I had a chat recently with a customer who wanted more information on how to bind her company's documents in a landscape orientation instead of the traditional portrait orientation. In other words, she wanted to bind her documents on the short side of the page instead of the long side of the page and she wanted to know which binding style would best accomplish this objective.

Since binding with a landscape orientation usually involves hand trimming the binding spine, there are 3 questions to ask when choosing the right binding style for landscape binding.

1. Is the binding style easy to trim?
2. Is the binding style safe after trimming?
3. Is the binding style attractive after trimming?

Most standard binding spines are made to bind the traditional 8-1/2" x 11" document size. So when you place this spine on the short side of the page, you're going to be left with extra spine that needs to be trimmed. Usually, this trimming will need to be done by hand since most binding machines do not include a trimming element. And if you're going to be trimming by hand, you will want to make sure that the spine can easily be cut, even after binding 100 books or more.

Is the Binding Style Safe After Trimming?

Some spines would not be considered safe after trimming. Some spines such as wire may have rough edges if not trimmed correctly. To avoid rough edges that might scratch or poke end users, it's best to avoid these spines that may not leave a smooth finish after trimming.

Is the Binding Style Attractive After Trimming?

Even if you find a binding style that is easy to trim and may be considered safe, you need to make sure that your selection is also attractive after trimming. For example, GBC ProClick binding spines may be considered easy and safe, but may not be as attractive as other binding options after they are trimmed.

So What is the Best Option While there are many attractive binding styles to choose from, here is the answer I gave to our customer looking for a recommendation on the best binding spine to use when trimming is necessary. I recommend either the Spiral Coil Binding Spines or Plastic Comb Binding Spines. Both of these binding spine options fit the 3 criteria necessary for choosing a binding spine when trimming is desired or required.

Whatever option you choose, keep in mind the 3 questions above when making a binding spine selection for your next binding presentation project.