producing A3 pages (3 double sided A3 sheet pages, producing a 12 page A4 document), folding in half to A4 and stapling/stitching down the middle/center.

Essentially a folded brochure from A3 down to A4 and wire stitched.

 

[fattony]

been tempted with a A3 printer but now considering making the document A5 so I could print on A4, I could just staple these documents together? and maybe get a decent front cover made?

 

[WirralPrinters]

been tempted with a A3 printer but now considering making the document A5 so I could print on A4, I could just staple these documents together? and maybe get a decent front cover made?

You could use my example and use an A4 printer folded to A5 and stapled down the center.

You could also staple on the edge and produce A4?

 

[fattony]

Yes I will thanks, Im going to aim for A5 as I think it will be better but may have to go A4 if it turns into to many pages.

This leads me into a couple of other questions:

Creating the booklet:

I know if I change Margins and edit Multiple Pages to Book Fold this should rotate the page to Landscape and sets the page up for a booklet but I'm not convinced lol - The page seems to remain portrait

Could I just create a new page rotate it to landscape and split this into 2 columns (front and back page)

Also how would I set this up to print both sides?

Thanks

 

[WirralPrinters]

If you prefer not to use your printers software or the design package software for laying out your booklet, then you could try this....

Say you are now having a 12 page finished size A5 booklet.

This would be 3 A4 sheets of paper printed duplex (double-sided), and finally folded in half to give you your 12pp A5 booklet.

You could create 6 A4 pages in your design application.

Design one page on the left of this and one on the right of the A4 page - giving you 2 A5 pages on your A4 flat page.

If you need to work out which A5 page goes onto which side of your A4 sheet, then take 3 sheets of A4 paper, fold in half to make a blank 12pp booklet, now write the page numbers on each side of paper, open up your sheets and you will have the correct page numbering order.

Not all printers can duplex, you may have print simplex and then put back through to print the side.

If you can duplex, it would be page 1-2, 3-4 and 5-6.

Hope I have not made this sound too complicated

It isn't really.

 

[fattony]

No thats perfect, I'm pulling my hair out with the margins though!

Am I right in saying I need 3 columns the middle one is basically to allow for the fold.

What would be a good measure for the margins? Ive printed one page about a dozen times and cant get the text to look center once folder

 

[WirralPrinters]

No thats perfect, I'm pulling my hair out with the margins though!

Am I right in saying I need 3 columns the middle one is basically to allow for the fold.

What would be a good measure for the margins? Ive printed one page about a dozen times and cant get the text to look center once folder

Hi,

If you have 10mm margins all around your A4 sheet, then you will also need a 20mm gutter down the centre of your A4 page.

That should balance the margins out perfectly when folded and giving you 10mm all around your finished size A5 page.

 

[fattony]

please excuse my ignorance here I thought I was IT literate, apparently not!

So I have Page set to Landscape

3 Columns - Front page, Back Page and 'Gutter' in the middle

Margins
Top, Left, Bottom, Right set to 1cm
Gutter set to 0cm as I seem to only be able to have this positioned left or top

Columns:
Column 1 - width 11.35cm spacing 1.25cm
Column 2 - width 2.5cm spacing 1.25cm
Column 3 - width 11.35cm

it doesnt print out as I think it should, ie left page on left side and right side on right with space down the middle?

 

[Billmccallum]

Getting back to your original question, if you go with A4 and have it bound it would probably look better.

If you're close to a university, call into the students union and they will usually have a thermal or Wire binding machine and do 10 bound copies for a good price.

 

[WirralPrinters]

please excuse my ignorance here I thought I was IT literate, apparently not!

So I have Page set to Landscape

3 Columns - Front page, Back Page and 'Gutter' in the middle

Margins
Top, Left, Bottom, Right set to 1cm
Gutter set to 0cm as I seem to only be able to have this positioned left or top

Columns:
Column 1 - width 11.35cm spacing 1.25cm
Column 2 - width 2.5cm spacing 1.25cm
Column 3 - width 11.35cm

it doesnt print out as I think it should, ie left page on left side and right side on right with space down the middle?

It will be easier for me to make you a template.

What software are you using to set this in?

I would only have 2 columns by the way.

Even if you have set to no columns (or 1 by default) and then just have a container for each page (one on the left and one on the right).

I can get you a free layout for any Adobe software, MS Word or MS Publisher.

 

[fattony]

That would be great, I'm using word 2010 shall I pm you my email address

 

[WirralPrinters]

That would be great, I'm using word 2010 shall I pm you my email address

Hey,

I sent you a PM very early this morning regarding this, in the hope you would reply whilst I was at work (day job).

I do not have Word 2010 (or any MS design software) installed on my home laptop only Adobe software.

However, if you need this doing over the weekend and can provide either a Hi-Res JPEG or PDF of your current work, I will be able to supply you with print-ready PDFs so that you can print over the weekend.

Free

Cheers,
Mark.