Binder Covers and Other Binder Cover Design Options - Ring Mechanisms
Rings, Rings, and More Rings… Ring Mechanisms come in a myriad of designs, styles, and colors.
How do I determine the appropriate ring specifications for binder covers, guest services directory covers, and other custom binder cover design options…?
Let’s see if we can simplify this decision for you… First, always remember to talk to your Impact Design Sales Associate if you need assistance. Their training, experience, patience, and passion for customer service will help to make ring specifications clear.
Additional Guidance from Impact Enterprises:
- Standard ring styles, designs and colors are always worth considering because these are typically stock items, and their costs are considerably less than custom manufactured rings.
- Consider hole drilling (punching). If you are drilling your own inserts, make certain you have the equipment required for the ring design you decided upon.
The Most Popular Ring Designs:
Ring Size and Ring Capacity
Ring size and Ring capacity are terms frequently used interchangeably
Ring Size: the INSIDE measurement of the rings. When determining the ring size make certain that you only measure the inside of the rings. The inside measurement is the most prevalent measurement industry wide.
Most Common Ring Sizes:
Round Ring: ½”, ¾”, 1”, 1.5”, 2”, 2.5”, and 3”
“D” Ring: ½”, ¾”, 1”, 1.5”, 2”, 2.5”, and 3”
Slant “D” Ring: 1”, 1.5”, 2”, 2.5”, 3”, and 4”
Square Ring: ¾”, 1”, 1.5”, 2”
Ring Capacity: Capacity refers to the number of inserts (usually printed paper sheets) a particular ring size can hold. HOWEVER, this ‘number’ will vary depending upon:
- The thickness or weight of the paper you will use
- If these inserts will be placed in plastic protective pockets.
- If there is other material that will be included that may be ‘thicker’ than your inserts.
Some Rules of Thumb for capacity (size) or quantity of paper (Keep in mind that paper weight or thickness will affect final quantity. Also, consider index tab dividers, plastic protective pockets, and any other unusually thick insert such as a CD or DVD insert.
Note: If rings are filled to capacity, turning pages is not a particularly smooth function.
Conservative Estimates: Assumption: paper weight is 20lb.
½” ring: approximately 70 – 85 sheets
¾” ring: approximately 100 – 115 sheets
1” ring: approximately 160 – 185 sheets
1.5” ring: approximately 230 – 270 sheets
2” ring: approximately 360 – 380 sheets
2.5" ring: approximately 460 - 480 sheets
3” ring: approximately 550 – 580 sheets
Boosters: Boosters are the small tabs at each end of the ring mechanism that enables easy opening of the rings for paper insertion. Push down on these tabs (boosters) and the rings open up.
Why have a booster:
it provides easy opening of the rings.
Why not have a booster:
some inserts may extend beyond the booster tab which will prevent the insert from lying flat.
Colors: Our ring mechanisms are available in a wide selection of powder coated finishes, in fact, over 300 colors are available for you to choose from
Rivets: Rivets are used to secure the ring mechanism to the interior spine or interior back cover. The ‘head’ of the rivet can either be exposed or concealed.
- Exposed rivets denote that the rivets are inserted after the cover material is applied (wrapped around the underlying board). The rivet goes through the cover material and the underlying board and therefore the head of the rivet will show on the finished binder.
- Concealed rivets denote that the rivets are inserted only through the underlying board before the cover material is applied. When the cover material is applied it covers the heads of the rivets.
