Historically speaking, in order to have your books or reports bound, you had to take them to an outside source. However, today it is as easy as purchasing your own binding machine. The biggest obstacle is in deciding whether you need to use wire bindings or plastic. Plastic bindings are cheaper and a little easier to use. One of the most commonly used plastic combs is the Cerlox brand made by GBC.

Plastic comb bindings can be used in either manual or electric binding machines. A small manual binding machine can be purchased for less than $100. The number of pages you can bind depends on the size of the plastic comb. A 1-inch plastic comb will contain about 100 sheets of paper. Something to remember is that you want to ensure that you give your work with enough room that the pages can be opened properly. If the binding is too tight or if the margins used in your document are too thin, then it may prove difficult to read because the reader would not be able to open the document wide enough to do so.

Another thing about Cerlox plastic combs is that they come in many different colors, including Navy blue and white. Smaller combs are round, while the larger sizes are oval shaped and come with special locking systems that keep heavier documents intact. Even though the basic combs are made with 19 rings for legal sized paper, you can get them with as few as 15 rings for smaller works or up to 24 rings for something larger.

If you are searching for an inexpensive way to bind your own presentations, the Cerlox plastic combs might be the thing for you. They are easy to use, come in different colors, make for an excellent backup choice compared to electronic documentation, and keep your research all in one place. Stop shelling out hundreds of dollars for your binding needs. Create your own books and reports, and save yourself a lot of money.