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Finishing

There are a range of print finishing and binding options you can choose from. If you are unsure as to which finish is most appropriate for your particular job please contact Mercury Walch for advice.

Binding

Documents can be bound in a number of ways, depending on the purpose and shelf-life of the document.

Binding type DescriptionUses
Plastic comb bindingComb bindingHoles punched along head or spine of document. Comb inserted. Clear plastic cover can be inserted.Medium shelf life. Lecture notes; presentations. Easy to add or remove pages. Various sizes and thicknesses. Can bind up to 350 leaves of paper (80 gsm)
Wire bindingWire bindingHoles punched along head or spine of document and wire coil inserted. Clear plastic cover can be inserted for an additional charge.Permanent. More resilient than comb binding but also more expensive. Opens to lie flat. Can bind up to 120 leaves (80 gsm)
Thermal bindingThermal bindingPages are hot glued together in a special machine forming a secure documentQuick, cheap and convenient, suitable for thesis requiring marking. Also can be called 'softbound'. Suitable for up to 320 leaves (80 gsm)
Perfect bindingPerfect bindingPages glued on edge and placed into a cover (paperback book style)Permanent. Maximum 500 pages (80 gsm) (250 leaves of paper)
Thesis (case) bindingThesis (case) bindingPages are drilled and sewn to produce a secure and long lasting document. Covers are hand-made to suit using Oxford University standard buckram. See swatch for range of colours.Permanent and archival shelf life. Used for binding final thesis after marking. Recommended maximum 300 leaves of paper.

Laminating

Laminating protects documents, posters and signs, and gives them a durable finish. Uniprint can laminate up to 1 metre wide in a continuous length.

Padding

Tear off pads with glued sheets generally at head (or spine).

Drilling

Holes can be drilled according to the ring binder to be used – most standard documents are drilled either 2 holes or 4 holes.

Folding

Documents can be folded in a number of ways:

Single fold: A3 to A4 size, A4 to A5 size

Two folds A4 to DL

Stapling

Stapling one or two stitches on side of flat sheets

Saddle stitched booklets

Folded sheets (A4 or A3) are made into a booklet form by stapling on the spine. Please note that pages must be in multiples of 4. Maximum page length is 80 pages, 80 gsm. For example 15 sheets of A4 paper, printed on both sides with 2 x A5 pages, folded and stitched makes a 60-page A5 printed page book.

Shrink wrapping and packing

Printed material can be shrink-wrapped into parcels, normally up to a maximum of 500 sheets per package.