One of the key advantages of mechanical binding is its ability to allow books to open 360 degrees. This allows products to be held in one hand or remain flat on a tabletop. At Finish Line Binderies, we can help you make these products even more functional by incorporating an easel into the piece.

Traditionally, popular applications that benefit from this functionality include cookbooks, computer manuals and teaching guides. At Finish Line Binderies, it has been our experience that products ranging from sales guides to financial statements and annual reports can also benefit from the ability to instantly turn any mechanically-bound product into a display piece.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning a project to include an easel:

Easel Design and Construction

In the easel production process, the easel substrate is die-cut, scored and folded, which allows it to stay flat until activated by the user. It is then punched and collated with the book block. The book is then bound with either spiral wire, plastic spiral or Wire-O binding. For large-format or extremely thick applications, plastic spiral binding is the best solution, as the binding elements can better withstand the weight of these projects.

Planning Suggestion

Easels require sufficient thickness and rigidity to easily support the book when opened. Several factors must be considered to determine the appropriate substrate, including the size and thickness of the book, the size of the binding elements and the presence of plastic or vinyl sheets or dividers, which may add weight to the piece. For most applications, we recommend that easels be constructed of at least 60 to 120 pt. board, though even thicker substrates such as corrugated board may be required for extremely large applications.