Need help with purchasing a binder machine

[Kenny Cruzan]

I am clueless when it comes to things like this........Okay, before someone reponds, I'm sure I'm clueless about a lot of things.  Now that we got that out of the way 

I'm looking for a way to make our proposals look better to the customer.  We currently have an old plastic spiral type binding machine that manualy we push the handle to cut out the rectangle holes, than put the paper on the metal contraption and the plastic binders open and you know the rest.

I have seen one agency use metal spiral binders that was cool.  Does anyone have feedback on that?
How about Thermo binder machines?

Any help is greatly appreciated on this topic.

Thanks,

[Jan Regnier]

Kenny

We still use the "plastic" spines for our binders but our machine (GBC) is electronic and the hole punching is done using specific "number of holes needed" settings.  We really only use one setting but it can be changed without much effort.  Both binder covers and Binder documents are hole punched by the machine.  I usually "punch" covers in large numbers so all the CSAs have to do is punch their documents and then assemble the binder (on the machine).

Our covers are "leather-like" with our logo and name in gold foil. Our machine is VERY old (like 1990ish) but it's been totally trouble free.

[TrishaOurs]

We use an electronic binding machine and we still use plastic spiral binders.  Our binding machine is GBC CombBind C400e.  We haven't had any problems with it and I think its maybe 4 years old.

[brinkerdana]

Used one of the plastic heat binders at one agency.  It was a PITA!  You had to have a special tool to open it for additionals pages, etc.  Also, clients hated that they couldn't take the proposal apart to make copies, etc.

[Jan Regnier]

Used one of the plastic heat binders at one agency.  It was a PITA!  You had to have a special tool to open it for additionals pages, etc.  Also, clients hated that they couldn't take the proposal apart to make copies, etc.

That's one of things I DO like about the machine we have....if you goof - you can take it apart and fix it!  Or if it needs to be added to or disassembled and the parts reused...can do.

[TrishaOurs]

Used one of the plastic heat binders at one agency.  It was a PITA!  You had to have a special tool to open it for additionals pages, etc.  Also, clients hated that they couldn't take the proposal apart to make copies, etc.

That's one of things I DO like about the machine we have....if you goof - you can take it apart and fix it!  Or if it needs to be added to or disassembled and the parts reused...can do.

[Mark]

We use an electronic binding machine and we still use plastic spiral binders.  Our binding machine is GBC CombBind C400e.  We haven't had any problems with it and I think its maybe 4 years old.

I was going to ask if that was the one I picked out & setup!! LOL

[TrishaOurs]

LOL, I think you were gone already.

We use an electronic binding machine and we still use plastic spiral binders.  Our binding machine is GBC CombBind C400e.  We haven't had any problems with it and I think its maybe 4 years old.

I was going to ask if that was the one I picked out & setup!! LOL

[Steven Strauss]

I would go with the comb style binders over the spiral style. The comb style is way easier to assemble quickly (and I've had much practice in that regard), the combs are easier to fix if you make a mistake, and the combs are more flexible in accomodating a varied numer of pages in a given size, thus reducing the amount of supplies you need to buy.

My 2¢...

[Ian Blundell]

  Also, clients hated that they couldn't take the proposal apart to make copies, etc.

You want to make it easy for them to copy your proposal to send to your competitors?

[Billy Welsh]

  Also, clients hated that they couldn't take the proposal apart to make copies, etc.

You want to make it easy for them to copy your proposal to send to your competitors?

They'll just give them the original and make the competitor disassemble.   

[brinkerdana]

The biggest problem was our difficulty taking the thing apart.  Had producers hanging over our shoulders up to minutes before the appointment making changes.  The spiral was much easier to change!