When you create a manuscript, be it for a fiction novel, a work report, a white paper, or something else, you need to keep the pages together by binding them. A staple in the corner won't work for bigger manuscripts. However, because many forms of binding require that the binding material (e.g., a coil) actually cut into the page, you need to adjust the margin on the side of the page that is being bound. A few issues affect how much extra space you need to set aside to bind your manuscript.
How Much of the Page Will Be in the "Gutter"
When books and other multi-page documents are bound, there is a "gutter" where the edges of the page disappear into the binding. Sometimes, this gutter is very shallow, such as with hardback books that you can open up flat. Other times, the gutter is rather deep, such as with binding done with brads or metal tags. You need to find out how much of each page will be in the gutter, even if you're using spiral binding in which you can still see all of the page; any words set where the coil will go will still be obscured by the holes for the coil. Keep in mind that the thicker your document is, the larger the coil will have to be, and the further in toward the center of the page the coil will have to go. That will require a larger gutter and margin.
What the Pitch of the Binding Coil Will Be
If you use spiral binding, you'll have to choose how close the loops in the coil will be. This is called the pitch, and it's expressed in the form of a ratio, such as 4:1 (four holes per inch). The more holes there are in the paper, the less paper there will be along the side of the coil. Because that can result in the paper being weaker — it's easier to tear paper when there's less of it to tear — you may have to adjust how wide your margin is to compensate.
How Large the Coil Has to Be
As mentioned, a larger document requires a larger coil. A large coil could go right along the edge of the page, but the weight of the larger document could pull everything out of whack. If there isn't much paper on the inside of the coil, it could tear more easily. Picture trying to pick up the document when it's open; maybe you pick it up by one section and the rest suddenly drop down and pull against the coil. That coil is going to have to be placed further in with more of a gutter.
The binding service you use can help you figure out the margin size you need when you arrange for spiral binding. If you're buying a small spiral binding machine for your office, check the user manual for suggested margins.
Contact a company like Spiel Associates, Inc to learn more.
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