Spiral Books FAQ

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What size and position are the punches for spiral binding?

  1. The Spiral hole punch has a 4:1 pitch (4 to 1) which means every inch there will be 4 holes.
  2. The punched hole will be a round shape of 0.19” (4.826mm). 
  3. The spacing between each hole is 0.06” (1.524mm)
  4. The distance from the edge of the sheet to the furthest edge of the hole is 0.27” (6.858mm)
  5. The distance from the edge of the hole closest to the edge of the sheet is 0.09” (2.286mm)

Are there special margin requirements for Spiral Binding?

As shown above, the punches for the spiral extend approximately 0.27” in from the spine edge. Therefore, this has to be taken into account when setting up the margins for a spiral book and added to the desired margin of the design.

For example, if a 0.5” margin is needed, then the margin on the spine edge would be 0.5” plus 0.27” for binding, for a total of 0.77”, but only on the spine. On the other three edges, the margin would be 0.5” to give the illusion that the content is centred. The reader’s eye will basically ignore the part of the page that is covered by binding.

Also, the spine edge alternates on the “even” and “odd” pages. This is independent of any actual page numbers that are added to the artwork, as the numbers can vary based on whether the cover is included, whether there’s a table of contents, if there is a section at the beginning that is numbered separately, etc.

If the front cover is “page 1”, the inside front cover would be “page 2”, etc so for a conventional book that is read from left to right, all of the odd pages starting with the front cover would have the spine on the left-hand side, and all the even pages starting with the inside front cover would have the spine on the right-hand side.

What colours of spiral can be ordered?

The standard options of white and black are available for order through the online calculator. Other colours are available upon request and would require a custom estimate.

What are the benefits of choosing Spiral Binding?

Because the spirals allow the pages to rotate 360 degrees, Spiral Binding is perfect for applications where it is advantageous for the reader to be able to open the book flat and have it stay open, or even opened 360 degrees and held in one hand. This could be for manuals, handbooks, guide or map books, planners, or other such uses.

Page counts can range from 8 to 400 pages, as the spiral is available in many sizes. Also, the binding can be either the top or the left

Because the spiral is made of plastic and does not have any sharp edges, it can be a slightly safer option for applications to be used by children, or in situations where metal is not appropriate or possible. The spiral is also reasonably flexible, meaning it will “bounce back” into its original shape if something heavy is placed onto it, and will withstand rougher handling than other types of binding.

Finally, Spiral Binding can accommodate section tabs, however, a custom quote would have to be done for the exact number and positioning of the tabs required, due to the range of options.

Is there a possibility of making a waterproof book?

Yes, we can print waterproof books using synthetic paper.

Can you do a non-standard size for the coil-bound books?

Yes, we can accommodate custom sizes. When creating an online order, you need to choose the next bigger size that best matches the size of your intended file.

 After you submit your file you will receive a confirmation email. Reply back to that email with your new custom size required for printing.

Does the book size on the website refer to opened or closed-book size?

The size refers to a single page size, so that is the size of a closed book.

Is there a way I can order a proof version of the book, so I know what it feels like?

The hard copy proof can be ordered by selecting it from the Proof Group dropdown list.

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