9 Printing, Binding, and Distributing Manuals

Binding

A variety of binding methods are suitable for manuals, such as perfect binding, metal spiral, and plastic cerlux. However, for revisable manuals, where you must be able to remove old sections and add new ones, the best type of binding is a 3-ring binder.

Custom Ordering Binders

Binders can be bought off the shelf at your local office supply retailer, or custom-ordered from a bindery (see Figure 9-1 and Figure 9-2). In most cases, it’s cheaper to order directly from the bindery. Ask what options you have before ordering. Most binderies can make binders up to any specification, including printing full-colour graphics on the cover.

In most cases, you’ll need to determine the binder size before you can finalize the artwork for the cover and spine. To determine the binder size, you’ll need to know how many pages will be in the manual and the number of divider tabs. Once you have a rough page count, look up the binder size using the binder capacity table. Don’t overstuff the binders—aim for about 75 percent of the maximum capacity.

Try to get at least three price quotations from different binderies. Provide them with the specifications for the binders and ask them to give you a written quote. Make sure you order some spares—it’s a lot cheaper to order a few extra now, than have to go back later and have more made up.

Figure 9-1: Types of binder rings


	With lifter: the pages do not jam			Without lifter: the pages jam

Figure 9-2: Binders with and without lifters

Your specification should include:

the number, size, and colour of 3-ring binders needed (use D-ring if the ring is over one inch in diameter)
whether the artwork will be printed on the binder or onto trap sheets, the cardstock inserts that fit in the clear plastic sleeves on the cover and spine
a sheet lifter for the front of D-ring binders
13- to 15-gauge swade vinyl
120-pound board for binders one inch and above

Cover Design

Have the artwork for the cover and spine designed by a professional graphic artist. If you don’t have access to one in-house, use an outside agency. A reader’s first impression of a manual comes from the artwork on the cover. Don’t discourage readers from using the manual by making a poor first impression.

Start the process early. Don’t leave the cover design until last. Good design ideas often take time to develop. It’s best to start by brainstorming ideas, then take the best three and have the graphic artist develop them into artistic comps (detailed sketches of what the covers would look like). Choose the best one and have the camera-ready artwork prepared based on that comp.

There are several methods of printing the binders. Either you can print directly onto the vinyl binder, or you can print onto cardstock trap sheets, which are then sealed into place when the binders are made up, or inserted by hand into the pockets.

If you’re printing the cover artwork directly onto the binder, the camera-ready artwork must go to the bindery. If you’re printing onto trap sheets, it may have to be printed elsewhere.

Table 9-1: Pros and cons of methods of printing binders

Method	Advantages	Disadvantages
Trap sheets (inserted by hand)	less expensive to print extra binders can be bought when necessary print quality high binders can be re-used if necessary fewer design constraints	not as professional-looking it takes a lot of work to insert the printed trap sheets
Trap sheets (sealed into the binders)	high print quality with few design constraints more professional-looking than trap sheets inserted by hand	binders can’t be re-used for another purpose all binders required must be printed at the same time if the organization name or logo changes, the binders must be replaced
Printing onto binder (silk-screening)	professional look	more expensive all binders required must be printed at the same time if the organization name or logo changes, the binders must be replaced severe design limitations imposed by vinyl finish

Divider Tabs

Divider tabs are used to make it easy for readers to find a chapter quickly, or go directly to a chapter without referring to the table of contents. It’s best to use a divider tab to mark each chapter only—don’t use a tab for every section or you’ll end up with a forest of overlapping tabs. And every time you add a new section or change a section title or number, you’ll have to print a new tab. See Figure 9-3.

Tabs come in banks, each bank consisting of a row of tabs. For an illustration of bank sizes, see Binders and Divider Tabs.

Figure 9-3: Sample tabs

Tabs should be printed on cardstock (usually 10 point to 12 point cardstock) in a colour matching the colour scheme of the binder and cover art. The tabs should be laminated with the chapter number and title shown on both sides. Divider tabs are usually prepared by the bindery.