mechanical binding
The business of binding single leaves in a
non-exchangeable form. In such a binding, leaves
cannot be added, removed, or relocated in the
book, as is possible in the case of LOOSE-LEAF BINDING .
Mechanical binding may be done on many levels of
technology, and is usually part of the services of
the job bindery. The forms which mechanical
binding can take include spiral, coil, ring,
cercla (a binding consisting of connected plastic
rings), and comb. Mechanical bindings have several
advantages, including: 1) the leaves open flat; 2)
pages may be arranged in any order, and may be of
varying weights and sizes; 3) there is no need to
impose and print in even forms, as 8, 16, 32,
etc., pages; and 4) the bindings are simpler and
less expensive than sewn and/or adhesive bindings.
They also have disadvantages, however, some of
which are: 1) they are more expensive than simple
wire stitched bindings; 2) when the book is open,
the left hand page is usually (higher) or lower
than the right, by half the distance between the
holes; 3) they do not provide the support and
protection often desired in permanent bindings;
and 4) pages are more easily lost, torn out, or
stolen. Mechanical bindings are frequently used
for calendars, diaries, price books, notebooks,
catalogs, instruction books, etc. (320 )
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