Here's what you need to know about full color custom binders:

Full color binders give you the greatest possible flexibility when it comes to your binder design. The vast majority of SpeedBinder customers choose "entrapment style" full color binders. (Most of the samples above are entrapment style.) They are economical, durable, and look terrific.

Entrapment-style construction is great for low to medium quantities (our minimum order is just 25 binders). Because the digital printing can be done on medium format equipment, the costs are kept low. Plus (as can be seen on the samples), the results are terrific, and because this is a vinyl binder, you get great durability and the ability to economically add things like pockets, business card holders, CD holders, etc.

To make an entrapment-style full color binder, your artwork is printed digitally on heavy-gauge paper and then laminated underneath a layer of durable clear vinyl at the time the binder is manufactured (hence the term "entrapment", which honestly we find to be a very unattractive word, but that's what the industry calls them!) These are not the same thing as the "clearview" binders you buy at the office supply store. With clearview binders, you slide your inserts in from the top. With entrapment-style binders, the inserts are permanently sealed in on all four sides. Because of this, the inserts can fill nearly 100% of the cover area, leaving only a very thin sliver of the underlying vinyl showing around the perimeter.

Entrapment-style construction is great for low to medium quantities (our minimum order is just 25 binders). Because the digital printing can be done on medium format equipment, the costs are kept low. Plus (as can be seen on the samples), the results are terrific, and because this is a vinyl binder, you get great durability and the ability to economically add things like pockets, business card holders, CD holders, etc.

One way of managing that issue is to pre-purchase a large quantity of litho-printed covers, but only make the binders as demand warrants. SpeedBinder will store your printed covers in our warehouse at no charge. For example, you can purchase 5000 pre-printed covers, and then have SpeedBinder make them into binders for you 500 at a time. This will significantly lower your unit cost, although you do have to factor in the risk that your artwork will change before you use up all the covers purchase (we've had situations where, because of a corporate name change, we've sent tens of thousands of pre-printed litho covers to the recyclers! Ouch!).

The other option is called a "turned-edge" binder.

Turned-edge binders are made using a process that is very similar to the making of the cover for a hardcover book. The artwork is printed (on large-format equipment...the covers are 14" tall and as much as 30" wide) on large sheets that are then glued to the chipboard that makes up the binder. The artwork is printed over-size, and the excess is wrapped around to the inside of the binder (hence the name "turned-edge"). A liner (which may also be printed) is then glued to the inside of the binder.

Turned-edge binders look great, and are somewhat more affordable than litho-printed vinyl binders (but still considerably more expensive than entrapment-style binders), mainly because there are lots of printing companies with large-format presses that can handle the large sheets of paper needed for a turned edge binder, but there are only a handful of specialized presses that can print directly on vinyl in the entire country(as is required for a litho-print vinyl binder). The other consideration with turned-edge binders is that they do not have the durability of either an entrapment-style or litho-print style binder. Vinyl is tough stuff! Turned-edge binders do not have any vinyl in them, so they will show wear more quickly. But they do look sharp!

We can't leave the discussion of turned-edge binders without discussing pockets. Simply put, there is no good, economical way to have pockets in a turned-edge binder. The options are to either use a self-adhesive vinyl pocket (which will work fine, but frankly don't look that good, and have to be applied by hand, so they aren't that economical either), or to incorporate a turned-edge pocket in the binder itself. While that can be done, it is also largely all hand work, so the cost is considerable. If you need pockets in your binder, you probably want to look at a vinyl binder (either the entrapment-style or the litho-print style).

In conclusion:

1. Entrapment-style : Affordable, good for small to large quantities, durable.
2. Litho-print vinyl : More expensive, only feasible for larger quantities, durable.
3. Turned-edge : More expensive, only feasible for larger quantities, sharp appearance, not as durable, pockets are more expensive.