PLANNER BINDING 101

COIL BINDING

Coil bound planners (sometimes called spiral bound) are the most common style out there. A coil bound planner has some great advantages including its sturdiness, durability, and the ability to always lay flat. Coiled planners can also be folded in half and offer a smooth page turn.

When a coil bound planner is made, the order of the pages is set in stone (unless you know how to hand coil yourself, but that’s a whole other conversation). Since the pages are bound to the coil, writing can sometimes be harder as the coil can get in the way, especially if you’re left-handed.

Coil sizing varies from company to company, and we actually use several different size coils for our planners. The coil size used depends on the number of pages that are included in each planner as this affects the planner’s thickness. We hand-coil all of our coil bound planners at Plum Paper. Our coils are available in silver and gold.

DISC PUNCH

Discbound planners are not as common as coil bound ones, but those who use them love this system for many reasons. Discbound planners are punched in a specific way so that they can be held together by plastic or metal circles known as discs. Discbound planners allow you to easily add or remove pages to build a planner that works best for you. This feature also makes writing a lot easier, especially for left-handed people, as you can pull out the page you want to write on and put it back once done.

Discs come in various sizes (known as systems), materials, and colors or designs which allows you to select one that fits your needs and matches your style. Discs are also reusable so you can use them for all of your planners. You can mix and match disc systems from different companies but know that page sizes and punches may vary.

We offer the option of getting planner pages that are punched to fit discs and sell planner discs separately. Our planner discs are made of aluminum and are available in three sizes and colors. Our disc punched planners are also compatible with Arc, TUL, Levenger, and other discbound systems.

LOOSE PAGES

Loose pages are planner pages that have no binding included. This is a great option for those that choose to use a Ring Bound system or wish to disc punch their planner on their own. This binding style allows people to create a planner that is truly unique and all their own.

Loose pages require the proper tools, including a punch and a binder. Planner binders vary in size and ring count, so be sure you are getting the right size to fit your planner pages. Punching a planner can be tricky and if done incorrectly you might have to scrap your planner pages, so be sure to watch tutorials and videos if it’s your first time trying. We offer loose pages in all three of our planner sizes (A5, 7x9, and 8.5x11).

Ring Binders are most commonly available in the A5 size. If you are interested in a 7x9 size planner, the binder size A5W/A5 Wide will be the most accommodating for this size.

STAPLE BOUND

Staple Bound binding is when single sheets of paper are printed on both sides, folded in half, and then stapled through the fold by a saddle stitch stapler. This binding method for our planners and journals is very sturdy and allows your notebook to lie completely flat when opened, making them ideal for writing in. We offer staple bound binding for our journals and as customizable quarterly planners in our most popular layouts in small, medium, and large sizes.

NEED MORE PAGES?

We also offer our Personalized Notebooks in A5, 7x9, and 8.5x11 sizes that can come coiled, disc punched, or as loose pages. We offer many Note Taking options as well as various Lifestyle options. Our Note Taking Notebooks include 60 pages in the style of your choice and you can add up to 100 additional pages of our various Add-Ons. Notebooks are a great way to try out all of our Add-On options!