Spiral coil binding (also known as Color Coil binding) is a bright, trendy binding element that has excellent bounce back memory. This makes it an attractive method for those looking for something new and exciting, as well as something that can be mailed and stand up under adverse conditions.

Here are some key points to remember about Spiral Coil binding :

There are three primary hole patterns used for coil binding.
- The GBC / Ibico 4:1 pattern utilizes holes that are 0.2475” center to center with 44 holes on an 11” binding edge.
- The industry standard pattern for color coil utilizes holes that are 0.250” center to center with 43 holes on an 11” binding edge.
- The 5:1 pattern for coil binding utilizes holes that are 0.200” center to center with 55 holes on an 11” binding edge.

GBC / Ibico 4:1 vs. Industry 4:1 — Documents punched using the GBC / Ibico 4:1 pattern and the Industry 4:1 pattern both use the same binding elements. There is no need to use special binding elements with either pattern. So, why use the GBC / Ibico pattern? Simple … with Industry 4:1, many people were understandably upset with the frequency of paper that had holes punched off the top and bottom of the binding edges. This was caused by the holes being spaced further apart (.250” center to center). Ibico developed a new 4:1 pattern, with the holes slightly closer, .2475” center to center. This pattern has solved the problem, and has become the lead pattern for most Coil Binding users.

4:1 Pitch vs. 5:1 Pitch – 5:1 Pitch, with 55 holes to the 11” binding edge created the same challenge as Industry 4:1 – PLUS, the number of pages in a 5:1 document are substantially less than in 4:1 since color coil spines are only available in sizes up to 25mm in 5:1 pitch while 4:1 pitch coil is available in sizes up to 50mm.

Length – In the office environment, most coil that is used is 12” in length; which, when cut and crimped, become 11” for the 11” binding edge. However, some users do use 36” lengths of coil. These longer pieces of coil are more often used with AFD equipment and by print shops looking to bind documents in irregular sizes.

Crimping – Coil elements must have the top and bottom ends of the element crimped, to prevent the coil from slipping through the holes of the document. This procedure can be accomplished either manually, with coil crimping pliers or with a semi automatic crimper such as the GBC heavy-duty CI-12 Inserter.

Millimeters vs. Inches – All color coil is sized by millimeters – ranging from 6mm through 50mm in 4:1 pitch. To determine the size of a coil, measure the inside diameter. MyBinding.com provides a chart to help you determine the correct sizing for your book in the coil binding supplies section of our website.