November 2003: Semi-Concealed Wire-O Binding

Wire-O binding is perhaps the most attractive and versatile binding style available. In addition to allowing books to lay flat and fold 360 degrees for single-hand use, Wire-O binding elements are available in a variety of colors to enhance the appearance of your books. On the versatility side, there are several cover styles that can be used with Wire-O binding. The most common cover style is a traditional two-piece cover, which is comprised of separate front and back leaves. However, many applications call for the layflat advantages of Wire-O binding, but with the printable spine of other binding style covers.

One solution that satisfies both of those demands is a semi-concealed Wire-O cover. Semi-concealed covers are comprised of a single-piece cover that’s attached to the Wire-O binding elements at the back cover, which is the only location where the wire will be visible. The result is an attractive cover style that includes a printable spine, which makes it ideal for books that will be displayed or sold on store shelves. From a production standpoint, semi-concealed covers require some advance planning in order to look their best. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when designing your books to include semi-concealed covers:

Use a bulking dummy - Semi-concealed covers require carefully-placed scores that form the spine around the wire. For that reason, you’ll want to use a bulking dummy to determine the exact bulk of your text and cover sheets. That measurement will then be used to determine the proper wire diameter and, therefore, the location of the scores and punched holes on the cover. In addition, a bulking dummy ensures that any copy on the spine is centered properly between the scores.

Avoid punching into type - This is a common yet easily avoidable mistake. As with all other Wire-O styles, semi-concealed books using 3:1 wire (three holes per linear inch) should have at least a 3/8” margin between the spine edge and the punched holes. For 2:1 Wire-O books, leave at least a 1/2” margin.

The Eckhart Advantage
At Eckhart and Company, we offer you a complete range of production and decoration options for your semi-concealed Wire-O applications. Our fully-automatic Bielomatik binding machines can perform cover feeding, punching and binding inline for the most efficient production available. Looking to create truly distinctive semi-concealed covers? Our screen printing, die cutting, foil stamping, embossing, UV coating and laminating capabilities give you plenty of in-house design freedom.

Back Issues:

• April 2004  Turn Your Mechanically Bound Book Into a Display Piece

• March 2004  Large Diameter Spiral Wire Binding

• February 2004  Perfect Binding

• January 2004  Our Capabilities

• December 2003  Turned Edge Advantages

• November 2003  Semi-Concealed Wire-O

• October 2003  The Advantages of UV Coating

• September 2003  Mechanical Binding Inserts

• August 2003  The Advantages of Prototypes

• July 2003  Calendars

• June 2003  Index Tabbing

• May 2003  Plastic Comb Binding

• April 2003  Mechanical Binding Options

• March 2003  News From BookTech

• February 2003  Plastic Spiral Binding

• January 2003  Serving Our Customers

• December 2002  Wire-O Covers

• November, 2002 Spiral Wire Production

• October, 2002 Wire-O Binding

• September, 2002 Mechanical Binding Basics

• August, 2002 Cased-In Wire-O