PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Ring Metal Capacity

Capacity is the maximum thickness of all the material loaded into a binder. In the diagrams, capacity is measured between the arrows.

Sheet Size is the dimension of the material to be inserted into a binder. NOTE: The height of the paper along the binding edge is always the first dimension given (example: If you insert 8-1/2” x 11” paper into your binder, you will use an 11” x 9” binder. The 11” measurement of your paper has the 3-hole drill so that dimension is first).

Types of Binding Mechanisms
NOTE: Boosters are the triggers on the end of a ring metal that help you open the rings. Many mechanisms are available with locking triggers as well.

How Big Should My Binder Be?

In the binder industry, we use the term capacity to describe the size of metal rings. To gauge how much material you will be inserting into your binder, count how many pages of paper you’ll use. Then refer to the chart(s) below to determine the capacity, or how big the metal rings needs to be.

The figures below are approximate capacity ranges. Consider the addition of tabs and special inserts to your printed material as well as the ring metal style. It often helps to make up a “dummy” binder by inserting sheets of paper and other materials into a binder you have on hand, to see if it can handle the contents. Comfortably fit your material into the binder; allow room to turn the pages easily.

Depending on how much capacity a binder has, the circular holes drilled or punched into the binding side of the paper will be different sizes. The punched out holes must be bigger as the capacity of your binder increases.