Spiral Binding

A way to bind a book that involves twisting a wire through pages to form a spine. Used most often to bind notebooks. link=File:Encadernação_espiral.jpg|alt=A spiral bound notebook.|border|left|frameless|250x250px Spiral binding is a type of book binding. Instead of using glue or thread, spiral bound books have holes punched in the leftmost sides of the pages that are then threaded through with a spiraling wire. Machines can be used to automate the hole punching process, reducing human effort while increasing efficiency, since more sheets of paper can be punched through at one time. Spiral bound books often have thicker covers to protect the inside papers, which are more exposed to wear. Wire is chosen based on the thickness of the book, then spun through the pages. Once the wire spans the length of the book, the ends are cut, then crimped using pliers. This locks the wire into the spine, while also making sure the ends do not get caught and unspool out of the book.

This type of binding is beneficial to books who may need to lay flat, and is often used for notebooks or art books, since users would want the book to lie flat as they write in it. They are sometimes used for manuals as well, which are often made with more durable paper that is less prone to tearing. The biggest drawback to this kind of binding is the lack of a spine, which makes it difficult to identify when placed on a shelf among other spiral bound books, especially in a library setting.