When it comes to binding together pages for briefs, contracts, wills, judgements, and other legal documents, there is no more secure method than velo binding. This tamper-proof system makes it incredibly difficult to take apart without making it look clearly tampered with. Because of this unique feature, it is the premier choice for the law industry.
How Does Velo Binding Work?
Velobind is the optimum document bindery solution for the legal industry. This graphic displays how the process works. Using a two-piece binding strip, the pronged strip is placed upward through your punched pages. The flat strip is then placed over the prongs. The document is placed into your Velobinding machine where the excess prongs are cut off and heat is used to melt the two strips together. The only way to unbind the book is to use a special tool called a de-binder that cuts the strips. Without that tool, you have an incredibly secure method that makes tampering incredibly difficult.
Our velo binding equipment selection includes top-of-the-line equipment made by only the best brands in the document finishing industry, including GBC, Tamerica, James Burn, Rhin-O-Tuff, and more. These binding finishers are perfect for large law firms or court reporting offices with daily binding requirements. We also offer velobind machines for commercial print and corporate offices. Punch and bind solutions, as well as just punch and just-bind systems are available.
Made of hard plastic, one velo spine set includes one piece that features 11 pegs and a second piece that features 11 corresponding holes. When placed into your hot knife velo binding machine, these spines are melted together. The pegs are available in several different lengths for different capacity books, including 1", 2", or 3" capacities. Choose from several professional colors, including black, white, blue, maroon, or green velo binding strips, as well as 8 ½", 11", and 14" lengths.
• Used to remove hot knife strips
• Strong, sharp blade for easy cutting
• The only safe way to remove a velo strip from a document
• Must-have tool for velobinding
• Sheet Size: Choose from several
• Holes: 11-hole (11" edge) or 9-Hole (8.5" edge)
• Stock: 5, 7, or 10 Mil Acetate
• Qty: 100 Covers/Case
• Sheet Size: 8.5" x 11" Letter
• Holes: 11-Hole (11" edge) or 9-Hole (8.5" edge)
• Stock: 15pt Vinyl
• Qty: 100 Covers/Case
• Sheet Size: 8.5" x 11" Letter
• Holes: 11-hole (11" edge) or 9-Hole (8.5" edge)
• Paper Stock: 20 lb. bond
• Qty: 5,000 Sheets/Case
Velo Binding Benefits & Downfalls
Velo binding is a popular solution in the legal industry, but it is also suited for some larger businesses. It is a great fit for various users, but as with all methods, it may not be ideal for all. So take a look at the pros and cons of velo strip binding below.
✅ Pros
• Professional finish
• Strip covers up the holes for a clean look
• Narrow strip doesn't cover much of your page
• Strips are almost flush and not bulky
• Very secure binding; difficult to de-bind
• High capacity binding with a maximum 3" stack
• 3 Standard lengths to choose from (8.5", 11", 14")
• 11-pin, 9-pin, & 14-pin options stocked
❌ Cons
• Doesn't allow for lay-flat without creasing pages
• Machines are on the more expensive side
• Limited color selection
Velo Binding FAQs
If you have a question about velo binding that you don't see answered in our frequently asked questions below, just give us a call at (866) 537-2244 and we would be happy to assist you.
1. How do you remove a velo binding?
Keep in mind that velobinding is not made to be easily removed, so the process can be tedious if you have to do it often, and may damage your page cover or pages as it is removed. But once you're done, you can easily remove or add pages, and re-bind your book with a new velo strip.
The safest way to remove a velo strip from a document is to use the debinder tool. To do this, follow these simple steps:
A) Flip your book over so the back side is facing up
B) Gently slide the blade on the debinder between the back cover and the strip
C) Twist the handle away from the document in a rotating fashion for each peg as you pull the debinder down the spine of your document
2. What is strip binding?
Strip binding is just another name for velo binding. It offers a clean and professional finish that is very minimal, so does not affect the look of your document as much as alternatives. Strip binding is very thin, offering a flatter finish that is not bulky. It also is bound on top of your pages, rather than to the side, which keeps your entire bound documents the exact same width and height as the pages themselves.
3. How many pins should a legal velo strip have?
A legal-size binding strip will have 14 pins, one pin for each inch of the 14 inch spine.
4. Can I top-bind with velobinding?
Yes! Top binding on your letter or legal-size document is easy with the 9-pin strips along the 8.5 inch edge.
5. Do you have more capacities?
Velobind strips are available in three capacities: 1", 2", and 3". This does not mean you cannot bind capacities in-between those sizes, though. Because the process of binding in your hot knife machine involved melting the strips together and cutting off the excess pins, you are not strictly stuck with a specific 1, 2, or 3 inch thickness; you can do anything in-between.
Velobind Training Video
Check out this training video on a similar model to the popular System 3 from GBC. Keep in mind that every machine will be different, so instructions for the model you purchase may vary, but this video provides a great general overview of the process.
First, place your pages into the bottom feed of the machine, align them to the paper stop so they are straight, and press the "punch" button.
Place the bottom strip (holes) onto the upper portion of the machine, aligning the smallest hole to the pin on the system.
Place your document onto the strip, and then place the top strip (pegs) down through the paper and bottom strip until it is flat on your sheets.
Press the bar down onto your book to start the heating and cutting process. When it is done, it will pop-up loke a toaster and you can remove your finished velobound book.
Featured Velobind Machine
Check out our most popular velobinding machine below, the GBC System Three Pro. This hot-knife binding system is the premier choice for law firms, court reporters, and print shops who supply for these businesses. It is fast, easy to use, and incredibly powerful to handle even large workloads and continuous daily use.
Simple foot pedal activation leaves both hands free to handle the pages. The front of the machine has the punching segment, which will handle up to about 25 sheets of standard 20 lb. bond copy paper at a time. If your document is larger than that, simply punch the pages in batches of about 25 pages.
Once all of your documents are punched, you can place the velo bind strip on the top of the machine for the heating/melting/cutting process. Do this by first placing the female strip on the guide, using the tiny alignment hole on the alignment peg. Then jog all of your sheets so they are in a nice, square stack, and place that stack on top of that strip with the holes aligned. Lastly, place the male strip on top, sliding the pegs through the holes and down until the strip is flush with your document. Pull down on the bar to activate the heating process.
As the machine melts and cust your strip to size, you can continue punching for your next document to prevent downtime and keep the efficiency up.
This machine also automatically makes the necessary adjustments internally to optimize the heating time for various document thicknesses. There are no complicated settings to deal with when you use the GBC System 3 velo bind machine.
Unique to the System 3 binding machine, you can also edit your documents using the integrated debind function. This eliminates the hassle of manually debinding if you find an error in the book that just needs a quick fix.
Key Features:
Brand: GBC (General Binding Corporation)
Bind Capacity: 3" (About 750 Sheets)
Punch Capacity: 25 Sheets (20# Bond)
Binding Edge: 8.5", 11", 14"
Operation: Electric Punching & Electric Binding
Manufacturer Part #: 9707102
UPC/EIN: 080509071022
From our Blog: Binding University
Browse our industry-savvy blog for educational articles, FAQs, special insights, & more! These top velo binding posts can help educate you on all of the ins and outs of strip binding. With this arsenal of data, you can make the most educated decision to ensure that velobinding is a perfect fit for you before you invest in a machine.
