You’ve created a masterful design that speaks to your company’s personality and you’re ready to turn heads with your custom printed binders – but your work isn’t over yet. The best binders are the ones that go the extra mile in both function and fashion. If you want to optimize your binders so that they best represent your company’s interests, there are a number of different ways to take that final step towards perfection.
Add index tabs for a greater degree of organization.
Binder Accessories
The best binders have add-ons that help your documents stay protected and organized. Use binder sleeves and you’ll never have to use a three-hole punch again – just slide your document into the sleeve and you’re good to go. Use custom tabbed binder dividers to better classify and break up your information into smaller chunks.
Reinforced Edges
A reinforced edge not only makes your binder more durable, it adds a new aesthetic quality to the interior. The reinforcement is made by wrapping the front cover around and folding down the edges on the inside. This allows you to play with contrasting or complementary color scheme to make the interior of your binder a work of art.
An example of a binder with a portfolio flap add-on.
Portfolio Flap
Try a portfolio flap for additional design room and document security. The flap goes around from the back cover to the front and closes with Velcro tabs so that the contents of your binder cannot escape. The extra room provided by the flap gives you more design choice and additional areas to post information.
Slip Cases
Slip cases make your binders look more like books, which makes it easier for you to store them on a bookshelf. They also add an entirely new surface to work with, allowing you to create a design that looks worthy enough to display proudly on a shelf.
Add a special finish to your binder, like a metallic foil stamped design.
Foil Effects
Foil stamping adds a touch of sophistication to your binder by allowing you to create a shiny, textural effect. Metallic foils look reflective, while non-metallic foils have a smooth colorful look like a fresh coat of paint. There are even special effect foils, like holographic, which give your design a unique flair.
Embossing and Debossing
If there’s a part of your binder that you want to bring attention to, consider adding an embossed or debossed effect. Raise the area into a textural relief that pops out at the reader, or deboss the area so that it sinks into the binder.
Customize your interior pockets to match the rest of your binder design.
Pocket Design
Pockets are great organizational tools, but the best binders utilize pockets for decorative purposes, too. Add a logo, text or pictures to your interior pockets. Swap out a traditional horizontal pocket for an eye-catching vertical pocket, and you’ll have more room to print information on the binder interior.
Die Cutting
Add die cut effects to your binders to give them a distinctive personality. Die cut windows tease you with a taste of what’s inside the binder. Use die cutting to create unique pocket shapes or one-of-a-kind business card holders. Even the shape of the front cover can be specially die cut.
Specialty Customization
The best binders are the ones that best represent your company’s needs and brand identity. If you have an customization idea, you can always look in to having your binder design ideas brought to life through specialty orders. Sometimes the only way to stand out in a crowd is to break free from the mold and try your own style.
This post is a part of our Binders 101 product guide.
