Often-overlooked organizational gem…
In 1611, after seven years of hard work, the King James Bible translation committee sent their final draft to printer Robert Barker.
The resulting volume, which would become the bestselling book in history, was available in two versions: bound, for 12 shillings, and looseleaf, for only 10 shillings.
Why (other than to save a couple shillings) would anyone want a looseleaf book, manual, or publication?
We can’t speak for Bible buyers in 17th century England, but today there are many valid reasons why looseleaf binding is a popular option.
The term “looseleaf binding” sounds like an oxymoron since in raw form looseleaf pages aren’t bound at all.
In practice, looseleaf pages are usually drilled with holes and inserted into ring binders, from which they can be easily removed.This provides many unique advantages.
The looseleaf format is especially well suited to any publication that will contain written comments, such as workbooks, training manuals, and technical manuals.
Pages may be easily removed from binders, marked up as needed, and painlessly reinserted.
Left-handers especially appreciate not having binding to interfere with their writing!
Other binding styles claim to lay flat on a desk or a table, but looseleaf rules the roost.
Looseleaf pages in a properly sized ring binder sit completely flat when opened on a desk, table, or even a lap.
As noted before, individual sheets can be removed for more convenience.
Many training and education publishers grant reproduction rights to their materials.
Looseleaf allows pages to be removed from binders for easy scanning/copying.
Examples of this are teacher’s editions of textbooks for elementary, secondary, college, or continuing education.
Only looseleaf allows quick and completely painless updating: change, revise, correct, or supplement your publication. Why reprint an entire catalog or parts manual when only a page or two needs revision?
Sometimes you don’t want users to read ahead. The simplest way to control this is to use looseleaf.
Copresco can shrinkwrap each chapter or section. On the first day of class a binder containing day one materials is handed to attendees.
Each successive chapter is parceled out at the beginning of each session to be inserted into their binder by the students.
Looseleaf is popular for thick, complex volumes which can be very bulky. Pertinent sections can be easily removed and moved to smaller notebooks, folders, or even simply stapled or paper-clipped.
Afterwards those pages can be returned to their proper place with no loss of integrity.
Can’t all of looseleaf’s features be duplicated by digital or on-line media? The short answer is “no.” The longer, more thoughtful answer is “why would you want to?”
Studies unanimously show greater comprehension and retention comes from reading and studying from printed media.
Handwritten annotation significantly increases retention over typed notes. And after the event, a binder is much more likely to be retained and opened again and again for reference, while digital files tend to disappear into the cloud, never to be opened again.
If your project isn’t important, a digital format might be worth considering to save a few pennies, but in most cases that is terribly shortsighted.
After all your hard work and expense of preparing and producing your publication, it is worth presenting in the most effective possible way.
Examples in which a looseleaf binder may be the best medium include workbooks, training materials, technical manuals, catalogs, teacher editions, conference and convention materials, employee handbooks, directories, and even cookbooks.
So the next time you need printed pages, whether bound or looseleaf, call the company that can handle whatever format is best for you. Call Copresco.
We’ll talk in-depth about organizing your looseleaf publications with such techniques as shrinkwrapping, index tabbing, and ring binders.
USPS postal rate increases of approximately 2.5% are now in effect. A one ounce stamp is now 55¢
