Binder Books

One of the simplest ways to make a book is to use a binder. This form also has the advantage of allowing pages to be added or rearranged at any time.

Tools:

• hole punch (not necessary if plastic sleeves are used)
• pencil
• ruler

Supplies:

• 1 binder or report cover (ideally one which lets you insert a cover page)
• letter-sized page paper

Optional:

• letter sized-plastic sleeves with binder holes

Designing the Pages

If the binder has a slot for a cover page, the margins for that page will depend on the size of the slot.

If plastic sleeves are used:

The page margins should be equal, and the paper can be any type. Single-sided pages can be inserted into the sleeve back to back.

If the pages are punched:

The paper should be reasonably heavy to withstand being punched. The edge that will be along the binder rings or brass fasteners will need a slightly larger margin. If single-sided paper is used, the backs will be blank. If double-sided paper is used, the extra margin for the binding will alternate sides. As seen in the diagram at right, left-hand pages will have the extra margin on the right. Right-hand pages will have the extra margin on the left. For report covers held together with brass fasteners, measure the width of the inside fold of the cover.

If the hole punch does multiple holes at once, punch a test sheet and verify that it fits in the binder or report cover. Measure from the edge of the page to the far side of the hole to calculate the extra margin needed for a binder.

If the hole punch does a single hole, add the size of the binder rings and the width of the holes and divide by two to find the extra margin on the binder side of the page. The calculations can be done below:

Ring Size (green): Hole Size (blue): Extra Margin (red):

Assembling the Book

If plastic sleeves are used:

This works just like a standard photo album. Add the printed pages to the binder to finish.

If the pages are punched:

After the pages are printed, punch the holes. The number of pages that can be punched at a time depends on the thickness of the paper. Punching too many pages at once will cause ragged edges.

If the hole punch is the kind that does multiple holes at once, place the back edge sheets against the paper stop and punch the holes. If the hole punch does a single hole at a time, measure a guide sheet of paper where the holes are spaced the same distance as those in the binder and at half the width of the rings from the edge. For report covers, align the guide sheet and mark the location of the holes with a pencil. Punch holes in the guide sheet and verify that it fits in the binder or report cover correctly before punching the pages. Add the pages to the binder to finish.