Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books
A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology

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spiral binding

A form of MECHANICAL BINDING used for art reproductions, commercial catalogs, instruction books, books in single sheets, etc. The leaves are drilled or punched near the binding edge to take a spiral-twisted wire or plastic coil which is drawn through the holes. A tendency for the coil to be torn through the holes makes this type of mechanical binding unsuitable for publications likely to be subject to much use or careless handling. The binding margins of such publications are frequently less than 1/2 inch, and part of that is taken by the holes, which makes rebinding difficult if the publication must be sewn, as the holes can cause breakage of the needles and punches of an oversewing machine. Furthermore, in many cases, the type of paper used for these publications does not lend itself well to adhesive binding. Also called "coil binding," or "spirex binding." (139 , 234 , 338 )




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