Loose Leaf

Bound for Success – Loose Leaf Keeps Up with the Digital Age

March 19, 2018

by Brittany Willes, editor, PostPress

Print is dead. Or so many believed during years of market recession and with the rising prominence of digital files. Against all predictions, the print industry has experienced a remarkable renaissance in the past few years. Recent studies have shown that consumers are experiencing digital overload. As a result, print and digital files have been making strides to coexist in an ever-evolving marketplace. Traditional print products, such as loose leaf binders, have experienced their own renaissance. Loose leaf binder manufacturers are finding new and unique uses for binders, offering greater numbers of styles and enhancements and embracing consumer demands for more environmentally friendly products.

Loose leaf binders have long been a popular choice as a sleek and professional option for displaying information. Different styles and sizes combine to create a unique look and feel for a given project. Smaller binders (1/2 sheet size) are portable, neat and great for presenting information quickly and easily. More visual content – such as photographs – can be shown off using landscape binders, while portfolio binders – generally used to combine product samples and literature – act as a kit or box display. Whatever the style or size, binders represent an attractive and cost-effective way of showcasing important projects.

Not all binders are created equal, however. As with anything else, binders have their points of weakness that must be taken into account. Corporate Image, a Des Moines, Iowa-based binder manufacturer, is well versed in the challenges in designing products that can stand the test of time. For instance, one of the most common points of failure occurs at the hinge. Vice President Michael James stated, “Most binders use lightweight vinyl as the cover material. Over time, the vinyl becomes stiff and brittle.” This leads to cracked hinges that are destined to fail with time.

To overcome this, manufacturers are developing new styles featuring stronger, longer-lasting hinges. Corporate Image has incorporated into its designs a flexhinge spine, where the hinge is created by scoring through one piece of the binder’s board. “This offers an extremely durable hinge that will last for years,” said James. “The hinges are lab tested and proven to open and close over 250,000 times without failure.”

The flexhinge spine is available rounded or square, offering customers greater opportunity for customized products. As James noted, “The rounded spine has an interesting architectural look that sets it apart visually. The square spine is perfect when visual information needs to be presented clearly.”

Ring size also can be a challenge for designers who think outside of the box, but there are unique solutions to such a problem. James explained that almost all ring systems are sized according to standard paper sizes. This poses a problem when it comes to incorporating unique paper and binder sizes. If the paper size is larger than normal, binders can be made to accommodate that size by choosing a ring that does not have boosters, which would normally interfere with the larger sheet. On the other hand, if the paper is smaller than normal, it may be a challenge to find a ring that will accommodate the smaller sheet size.

In addition to designing longer-lasting products, manufacturers have begun finding new and unique uses for binders. For Corporate Image, this has included using three-, four- and five-panel ringless binders to showcase samples such as flooring, wallcoverings, tile, wood and more. Meanwhile, smaller binders are being used to great success for promoting the capabilities of businesses such as law firms and financial planning companies.

The move from straightforward business presentation materials to sample promotions has been a strategic one, as binders become less of a document storage medium and more of an interactive showpiece. According to Dominic Zaidan, director of art and marketing at Vulcan Information Packaging, “With the increased use of digital documents as opposed to printed sheets, loose leaf manufacturers have had to shift their focus to either more packaging products or introduce market ring binder usage into the sample pages segment of the industry.”

For manufacturers like Vulcan, expanding more into packaging has meant broadened manufacturing capabilities and more services offered to its customers, including the ability to convert printed sheets into custom rigid boxes and other presentation products. “Our print partners can sell binder and packaging related products, send us the printed sheets and we can do the converting,” stated Zaidan.

Additionally, Vulcan now is able to produce true prototypes as close to the final products as possible, and theyre able to do so at a much faster rate. “With our UV digital press, automated cutting table and experienced sample makers,” said Zaidan, “we can produce production quality prototypes in as little as 24 hours.”

Zaidan noted that even as manufacturers like Vulcan expand into other markets, loose leaf binders will always have a place in the industry. “Showrooms that offer products such as cloth samples, wallpaper, tile and flooring, wood finishes, surface and countertops will likely always want to have some type of ring binder for presentation purposes,” he said.

Binders will continue to offer attractive and convenient methods for displaying product samples for customers to flip through and see all the available selections. “When used creatively as a sample holder, binders are a valuable solution for stores, marketing groups and sales people to show their samples,” Zaidan affirmed.

Expanding manufacturing capabilities is not the only way in which binder manufacturers have evolved. Consumers today are more environmentally conscious than ever. As such, they are looking for more eco-friendly products. Manufacturers like Corporate Image are more than willing to accommodate these needs.

Corporate Image offers some of the most durable, eco-friendly and designable binders on the market, remarked James. Unlike eco-friendly styles of the past, customers today are not limited in their design options. Corporate Image binder covers and liners are offset printed and offered in up to six colors. “Each binder is made with 100 percent recycled board,” he continued. “Additionally, every binder can be Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, indicating that it has been made from materials that meet certified forestry management practices.” For the “green” consumer, FSC certification is an important design component.

For example, Corporate Image created an environmental binder for a hospice center that featured printing and debossing. “The goal was to create a durable binder that looked recyclable and also was compatible with patients who had chemical sensitivity,” explained James. “To that end, we chose Kraft endleaf paper for the cover material due to its high recycled content, which gave the binder the recycled look the customer wanted.” The binder was printed with special-mix colors to match Pantone colors closely on the brown board stock, and the customer’s logo was blind debossed on the front and back covers. “The combination of the unique materials and finishing techniques created a truly stunning binder,” said James.

Incorporating more specialty finishing techniques, along with finding greater uses, will ensure binders continue to thrive in a digital world. As Zaidan explained, “Using binders as sample holders is a growth area that will keep our product relevant. As long as a company wants to present a ‘touch and feel’ of their samples, binders will remain relevant. In many instances, companies have tried a digital catalog only to realize they are missing the personal show-and-tell perspective of fabrics, furniture and construction materials present in a ring binder. The loose leaf binder market is still very strong and still in demand.”

Loose Leaf Stays Relevant

June 14, 2017

by Melissa Larson, contributing writer, PostPress

Custom-shaped telescoping box designed for a unique promotional job. Created by Trends Presentation Products.

As recently as the ’90s, most of the collective knowledge of American companies – not to mention procedures, records, presentations and the like – were kept in stacks of three-ring binders. Today, with so much of that content residing on PCs, in data centers and cloud storage, there is a steadily shrinking market for printed binders.

Still, today’s custom binders are able to create an effective tool for business-to-business or business-to-consumer marketing. Digital printing and finishing techniques, low minimum orders, fast turnaround and a custom look with unique decoration mean that marketers can get exactly what they want, and get it fast. That goes for not only binders, but sales kits, tote boxes, packaging, etc.

Savvy corporations also know there are instances – for example, when handling legal and financial documents – where storing information electronically can introduce the possibility of the sensitive information being compromised.

Also, a printed document can sometimes be more easily shared if marketers wish to disseminate information to a large group of people at the same time. And custom binders and other information kits are the perfect takeaway from a meeting or presentation.

So how can custom loose leaf manufacturers fight off obsolescence and make the most of their capabilities and the advantages of a printed binder?

Consolidation: a fact of life

Cadillac Presentation Solutions created this e-flute box, which holds badges and lanyards framed by water-jet foam with a pocket for cards and a hub to hold a DVD.As the commodity loose leaf houses consolidate or close, the leaders seem to be those companies that embraced new technology early and quickly expanded their product offerings.

“The best outcome of change is that slowly the generic commodity and stagnant manufacturers have stepped aside, allowing the vibrant and viable producers to spread their wings,” said Kurt Streng, president, Cadillac Looseleaf Products, Troy, Michigan.

Cadillac is an established supplier of digital and wide format printing, as well as CAD cutting for prototype and short-run production. Cadillac also offers custom fabric and textile swatching, which utilizes the company’s bindery resources, as most swatch boards are packaged in a binder or box.

“There has been a lot of consolidation in the industry over the last few years and it’s still happening now,” commented David Inman, sales and marketing manager, Trends Presentation Products, Washington, Missouri. “Through all the changes going on out there, we have remained a strong supplier of turned-edge products.”

“Turned-edge” is the term used to describe premium or high-quality book binding. It also can be used to describe products on which cover materials are wrapped and turned around the board edge, producing a smooth, finished look.

Trends Presentation Products was also one of the first to enter the digital market. According to Inman, the company purchased its first Xeikon digital press in 1999. The company has since upgraded and replaced its digital press three separate times. This not only has provided the wide format printing needed for the larger capacity ring binders and packaging items, but it also made them competitive for smaller custom orders.

“Of course, we also have had to adapt over the years,” Inman continued. “We are running leaner than ever before, but we have been very fortunate to sustain good business through it all. We may be a little more selective on what types of projects we take on, but for the most part we haven’t had to change much.”

Custom finishing techniques

A seminar in a box was produced by Cadillac Presentation Solutions incorporating a magnetic closure, a bolted-in handle and custom-cut, high-density foam to secure the contents.

As the photos throughout this piece make clear, the custom binders available today bear little resemblance to the primary color, vinyl-over-chipboard binders common in the past. Instead, they sport custom materials, full-bleed photography, foil highlights, custom hinging and other postpress techniques.

For those customers who may not know exactly what they want, competent binder/loose leaf manufacturers can offer design help and recommendations to make the piece truly unique – whether that includes graphics recommendations, a variety of paper types and weights, complementary hardware options, or whether to include pockets.

While suppliers acknowledge the overall binder pie is shrinking, they emphasize they are surviving by delivering a high-quality product, in smaller quantities, to meet tight deadlines. To do that, they’re using digital printing, turned-edge construction and up-to-date finishing techniques.

“Our ability to diecut, screen print, foil stamp and deboss items in-house also provides our customers a convenient opportunity to create that unique item they are looking for,” said Inman. “We also can print and laminate wide format digitally. This becomes important when producing the larger digital turned-edge tote boxes, ring binders, sales kits and promotional boxes. All these items have become a big part of our business. It’s all about customization and unique decoration now.”

“Digital printing and finishing has complemented our growth and helped us run traditional finishing at the speed of digital,” said Streng. “As quantities are getting lower, and budgets bigger, we can deliver precisely the product the customer wants to represent their brand.”

Speed of turnaround

Loose leaf manufacturers that have invested in digital printing and new finishing technologies can offer customers a big advantage: speed. For instance, the Trends website offers digitally printed Fast Impression binders with 4-color process on the company’s Xeikon printer for a price the company says is half the cost of offset printing – and shipping – in three days.

“Speed on job turnarounds is also becoming the priority when awarding jobs – above price, quality and service. Today’s access to information is almost instantly available, and the speed of doing business is becoming just as fast. Customers want their products fast. Those that can meet those demands often have an edge.”

In the long run, Inman expressed hope that the turnaround speed aspect of his company’s offerings serves as an incentive for marketers to buy from American companies, closer to home. He also hopes that turnaround speed will balance the tendency for customers to go to overseas suppliers to save a few cents on each binder.

Conclusion

Custom turned-edge slipcase and ring binder set from Trends Presentation Products.

When asked their assessment of the market 3 to 5 years in the future, Streng and Inman made it clear they feel their companies are responsible for their own destinies.

“We see a continued growth in the custom market,” said Streng. “Quantities are getting lower and budgets bigger to deliver precisely the product the customer wants to represent their brand. For us, market share and diversity has grown. There are days in the shop you wouldn’t believe there was a decline in the binder business.”

Trends, one of the few binder manufacturers that does not sell direct or use an online website to sell directly, makes use of resellers and must take those relationships into account.

Said Inman, “We need to decide how we can continue to grow in a shrinking market. We have positioned ourselves well by choosing to enter the digital market early on, but now our outreach is becoming limited. As the digital age of sharing information increases, and more and more use the cloud for data storage, fewer resellers are wanting to sell our items. We’ll need to continue to find creative ways to promote and push out our products.”

Cross-Training Benefits Next Generation of Employees

For many commercial printers and finishers, a looming concern is finding qualified employees. As David Inman of Trends Presentation Products commented, “We have been very fortunate to retain many of our employees over the years. We are now entering a point where many are beginning retirement. Most of our employees have been here for 20-plus years. This has always been a huge advantage for us. Our internal systems and checkpoints on quality control and accuracy have correlated directly to the quality of staff we’ve been lucky to have. Hiring and replacing these employees will be our next big challenge.”

It’s not as though interested prospects can’t find a place to take a course on, for instance, digital or 4-color printing. Whether through community college courses, online courses or in-person industrial training, such opportunities exist. But does that give prospective printers the kind of training that allows them to step into a real-world manufacturing environment? Not necessarily.

Trends has elected not to leave that to chance. “We are trying to cross-train our new employees in different areas of the plant as we begin replacing some of our retirees,” he said. Cross-training not only will allow the company to retain these valuable employees, but also contribute to productivity.

“It not only allows us, as a company, to run and operate a little leaner (being able to shift staff around to different areas as needed), but it also allows the employee to learn multiple functions of the plant, keeping them motivated as well,” Inman concluded. It’s hard to find young, motivated workers that want to do manufacturing work these days. They want to learn and try new things. Allowing and providing some flexibility in the workplace has helped us, and them.”

Poly Covers: The Newest Trend in Binding

March 10, 2017

by Brittany Willes, editor, PostPress

When it comes to binding covers, traditional paper covers have long reigned supreme. However, technology since has allowed users a wide variety of cover options to choose from, the most popular being poly covers. Unlike paper covers, poly covers are heat- and stain-resistant, waterproof and exceedingly durable. “Poly covers are the hottest trend in binding covers,” explained Spiral Binding Company Product Manager Joe Bondonna. “They offer a modern and professional look, which is the perfect solution for businesses looking to enhance and protect their corporate message.”

According to Bondonna, any corporate communication package currently being produced using paper can be produced using poly material. As such, poly covers act as a cost-effective solution for marketing presentation products. Additionally, they are available in see-through translucent poly and opaque poly materials in a variety of colors, thicknesses and finishes that offer a durable and attractive look.

Poly covers also are able to be custom-designed. Companies like Spiral, which offers custom-branded poly covers, often assist customers with innovative design ideas to create products to fit their customer’s exact needs. “Corporate branding is a key component to every company’s marketing communication,” said Bondonna. “Many of our customers have an existing design plan; however, Spiral can take that design plan and realize it into products that complement a company’s brand strategy.”

As environmental issues continue to make headlines, many companies have begun paying more attention to their own sustainability practices. Developing eco-friendly practices and reputations is more important than ever – something the use of poly covers can assist with. Even with the – often erroneous – push to “go paperless,” there always will be a need for printed documents. Unlike clear PVC covers, poly covers are 100 percent recyclable, allowing users who routinely bind great quantities of printed documents to do so without fear of creating more environmental pollution and waste materials.

“Although produced using plastics, poly covers still are completely recyclable and eco-friendly,” said Bondonna. “Most poly materials now are being produced using some pre-consumer waste materials. As more poly materials get returned into the manufacturing supply stream, more poly material will be produced using post-consumer waste. This is similar to how steel, aluminum and glass are recycled.” This is good news for companies committed to reducing waste and helping to create more environmentally sustainable resources.

In addition to being fully recyclable, poly materials can be used for a great many projects beyond cover materials. “Poly covers are only the tip of the iceberg,” stated Bondonna. For instance, poly materials have been used to create loose leaf binders and tabs, which are just as attractive, durable and versatile as poly covers. “Folders and envelopes have been a traditional document carrier for many years. Versatile poly folders and envelopes can be custom produced with imprinting and material colors to make your documents stand out,” said Bondonna.

Poly materials even can be used for such products as tote boxes. According to Bondonna, “Having the right kind of outer packaging makes a lasting impression. Tote boxes are an ideal presentation carrier, and they offer a great deal of flexibility. They allow for multiple presentation products to be grouped together in one unified package.”

Versatile and environmentally-friendly, it’s little wonder that poly covers have become such a popular option for users looking to bind a variety of applications.

Looking into the Future of Loose Leaf Production

February 1, 2013

by Jen Clark

The ability to store and easily modify or amend information over time is what makes loose leaf binding an attractive option for many bindery clients. And, while some loose leaf notebooks may include special features, the basic design of a loose leaf binder has remained the same since the first patents for the device were filed in 1854. However, the options for the construction materials have changed.

Cover Material Varies Depending on Budget, Purpose
Most loose leaf binder covers are made of three pieces, similar to a hardcover book, but are produced in many styles. Vinyl binders are popular because they are durable and economical. They are manufactured using vinyl sealed over chipboard.

“There are different kinds of vinyl,” said Joe Lauricella, vice president of Gane Brothers and Lane, Elk Grove Village, IL. “Film vinyl comes in many different gauges, grades and aesthetics. While vinyl is popular, we are seeing inquiries coming in for phthalate- and lead-free vinyl – more ecologically friendly items, especially for our California customers,” he said. “Vinyl is common within the loose leaf trade, but competes with the popularity of other options available for turned edge applications.”

Turned edge binders are manufactured using a variety of materials, including book cloths, imitation leather and high-strength paper wrapped around board. “Popular items are B cloths =- depending on how they are filled or impregnated gives it strength,” Lauricella said. “C grades are a heavier cotton cloth, also filled and impregnated. It can go up to F grade buckrams – a polyester-cotton blend. We also use imitation leather – Sturdite, a heavy cotton sheeting embossed to appear like leather. It is used quite readily in the trade for turned edge projects. Genuine leathers are used too. Bonded leathers are reconstituted leathers held together with a binding agent. They can be colored and embossed.”

An option from Gane Brothers and Lane’s premium line is the warm, soft texture of natural cork for a decorative covering material. “Anything that you can turn edge or laminate, you can use for cover material,” Lauricella said. “People have made binders from wood – from the board itself – and even metal.”

Budgets always play a role in what customers choose, he added, but the products are specified by the end-user. “We stock, and have the ability to provide all kinds of turned edge and heat seal products,” he said. “We are unique in that we sell and promote all of these products and can make recommendations when customers are looking for a specific presentation to match an economy of price and performance. We provide a different kind of service. Our question to the customer is ‘what are you making, what are your desired performance characteristics, what kind of visual do you want, and what is your budget?'”

Gane Brothers and Lane also offers complete converting capabilities. “We can cut to size, sheet material by width, slit roll goods, cut board, drill, round corner and shrink wrap,” he said. And while the company doesn’t offer decorating services, such as foil stamping, screen printing, embossing and debossing, the sales staff is knowledgeable about the various decorative methods. “There are some really cool, neat-looking things that can be done to decorate a particular material surface,” Lauricella said.

Plastics Gaining Ground, but Metal Remains Popular Choice for Rings
The spring-loaded metal clamps, otherwise known as ring metals, utilized to hold and organize documents are made of highly polished nickel-plated steel. The rings often are circular or D-shaped, while others utilize rods to contain the paper. Some manufacturers now are offering plastic three ring binder mechanisms in a variety of colors.

Spiral James Burn, Totowa, NJ, offers plastic rings made from ABS Resin. “When molded, it forms into a very durable product with a smooth finish,” said Michael Bossard, integrated marketing manager. “This material also assures you that the rings won’t rust and makes them archival safe.”

While plastic rings allow for more color choices, which help projects stand-out, they are limited in how much paper they can hold. “Ultimately metal can support more weight, so for particularly large projects metal will hold up better,” Bossard said. “If the application requires a larger ring size, then plastic would not be the best option.”

Plastics rings also cost more. “Metal is mass-produced and essentially a commodity at this point in the product life-cycle,” Bossard said. Metal rings come in a variety of shapes to accommodate large-capacity storage. Round rings offer the easiest page-turn and accessibility, while D-rings accommodate more pages. Trapezoid-, elliptical- and arch-shaped rings are also available from some suppliers.

Index Tabs, Pouches Help with Organization, Archiving
Among the special features employed with loose leaf binders are index tabs, pockets and sheet protectors. Pieces of card stock with a tab at the edge allow the binder’s contents to be broken into sections. Pockets that are attached inside the front and back cover of a binder are used to carry items such as CDs or business cards. Sheet protectors can hold printed pages and are attached to the rings, providing archival qualities.

The Holmberg Company, a Minneapolis, MN-based supplier of converted paper products, offers standard and custom-printed index tabs in a variety of styles, including Mylar lamination in clear, write-on and in 23 different colors. Fileback tabs, in high demand by the medical, financial and legal industries, also are available.

“Most index tabs are produced in much the same way, but that does not mean it is an easy product to produce,” said Jasmine Kuipers, Holmberg product manager. “The difference comes in the quality of the finished product and the service provided to the customer. We have been making index tabs for over 50 years and our customers know that our tabs will always be collated correctly, with no missing tabs; have clean, dust-free edges; and will be packaged carefully to prevent damage or production issues.”

Indent paper is pre-reinforced paper designed specifically for the index tab manufacturer, and digital or offset printer. Holmberg developed Indent paper to create high-quality reinforced index tabs. “It features a strip of polyester film to protect the sheet from tearing loose when put into a ring binder,” Kuipers said. “Indent reinforced paper also is different from other reinforced papers because the polyester film has been ‘indented’ into the paper so there is no build up – or stack bias – and it lies flat for feeding into your press or copier.”

In addition to a wide range of stocked products, it also manufactures non-standard sizes and reinforcing formats to meet the sheet and printing needs of its customers. The fileback tabs and folders, commonly used in doctor’s offices, have an attached metal prong which allow other documents to be attached to the tab. “The goal of the fileback is to allow easy access to multiple documents without taking up much room,” Kuipers said. “Filebacks are primarily used for record-keeping purposes, not presentations.”

There are two materials used most often for sheet protectors – polypropylene and vinyl. Both offer different benefits depending on the presentation. Polypropylene sheet protectors are considered an archival material because they are an acid-free means of permanent storage. Inks and other materials won’t stick to the sheet protector. It also is thinner and more durable, constructed of a lighter gauge than vinyl while maintaining the same durability and toughness. Vinyl sheet protectors offer a traditional look and heavy feel, but aren’t as durable as polypropylene. Restaurants often use vinyl sheet protectors to hold menus because its heavy feel gives a sense of weight to the presentation.

Vinyl Art, Inc., is a Minneapolis, MN-based manufacturer of flexible packaging and loose leaf products made from vinyl and polypropylene. Adding pockets or pouches to binders can enhance presentations, said Tim Hitchings, the company’s vice president. “It allows the customer information to be displayed for use. It also saves binder manufacturers money when they forget a pocket. With proper use, the pockets or pouches can be very durable,” he added.

In addition to in-house manufacturing, VinylArt also offers specialty finishing services such as de-bossing, foil stamping and silk screening on items in vinyl, he said. “We offer custom manufacturing in sizes up to 19½x35½” and can make items in any available vinyl material in clear, colors, tinted clears, frosty and adhesive-backed.” The adhesive pockets are manufactured with general purpose adhesive, glass clear fronts and easy recessed openings, Hitchings said. The adhesive can be permanent or repositionable.

While the general construction methods for loose leaf binders have not changed, the materials used both inside and outside of the information delivery system will continue to evolve to meet user needs.

Metal and Plastic Rings

May 1, 2012

by Jen Clark

No doubt everyone has used a three-ring binder at least once in his or her lifetime. Yet little has changed in the binder’s design since the first patent for the device was filed in 1854.

According to the curator of the Early Office Museum in London, Henry T. Sisson of Providence, RI, filed patents for binders that would hold loose leaf paper, but the notebooks didn’t go to market until nearly 20 years later. Since then, various people have offered their take on binder design, but the original concept remains the same: a folder with spring-loaded clamps that will hold and organize documents.

Typically, the spring-loaded clamps, otherwise known as ring metals, are made of highly polished nickel-plated steel and are often circular or D-shaped, while others utilize rods to contain the paper. Some manufacturers now are offering plastic three-ring binder mechanisms in a variety of colors.

Spiral Binding, a James Burns Company in Totowa, NJ, is one such company. Their mechanisms are manufactured to hold standard, 3-hole, 8 1/2×11″ sheets and are sold without binder covers. The plain “spines” – available in both metal and plastic – allow customers to create their own custom binder covers or hold papers without the bulk of a cover.

Are plastics gaining ground?

Most definitely, says Michael Bossard, integrated marketing manager for Spiral James Burn. “Customers are always looking for ways to make their product stand-out. Plastic allows for more color choices, however, the great majority of what is sold is still metal.”

While plastic ring mechanisms have been around for a number of years, Bossard said Spiral James Burn has been offering them for about one year. The rings offered by Spiral James Burn come in blue, black, grey and white and offer the benefits of metal, as well as the versatility of color. Each ring functions like a traditional metal ring, snapping open in one smooth motion and locking when closed, he explained.

“The rings are manufactured with an ABS resin,” Bossard said. “When molded, it forms into a very durable product with a smooth finish. This material also ensures that the rings won’t rust and makes them archival-safe.”

There aren’t many cost benefits for choosing plastic over metal, he added. “The plastic mechanisms are more expensive, mainly because metal is mass-produced and essentially a commodity at this point in the product life-cycle.”

Does the size of the project affect the type of ring that should be used?

That really depends on the size of the project, Bossard said. “Ultimately metal can support more weight, so for particularly large projects metal will hold up better. If the application requires a larger ring size, then plastic would not be the best option.” When a customer has a larger ring size requirement that usually means there’ll be more paper in the binder and “more paper means more weight,” he said. “In any case, if the contents are heavy, this would be a case to consider using metal rather than plastic.”

Specialty Loose Leaf, Holyoke, MA, offers ring metal in a variety of shapes and sizes to accommodate consumer need. Tom Portenstein, the company’s vice president of sales, said everyone always strives to improve or reduce costs. “The new wave is a tendency to find alternative materials other than steel, but to date, we have not worked with plastics.”

He said most of the rings Specialty Loose Leaf produces are for large-capacity binders. “Plastic rings could not withstand the weight in these larger capacities. Steel offers greater strength and stability for a full range of ring binder options,” he added.

In addition to the standard round and D-shaped rings, Specialty Loose Leaf offers trapezoid, elliptical and arch rings. Round rings offer the easiest page-turn and accessibility, while D-rings accommodate more pages. Trapezoid and elliptical rings are similar in that they offer large-capacity storage, but pages turn slightly easier with the elliptical rings since there are no angles. The arch ring combines the performance of post-binder archiving with the ease of loose leaf updating and can hold over 1,200 sheets of paper.

“Many of the companies that we get repeat orders from prefer to produce their publications in a ring binder rather than a perfect bound or case bound book,” Portenstein said. “Loose leaf publications can be updated. Once the information in a bound book has changed, the entire book needs to be replaced.”

Although Sepcialty Loose Leaf maintains strong relationships with Asian ring suppliers, many of the rings used in its custom products are produced in-house. “From what I have been told, we are the only domestic binder manufacturer that can still make its own rings. Because we still manufacture a good amount of rings that are used in our products, project lead time is cut considerably since we don’t have to worry about lengthy shipping times from foreign suppliers,” Portenstein added.

There has been an explosion of environmentally friendly options for binders recently. What about the ring metal or plastic utilized in binders?

Spiral James Burn’s Bossard said most ring metals are made from recycled steel and are environmentally-friendly, but “we think it is important for customers to question the vendors and their green practices as much as the components of the product itself.” Spiral recently installed one of the largest solar energy systems in New Jersey at its corporate headquarters. “We have proactively implemented many environmentally-friendly practices,” Bossard explained.

Portenstein noted that many environmentally friendly materials now are going into binders. “One big feature that is an environmentally friendly option is the ability to screw in the mechanisms,” he said, adding, at Specialty Loose Leaf, that kind of specialty mechanism would need to be requested in the quote since it isn’t a standard feature. “Basically, you screw the mechanisms into the binder, which makes them reusable. When you’re finished with your binder, you can remove and reuse or recycle the mechanism.”

A company in Seattle, WA, was built on the concept of reusable ring metal for binders. Guided Products (formerly known as ReBinder), offers 17 fully recyclable three-ring binders to consumers. Its ReBinder was designed to tell a great story about its user, while giving customers the ability to reuse the binders. The binders even can be upgraded from project to project, while helping to sustain natural resources.

“Replacement covers can be purchased separately at a fraction of the cost of buying a new binder,” Brad Hole, chief sustainability officer, said.

What makes a reusable ring binder different from traditional three-ring binders?

“Unlike most binders, everything we do is American made, should cost the same as traditional products, should be available through the same catalogs and are made of responsible materials that don’t require a landfill,” Hole explained. “In addition, we have a proprietary labeling system that lets a user customize the ReBinder instantly, so when someone sees our products in use, it delivers a powerful story about the user,” he said. “It’s also nice that by removing two screws with a Phillips-head screw driver, the ring metal and cover can be separated and recycled.”

The removable ring metal has been a feature of the ReBinder product since the company’s inception in 2003, when Hole was working at a technology business. “Every year, a new vinyl binder would arrive from the different manufacturers we represented,” he said. “Soon, there was a collection of vinyl three-ring binders in our back room that we would reuse for accounting paperwork, but would eventually be headed to the landfill.”

After getting favorable reviews at the SHOPA (School, Home & Office Products) trade show, the company was formed and chose to launch with corrugated cardboard as the cover because it was the easiest to recycle. The company began production for three sizes of ReBinders in 2004, using standard ring metals with proprietary hardware. “An important factor was that the products would have to be durable and well-made with domestically sourced materials that could be easily recyclable,” he said.

Initial clients included those in the green building industry. “Green/LEED-certified building was just starting to break ground, and architects and builders were in need of our products to help convey their responsible message,” Hole said. “Delivering a proposal in a plastic or vinyl binder diluted that message.”

“The green building industry really helped get ReBinder products out there and in front of important decision makers,” he said. “Other industries were soon to follow.”

What is the proper way to recycle ringed binders, either plastic or metal?

Portenstein and Hole agreed that before recycling a binder, the ring metal should be removed, but offered different ideas on how to accomplish the task – especially if the metal is permanently fixed to the spine.

Portenstein suggests using an X-Acto™ knife or box cutter to slice the metal from the binder’s spine, but only if it is riveted or glued in place. “More than half of the binders out in the field are riveted and not screwed in,” he said.

ReBinder’s metal can be removed with a Phillips-head screw driver. “This makes both the cover and the ring metal recyclable,” Hole said. “Any facility or curb side recycling service that accepts ferrous metals can take ring metal, but it would have to be completely removed from the binder’s cover.”

Binders Gone Wild: What Do Custom Loose Leaf Manufacturers Do When Good Binders Go Bad?

February 1, 2009

by: Jeff Hunter, Federal Looseleaf

The world of custom-made ring binders is a world where the smallest detail, if overlooked, can come back at a manufacturer faster than your employees run for the parking lot on a sunny Friday afternoon. And in Minnesota, the land of nine-month winters, that’s pretty fast. “Binders Gone Wild” has happened to all of us to one degree or another, and will continue to happen because, unfortunately, those who make them are human and so are those who buy them – our customers. With each email we send and each phone conversation we engage in, every time we jump out of bed in the middle of the night wondering if we included a special customer spec on the job ticket, each and every time we update a customer on a project’s progress, we are open to the stress of oversight and error. And of course, expanding our stress expands our ability to make a mistake.

Houston, We Have a Problem

I well remember processing a heat-sealed vinyl binder order, manufactured to a customer’s exacting specifications. The 3-color screenprinting had been press checked and approved, the special clear vinyl pockets made to hold specially sized brochures were neatly sealed into place, and we happily sent them through our beautiful new high-speed riveting machine for ring mechanism fastening. We shrink-wrapped the colorfully printed sets of text and tabs, and inserted them between the covers (never in the rings!), and then individually boxed them for eventual UPS drop shipping by our customer. We palletized the order and trucked them to our customer’s mailing company, which dutifully shipped them to the final recipients.

The phone call came one week later.

One of the two rivets we used to secure the ring mechanism to the binder spine with our beautiful new high-speed riveting machine did not turn over the ring eyelet properly, and we did not catch it. This left some recipients with a spiffy new ring binder that had a unique “swing-away-style” ring mechanism. Oh joy.

We produced these binders for one of our biggest customers – a customer who, thank you very much, trusted us completely. We had always produced a quality binder product we were proud of, and liked to think that this level of quality alone kept them coming back. To put it bluntly, I was in a pickle. I felt that I couldn’t address this failure in quality control, or our future with this customer, until I had addressed the current problem. And I couldn’t sit back and chew on a nice clean solution to the current problem, because there was a desperate need for our customer to employ these binders right away. Did I mention that they had already been drop shipped to individual users? I thought so.

This is when I uncovered an interesting phenomenon… our customer didn’t think like we did.

It seems they were less worried about the current situation and who caused it than they were about what happened as a next step. We immediately offered to rerun the binders and get them shipped to the final recipients at our expense. This would mean a sharp shift toward the negative in our monthly profit and loss statement, but maybe – just maybe – a shift to the positive in the eternal struggle between loyal customers and lost customers. Our customer agreed and in an unbelievable stroke of good fortune, thanked us for our rush to customer service and for solving the problem for them. My nightmare turned into a dream when the customer added, “Just get them to our mailing company by Friday, and we’ll take care of the postage.”

You’re Only as Good as the Last Problem You’ve Solved

Fortunately, and I mean this in a good way, Federal Looseleaf is not the only custom house to travel down this road, nor are we the first to discover that promptly solving a problem after delivery might trump the fine service you bring to the project on the front end. Promptly responding to a problem, and letting your customer see how fast you can make it go away, can lead the customer to respect you on a much deeper level.

Essentially, a customer likes and trusts you because you bring an atmosphere of professionalism to its binder project. Yes, there are customers who are “call ins” – they’re only buying on price and they don’t care who you are or which unicorn you rode in on. But when you build a quality, long-term relationship – I’m talking about good customers who buy from you even though they have a nephew in the business who sells it cheaper – now THAT’S a customer.

Pat Rainey, president and owner of Academy Looseleaf in Nashville, Tenn., agrees. He’s been in the loose leaf business since 1981 and has had his share of “oops” projects.

It’s Always “Binders 101”

“Several years ago, one of our customers reordered some ring binders he had redesigned with a fresh new look,” said Rainey. “Part of the new look was a simple request for us to mount the rings on the back cover, instead of on the spines. I wrote the order up correctly, went over the project with the foreman, shipped and billed the job, and then got the phone call.”

I think I can see what’s coming.

Rainey continued, “Well, our guys were so used to mounting the rings in the spines, they didn’t notice the new instructions on the ticket. The foreman didn’t double-check because he was busy with something else, and the binders went out with rings on the spine. I apologized to my customer and asked what I could do to make him happy. He just asked me, as nice as you please, to watch it next time.”

Naturally, when the reorder came in Rainey was on top of the issue, had a long talk with everyone, and swore he’d get out in the shop to double-check the binders before they went out to the customer. Rainey then started working on the pile of stuff on his desk, billed the order after it was shipped, and got another phone call.

“Yup, we did it again,” Rainey admitted. “Seems that the crew was so overly worried about the order, they forgot to double-check the new guy in riveting. This time I offered the customer a discount, he accepted, and I thought that was the end of our relationship. Funny thing, though – this customer called me just last week for re-run of the same darn binder. The only thing he requested was that we mount the ring on the back cover this time!”

Rainey found a customer who admired his handling of the problem more then the failure that the original problem presented. The customer wasn’t angry, because Rainey handled the problem right away, with no delays piling onto the customer’s frustration level, no runaround about who was responsible for making it right, and a promise to fix it in the future.

The difference between my product failure (a ring actually loosening from the binder case) and Rainey’s product failure (to place the ring in the requested location) might appear great to those of us in the production end of the business. After all, my binders could not be used and Rainey’s could since the binder product still did what it was supposed to do. To the customer, however, a mistake is a mistake and the customer expects someone to own it.

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

This new world we find ourselves in is unforgiving. Customer orders have slowed, cash flow has slowed, customer demographics are shifting, and binders are still going to go wild. The only thing we, as custom loose leaf manufacturers, can do is stay in front of our customers and be available when they finally figure out that they still need to make quality presentations. If our customers trust us enough to make that happen, they’ll trust us enough when we show our humanity by shipping an order that has a misfired rivet or misplaced ring in it…because we’ll be there, standing behind them, especially in this new world.

Jeff Hunter is a regular contributor to The Binding Edge, and is the president and owner of Federal Looseleaf, a custom binder manufacturer in Minneapolis, Minn.

Perspectives: China’s Influence on the Loose Leaf Industry

August 21, 2008

by: Scott Caplain and Jeff Hunter

Goods produced in China have long had a significant effect on U.S. manufacturing, but for traditional binderies, the impact has been less noticeable due to tight turnaround times that cannot be matched by overseas competitors. The same is not always true for those in loose leaf. However, increased costs for freight and raw materials, a sluggish U.S. consumer market, and changes to China’s labor laws are redefining the way the American companies view goods produced in the Asian market. Further complicating the situation for companies who have typically relied on Chinese production for small, easily reproducible parts are the 2008 Olympics and the recent earthquakes. No longer the cheapest, fastest, or best way to fulfill an order in every situation, those marketing loose leaf products in the U.S. are finding ways to combat changes in Chinese production – often through custom work.

Scott J. Caplain is the executive vice president for Charles Leonard National, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of loose leaf devices. Caplain explains how recent events in China will continue to have a significant impact on ring hardware prices. For his perspective, see “The Changing Cost Dynamics of Ring Hardware.”

Jeff Hunter is the owner of Federal Looseleaf, Inc., a custom loose leaf manufacturer located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As a creator of custom product, Hunter believes his company is in an excellent position to out-sell competitors promoting product from China. For his perspective, see “Custom Loose Leaf Products Not in Competition.”

The Changing Cost Dynamics of Ring Hardware

It seems that ring mechanisms are finally receiving some respect, however, not for the reasons that I had hoped. With price increases coming unabated this year, the cost of ring elements has already reached unprecedented proportions – and the year is not over. Nevertheless, the landed cost of rings is still a bargain and lags far behind comparable products with moving parts, nickel plating, and precision engineering.

During the past decade, prices have remained fairly stable, incurring increases that have been announced two to three times per year at minimal levels. The selling prices in 2007 were actually comparable to numbers of product produced domestically in the 1970s and 1980s. Now we witness something that is unparalleled in my almost 40-year-history with ring metals.

Since virtually all three ring products are manufactured in China, distributors in the U.S. are now a function of the latest events in that country. When I first visited China in the early 1980s, I remember the dirt roads, the lack of good transportation, and a very modest infrastructure. Crossing the border today from Hong Kong into Shenzhen, one views the dramatic evolution and progress of this country with super highways, skyscrapers, new hotels, and abundant manufacturing. Clearly, China has become the world’s workshop. This trend toward modernization has “led the charge” in today’s scenario of rising prices, with demand for raw materials that outstrips the supply, growing labor shortages, currency fluctuations, and of course, the rising cost of petroleum that has precipitated hikes in ocean freight transport.

If that’s not enough, the earthquake in Sichuan province and the Olympics in Beijing have created a new set of circumstances. Rebuilding the infrastructure after the massive devastation that took the lives of approximately 20,000 Chinese citizens has required substantial steel capacity, and the Chinese government has mandated that steel production be used for rebuilding rather than as an exportable commodity. To control the country’s air pollution and minimize its effect on Olympic athletes and visitors, the government has ordered steel mills within a specified proximity to curtail production or fully suspend operations until after the games are completed. The largest and most effective producer, BaoSteel, falls within this region.

The aggregate impact of these circumstances could have far reaching effects, including issues with supply and the obvious string of price increases that are headed our way. The limited supply of steel has already produced a bidding process with some companies, resulting in the possibility of shortages. However, with an estimated 35 million units warehoused in the U.S. at any given time, shortfalls in product availability are still remote and may be confined to the specialty rings that are not part of a regular stocking regimen.

What happens from here is anyone’s guess. Continued price increases will almost assuredly occur on a monthly basis through mid-fall of this year. Clearly, price increases are a matter of concern and will have to be addressed in the short term by all manufacturers should we continue to see a protracted period of price increases. However, the slowing U.S. economy may result in some stabilization before year end due to reduced consumption. Needless to say, challenging times are ahead. In the meantime, our firm remains committed to working with our Chinese partners in exploring alternative manufacturing venues, particularly in India where we have already located capacity for distribution to the European market.

On the brighter side, product innovation has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts over the past several years. Mechanisms have been redesigned to open and close easier, lock more securely, mesh more evenly, and even appear differently. While these products have yet to reach the custom market, one trip to a super store will convince any doubters that these unconventional rings are selling well. Shelves are well stocked, favoring binder products that feature both the E-Z Touch and E-Z Comfort ring mechanisms over those that have lower cost hardware installed. It is really too early to establish any trend but suffice it to say, “new and better” are receiving a warm welcome in the office products network. The Chinese are highly responsive to innovation from both service and product standpoints, and seem to consistently deliver on these ideals. Despite the many issues currently being seen with overseas production, I am confident that more “new and better” designs will be a big part of our future.

Scott Caplain is executive vice president of Charles Leonard National of Hauppauge, N.Y., a manufacturer and distributor of loose leaf devices. Caplain has almost four decades of experience in both sales and ownership of the ring binder component industry, including 31 years with US Ring Binder Corp. Caplain can be reached by calling (508) 674-5009 or by e-mailing [email protected].

Custom Loose Leaf Products Not in Competition

There are two distinctive categories of loose leaf products and China’s influence is very different based on the category we’re discussing. When a customer is looking for a commodity product and has warehouse space available for storage, China is absolutely a consideration, often based on price alone. If a customer wants a custom-made product, I usually don’t need to worry about China.

Price

The primary reason for much of U.S. loose leaf production to go overseas has been price. But China is now dealing with new labor laws, eliminating the practice of employing young children and requiring employers to pay overtime. Western practices are taking hold in China and that, coupled with oil prices that are changing the whole face of freight, is limiting the cost-based appeal of China for many people. The U.S. still produces a large amount of “office supply binders” and I would suspect the production of those commodity products is increasing in the U.S. based on the upswing in freight costs.

As the economy sours and freight bills go up and recession looms, the business outlook is actually better for U.S. custom manufacturers because there will be a demand for smaller quantities of product, produced quickly and efficiently. The counterintuitive approach that I’m taking currently is that as the economy worsens worldwide and oil prices go up, affecting freight and oil-based materials like vinyl, customers will still need to order 3-ring binder products. Yes, everyone will be affected in the U.S., but these conditions also are limiting the opportunities China has to expand its loose leaf presence here. Loose leaf is a mature industry and now some of this business is finally coming back into local hands because it’s so expensive to do business overseas right now.

Quality and Turnaround Time

When I’m out selling binders directly to customers and I come across someone who is trying to sell a competing Chinese product, I sell against it by pointing out that the finish of my product is not in question because I can immediately show samples for approval and make sure I’m meeting customer expectations.

From a custom point of view, our turnaround goal has always been to produce a quality product in two to three weeks. Customers can’t get that from China without factoring in air freight, which is extremely expensive. China is great when ordering full container shipments, but that means large quantities, and most of the custom manufactured binders in this country are in smaller quantities – 1,000 pieces and under.

Difficulties of Custom Work

The other thing that makes competing with China easy is that the manufacturer in China usually has to see a finished prototype in order to accurately produce the product your customer wants. There is little room for the back and forth that often comprises the design process, so the burden of artistic creation and decisions about material are on the customer in China. Here in the U.S., we can sit down with the customer and make suggestions for ink, wrapping materials, and more. Customers sending business to China can specify a certain thickness or a certain type of material, but many times the Chinese manufacture their own materials so you’re not always getting what you expect. My selling proposition is simple:

We can offer infinite variety in custom applications. China can too, but you have to show them exactly what you want, which can be difficult.
Rising prices for materials and freight are increasing the cost of doing business in China (and really anywhere across the globe).

Having said all that, if you have an order with a customer who needs 100,000 binders and the order requires a lot of hand labor – sewing or eyeleting or attaching elastic barbs – you have to consider China if you expect to ship the order in a reasonable amount of time. The cost of fuels, higher emission levels, new labor laws, and the fact that they pretty much shut down in the month of February are making it harder to place an order with China, from the perspective of a custom manufacturer, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for it.

I look at China as a competitor and as a tool. It’s my challenge to be able to join them, rather than fight them. If I can use them, I will – and I’ve certainly used them before. Of course, this is a snapshot of the market today and all of this could change in a month. That’s part of the wonder of working in an international market!

Jeff Hunter is the owner of Federal Looseleaf, Inc., a custom manufacturer of creative turned edge, vinyl, and polyplastic presentation packaging. Hunter can be reached by calling (612) 781-9995 or through e-mail at [email protected].

Creative Choices for Distinctive Products

May 1, 2007

by: Dianna Brodine

The products you use to attract and retain customers must strike a balance between utility, eye-catching appeal, and efficient production. No matter what format you require – including marketing kits, POP displays, multimedia packaging, ring binders, and book covers – it can be made more distinctive with the right combination of processes and materials.

There are many factors to consider when selecting the proper materials and decoration options for your information packaging applications. The intended audience, end use, longevity and durability requirements, and perceived value all will help determine the appearance of the end product.

The Versatility of Turned-edge

When you’re looking for eye-catching information packaging, turned-edge manufacturing is flexible enough to handle a wide range of products. Ring binders, book covers, slip cases, tote boxes, point-of-purchase displays, and multimedia packaging are just a few of the possibilities.

The turned-edge process involves gluing a cover material to a board, and then turning the material over the edges of the board to create a wrap. A lining is then applied to the inside of the board to conceal the turned edges, creating an attractive piece both inside and outside.

A key advantage of turned-edge construction is the versatility of wrap materials. From printed and laminated paper to book cloth, vinyl, and more, your turned-edge ring binders and other products can exhibit almost any appearance you imagine. Here are a few additional considerations for each of these wrap materials:

Printed paper – Offset-, screen- and digitally-printed paper offers a colorful impact and economical production regardless of the quantity. In addition to offering outstanding appearance for image-heavy applications, digital printing can allow turned-edge products to be personalized for each user. When used as a turned-edge wrap, keep in mind that printed paper should be film laminated for ample protection.

Synthetic paper – Some products require the look of paper, but with better strength and durability. Synthetic papers such as Tyvek, Polyart, and Yupo offer the best of both worlds, and are ideal for ring binder applications where grease and water are prevalent.

Book cloth – Book cloth is an ideal wrap for case-bound books, ring binders, and other turned-edge products. There are dozens of book cloth varieties available in a rainbow of colors, coated and uncoated finishes, and a range of patterns.

Heat-sealed vinyl – As a decoration, vinyl is applied around board or other support substrate and heat-sealed to encapsulate it. Vinyl can be screen-printed, foil stamped, debossed, or UV coated to make your text and images come alive.

Custom wrap substrates – If your objective is to create a buzz with your products, an experienced information packaging solutions provider should offer you a range of custom wrap materials. These substrates include imitation leather or fur, as well as specially-manufactured materials that mimic the surface of a basketball or tennis ball. Keep in mind that these materials may be costly and require ample preparation time to maintain production schedules.

Poly and Vinyl – There are two other major forms of ring binder and information packaging construction, which use poly (a hard plastic) and vinyl. Each of these materials have its own recommended uses and decoration possibilities:

Polyethylene – Also known as a “cut flush” material, polyethylene is a very rigid and durable plastic that is popular for ring binders and marketing kits. Poly is typically available in thicknesses ranging from .016″ to .110″, allowing you to choose the gauge that best meets your application’s needs.

Poly is available in a rainbow of colors, giving you plenty of creative freedom. Also, its rigidity and water-resistance lend durability for products that will be used in harsh environments.

Vinyl – The versatility of vinyl allows it to be used for both construction and decoration purposes. As a construction material, vinyl can be used as an alternative to board in ring binders and other information packaging applications – a key consideration if your products will be handled harshly. It’s available in a wide range of colors and textures, including film vinyl, print grains, and expanded vinyl.

Decoration Time

Once you’ve chosen the proper cover material for your project, it is time to consider the decoration available. Making your project distinctive will help it to stand out from the competition. The processes listed below can be applied to a variety of cover materials and can be easily adapted to many projects.

Screenprinting is a printing process using ink forced through a fine mesh (the screen) onto the substrate. The ink is then cured using UV lamps, allowing products to be handled quickly. Since this process allows for varying concentrations and layers of ink, it’s ideal for decorating vinyl and plastic ring binders, tote boxes, and pad holders, as well as additional packaging products such as slipcases, slantcases, POP displays, and more.

From a designer’s perspective, screenprinting offers plenty of creative choices. Four-color screenprinting is possible, and ink formulas can include pearl, glitter, and other additives that make your products stand out.

Another distinctive choice is foil stamping and embossing. Foil stamping and embossing can be used to augment intricate images or highlight book titles or other text. With an extensive range of available foils and nearly limitless die design potential, this option offers great flexibility.

A third design option to consider is UV coating. Ultraviolet (UV) coating gives pieces a high-gloss finish that makes images “pop” off of the product surface. UV coating can be applied as either a flood or spot coating, making it useful for both highlighting particular areas of a piece and offering protection. A flexible method of decoration, UV coating is available in several tinted and textured varieties. It even can be applied in glow-in-the-dark and raised coating, giving the appearance of embossing without the use of dies.

Turn Your Binder into a Display

Everyone knows that ring binders and other turned-edge products are designed to hold a variety of materials. But ring binders also can be used as presentation or display pieces that enhance your company’s image. The applications for easel-style ring binders are numerous, including flip charts, promotional materials, and catalogs. Below are some of the display options available for ring binders:

Table tents and easels – A table tent is formed by scoring and folding a single piece of turned-edge or vinyl binder cover material that spans both binder covers. When the binder is opened, the tent unfolds to allow the contents of the binder to wrap over the rings for easy display. A larger binder that holds a great deal of materials will require a sturdier easel that can support the increased weight.

Table tent easel designs are the strongest available for ring binder applications. An alternative design involves a two-piece easel stand that is riveted to the binder. This provides the strength to hold even the largest binders and offers the versatility to display the binders in multiple orientations based on the contents.

Break-back binder – With the break-back easel design, the binder board is split horizontally (perpendicular to the ring metal), allowing the binder to fold in half and stand up at an angle while opened. This allows users to turn pages on the rings while the binder stays upright.

Chris Eckhart is the president of Eckhart & Company, is an Indianapolis, Indiana-based bindery specializing in mechanical binding, loose leaf manufacturing, and information packaging. Chris can be reached at (800) 443-3791 or [email protected].

Custom-made Turned Edge Binders: Judging a Book by Its Cover

February 1, 2007

by: Brad Emerson

It isn’t easy being a custom-made three-ring binder. You rely on the tastes of a total stranger, usually a graphic designer, to somehow make you look good. Then another stranger gets involved just to put you together. Your edges and corners must be true, your backside must look as good as your front, your spine must retain perfect posture, and if that’s not enough – your insides must stay bright and shiny. If all of these things come together properly, you may be cloned again and again. If not, you may be recycled into copier paper or a garden hose or thrown on a scrapheap – alone and forgotten.

And you thought you had stress.

There is a plethora of custom ring binder styles from which a customer can choose today: heat sealed vinyl binders, diecut and scored polyplastic binders, corrugated binderseven alu-minum binders. All can be customized to satisfy a particular presentation need, each filling a niche.

I would, however, speak of yet another style: the turned edge binder.

Artful Production

Custom loose leaf houses are consistently called upon to bring someone else’s creative concept to life. There are no hard and fast rules to manufacturing turned edge binders to someone’s creative specification, other than the Big Five: glues, cover wrap materials, graphic decoration, binders board, and ring mechanisms. Some custom binder manufacturers specialize in large high speed runs of thousands while others specialize in smaller, shorter runs of less then a hundred. And of course, there are manufacturers who fill all of the cracks and gaps between. Regardless of their size, however, all manufacturers share a common process for manufacture, and that process is referred to as “Turned Edge”.

The manufacture of a turned edge binder is essentially the art of case making. Edition binderies and book binderies marry case made (or turned edge) covers with a book block, whereas custom loose leaf manufacturers marry their case made covers with liners, pockets, and ring mechanisms. It is normally up to the ring binder buyer to add his or her own loose leaf text block at his location, or request that the custom loose leaf manufacturer do it before the binders are packaged for shipping.

Simply put, a turned edge binder is made by applying a thin layer of glue to the underside of a book wrap, and mounting it to binders board (chipboard) by turning the edges of the book wrap over the outside perimeter of the binders board. This “case” is then passed through a smoothing press or hand boned to complete adhesion. After drying, the wrapped and turned case is lined with a glued liner sheet or sheets. The binder case is made.

The ring mechanisms are mounted to the spines or back covers (depending on ring shape and customer preference), boxed, palletized, and shipped.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? So does jumping on a Brahma Bull and lasting a mere eight seconds. What happens when the glue doesn’t set, or the board warps, or the foil doesn’t hot stamp properly on the front cover, or the customer wants a specially shaped pocket you’ve never produced before? And the binders are due next week? Or tomorrow? Good grief Charlie Brown!

Fortunately, there is a deep bench of intelligent, experienced turned edge manufacturers available for you to call on. Some of these companies are relatively new, while some have been the backbones (pun intended) of the industry for decades. All, however, have a staff that has learned the art of turned edge by being trained by a mentor – with a little trial and error thrown in along the way. The skill sets necessary to succeed aren’t available “off the shelf”. One must learn it, work at it, and pass it on.

Before the ever prolific vinyl binder caught on, and the RF technology necessary to heat seal them was developed, there were turned edge binders. Prior to the 1960s, ring binders were case made with canvas- or buckram-wrapped book coverings. We remember them as a standard issue blue or green. They were heavy, chunky binders made for archival and filing purposes.

In the 1980s, as the personal computer was introduced and the resulting need for software forged an entirely new set of consumer products, turned edge binders began to return to popularity. As adhesives were improved and developed, new book cloth and binder wrap materials became available, making turned edge a viable competitor to all other styles of loose leaf covers.

Please Be Tacky!

The turned edge, or case making process is a wet process. No tapes or dry adhesives can efficiently do a proper job. Most manufacturers use a hot protein, or hide glue (yes, THAT kind of hidemoo!), to mount the outside binder sheets to the binders board, and a white cold glue to mount the liners to the inside of the cases. There are many exceptions to this of course, but hide glue is generally perceived to run cleaner in high speed case making equipment and frankly, small producers like the ease of clean up it provides as well. Hide glue is the traditional bookbinders glue.

White cold glues are made of vinyl-based products, have a high water content, and adhere to almost anything. This is important for a custom house always under the gun with tight scheduling. Being able to adhere to almost anything takes the unpredictability out of gluing liners over the turned edges of the diverse amount of binder wrap materials available today. A liner sheet that has been glued with white glue will most assuredly mount over the various turned edge surfaces and adhere smoothly over the binders board as well. Good, good, good.

A glue’s “open time”- the time from glue application to glue tackiness to glue set up – is of paramount importance. Hide glue can be finessed into increasing or decreasing its open time more readily than white glue by adding or holding off on water in the glue chamber. White glues can be fine-tuned to a lesser degree, and some custom loose leaf manufacturers have become so adept at using white glues that they don’t use hot hide glues at all. Sometimes the glue manufacturers can produce a glue for a particular application or machine as well.

If the open time is not well considered, the turned edges on the case will curl and pull up or encourage the entire board to warp. The faster your equipment, the more important this element of production becomes. It is expensive and inefficient to run through several hundred cases only to discover an adhesion problem. Bad, bad, bad.

Judging a Book by Its Cover

As a method for customized loose leaf binder construction, the turned edge style is quite versatile. The outside covers and spines can be wrapped with a dizzying array of materials: bonded leathers, traditional fiber or book cloth, resin coated or resin impregnated book wrap papers, silky fabrics, and imitation leathers. There are digitally and offset printed litho label paper stocks that are film laminated over the printed side of the wrap sheet, and there are materials used as binder wraps that can be categorized only as “other”: kraft paper, crepe paper, uncoated printing papers, and man-made synthetic papers to name a few.

The outside material to be used on any particular project is typically driven by a graphic design “want” and a functional “need”. Uncoated kraft paper may make for a terrific raw-looking binder, but only if it’s to be used a few times and then put on a shelf. Uncoated papers, of any kind, do not hold up well in the field and weren’t designed to be glued and wrapped over binder cases. Uncoated papers can be employed if its discussed, and customers are able to manage their functional expectations.

Traditional book cloth wraps and book wrap papers can be screenprinted, foil stamped or debossed for elegant simple presentations. These materials are used by designers when the texture and overall look of the book wrap is crucial to the design. Sometimes they are agreed upon by consensus between the designer and the manufacturer after field use is considered. What the designer wants may not work with the functional need the binder will require.

The digital or offset printed litho label binder wraps are used when only a full color or precise graphic reproduction is necessary. Digital presses are great for smaller quantities, affording full-color graphics on turned edge binders – at a competitive price point not available even five years ago. There are sheet size limitations on many (but not all) of these presses, requiring the binder manufacturer to be creative in satisfying his customer’s needs. A full color digitally printed front and back cover can each fit onto a press sheet of its own, while the spines can be over glued with a complementary book cloth, thereby completing the case wrap in what is sometimes referred to as half-binding.

Four color process offset printing is the norm for longer runs and larger sized cases. The printing (as on the digital sheets) can bleed off the edge, but because offset presses can deliver larger size press sheets, graphics can be placed efficiently over the entire binder case. The liners can be included on the same press sheet if a matching, or graphically enhanced liner, is specified.

Board is Not Boring

The binders board used in a particular production run is usually tied to the size of the case being made. The larger the case ordered, say a 2-3″ capacity ring binder, the heavier the binders board should be, up to 120 pt. or more. The typical 1″ or 1 1/2″ turned edge binder case is usually made with 80 or 100 point board.

An extremely popular turned edge binder technique today is the creased spine. Powerful creasing machines allow the custom loose leaf house to wrap only one piece of binders board instead of the traditional three pieces (front, back, and spine), which increases production speeds. After the boards are wrapped and lined, the spines are creased into place. Customers usually can choose between flat spines (two creases) or rounded spines (multi creases). Not only does a creased spine provide terrific durability and stability to a binder case, but it offers another creative tool for a graphic designer to employ.

But Wait, There’s More!

A well made turned edge binder is a pleasure to behold. Not only can a turned edge binder be graphically designed to include multiple layers of decoration, but it can be fitted with eyelets, printed metal labels can be riveted onto the covers or spine, and finger rings can be added for easy removal from a book shelf. Turned edge binders can be made with a combination of materials, such as a laminated litho label front and back cover and a spine over glued with a bonded leather. Pockets can be face glued into the covers, and CD/DVD slots can be diecut and integrated into the inside covers. Turned edge binders can be made to hold any sized text or document, and can be done so in any quantity efficiently.

They can be dignified and elegant and made to look at home in the finest libraries, or they can be colorful and sassy and used for one presentation only. The turned edge binder is versatile, durable, and

Evaluating Cover Material Options

November 21, 2006

by: Ivana Bevacqua

Cover materials are fundamental to the design of any project. They dictate the look, the durability, and even the feel of your finished product. The importance of choosing the right cover material simply cannot be understated. But with all of the different materials from which there are to choose, how do you determine which form best meets your function?

What are the Most Commonly Used Cover Materials?

There are thousands of cover materials available and designing with them is limited only by your imagination and your budget. But in order to discuss them in this venue, I will start out by classifying the materials most commonly used in Cut Flush, Turned Edge, and Dielectrically Sealed (Tear Seal) applications.

Cut Flush Application

Linear Polyethylene: A modified polyolefin material. Linear Polyethylene is an incredibly durable material which comes in a variety of colors. Polyethylene (poly) will wipe clean of grease or oil and will not crack when exposed to extreme cold. It comes in many gauges and of course, as the gauge increases, so does the price. This is the most popular cover material used in this application and can be hot stamped, silk screened, or embossed.

Lexide: High quality cover stock, non-woven material made of pure rag fibers mixed with latex. The material is then acrylic coated. This coating gives lexide its sturdy yet bendable finish, and also makes it washable and moisture proof. Lexide materials are measured in thousandths and are available in thicknesses of .017, .025, and .030. Pajco® is a “name brand” example of lexide which comes in a variety of colors, prints, and embossings. Lexide can be hot stamped, silk screened, embossed, or debossed.

Boxboard: Boxboard coated on one side (C1S) is measured in thousandths and is often laminated to .003 Mylar or Acetate. Another option that is similar to this is graphic white cover stock which does not require lamination such as Kivar 3-17 and Kivar 3-22. These materials are offset printable, can be hot stamped, foil stamped, embossed, and debossed.

Turned Edge Application

Canvas: According to Richard D. Simmons in his book, “Custom Loose Leaf – A Dynamic Industry,” canvas was actually the first material used in this type of application.

Paper: Coated papers, impregnated papers, and latex saturated papers. An endless variety of graphic white cover stock ready to be printed and wrapped, or colored papers which can be hot stamped, silk screened, letter press printed, embossed, or debossed. Decorative techniques vary between the many different coated paper products available, as do the limitless number of colors, textures, grains, and embossings.

Supported Vinyl: PVC supported by a 100 percent cotton or synthetic woven or paper base. Can be foil stamped, hot stamped, and silk screened.

Book Cloth: Aqueous acrylic impregnated cloth. Woven substrates are visible through the color of the material, giving it a unique look associated with books. Book cloth can be stamped with inks, foils, silk screened, or letter press printed.

Buckram: Combination of poly/cotton woven base fabric with an aqueous color coating. Durable material with many color choices which can be hot stamped, silk screened, embossed, or debossed.

Cloth: Pyroxylin coated woven cotton base materials such as imitation leather. These materials come in a variety of colors and textures. Other non-coated cloth materials such as Brillante and Cialux offer many unique visuals. Decorating techniques include hot stamping, silk screening, embossing, and debossing.

Leather: As the name implies, it’s genuine leather, and it’s the Cadillac of cover materials. Cowhide, pigskins, and sheepskin are the animal skins available. Pricey, but, it’s the real deal. Leather is most often hot stamped or blind embossed.

Dielectrically Sealed Application

Vinyl: The vinyl used for this application is PVC combined with stabilizers, plasticizers, and color pigments in order to give it the look, feel, pliability, and durability required. Clear vinyl is often used for pockets and entrapments. Supported vinyl can be used in dielectrically sealed applications if a secondary, diecut operation is employed. Vinyl comes in many colors and prints. There are various decorative techniques you can employ with vinyl, including silk screening, hot stamping, appliqué, dielectric debossing, and offset printing.

What Are You Making?

Knowing what you are making along with its end use will help dictate which cover materials to use, and which to rule out. For example, if a customer comes to you and says he wants a sturdy cut flush binder, where durability above all else is needed, polyethylene is an incredibly rugged material which, as stated, will not easily crack when exposed to the elements. Or perhaps you are making a case bound binder with an accompanying slip case. The customer ordering these slip cases and binders will be using them for presentation purposes, as well as shipping them to various tradeshows throughout the year. Therefore, the finished product should be durable, but also have an upscale look and feel. In this instance, imitation leather would hold up to the wear and tear of usage, but also satisfy the look of the piece. Or lets say a customer wants an attractive binder, and wants to be able to switch out the artwork on the cover every few months. A dielectrically heat sealed vinyl binder with a clear overlay would provide the the flexibility the customer needs for the artwork. So again, knowing the finished product and even more importantly, asking your customer about the end use of the product, will give you insight as to what the customer really wants, performance-wise, out of the piece. This will not only help guide you in choosing the right material, but will hopefully keep your customers happy and coming back with more orders.

What is Your Budget?

Here again, communication with your customer is key. You can build the customer a Rolls Royce, or you can build a Honda Civic. Either one is going to get them customer from Point A to Point B, but the monthly payment will be a bit different, right? So, if the customer, (like myself) has champagne taste but a budget for beer, you may want to suggest a cut flush binder and use a heavy weight lexide for the cover. You are saving on the construction of the piece, but spending more on the material, hence, giving the binder a more expensive look and feel. Skys the limit? How about a beautiful, hand boarded, pigment finished Genuine Cowhide cover material in red with a logo embossed on the front and fleur de lie design foil stamped on the rounded corners. Again, does the customer want the Rolls, the Civic, or something in between?

Is Durability a Factor?

Everyone wants their finished product to be durable, but when making a piece, we need to know how durable. This goes back to knowing the end use of your project. If a binder needs to stand up to being used in the field and then tossed into a car trunk, where it will probably be exposed to extreme cold or extreme heat, poly is probably the best to go. Poly provides that type of rugged durability. If however, by durability, the customer wants a case bound binder that will stand the test of time and show little sign of wear and tear, Group F Buckram would certainly be an option (along with high quality board, adhesives, and binding mechanisms).

How Will You be Decorating?

Appliqué and dielectric debossing are limited to vinyl and hence, tear seal construction. As previously discussed, many of the materials commonly used in loose leaf can be silk screened, hot stamped, foil stamped, embossed, and debossed. But often you will need to produce a piece that is entirely covered in printed artwork and needs a crisp, clear image. You can get very good results with latex saturated, acrylic coated white cover stock used as a wrap. Some of these stocks are designed to be very durable, as well as to really respond to offset lithography. And again, they do not require the extra step of lamination, because they already have been treated with a coating. That saves you drying and laminating time.

What’s New?

There are always new cover materials out there; new colors, new patterns, new textures, new technologies. Stay on top of what’s out there and share that information with your customers. Customers will look to you as a source for “what’s new” and that’s very valuable.

To sum up, there are obviously many different cover materials that can be used in our industry – too many, in fact, to name them all here. But in choosing the best material for the project at hand, it is important to consult with your customer and know exactly what the customer wants and how the finished product will be used. The choice of cover material, along with all the other components, hinges (pardon the pun) on that information. If that objective is met, then you should hopefully always have a happy customer. And a happy customer is a repeat customer.

Ivana Bevacqua is in the Marketing Department at Gane Brothers & Lane, Inc. Gane Brothers & Lane has been supplying cover materials since 1846. Today the company sells over 2,000 products to the book, loose leaf, packaging, and allied graphics industries. Visit Gane Brothers & Lane online at www.ganebrothers.com or call (800) 323-0596.