Presentation Covers: The Basics

Presentation covers are just like binders except that, instead of rings, the pages are held in place by screws and posts. The screwpost system allows the book to have a thin profile and to be adjustable in capacity according to the number pages bound in the book. Additionally, presentation covers have a distinctive, artistic look that can add flair to any presentation.

A lot of documents these days are presented not in folders or binders but in presentation covers. They aren’t appropriate for every application, but there are some very good reasons why they can be the right choice. Here are the pros and cons of using a presentation cover:

Pros

Many Formats Available. If your documents are in a format other than the standard binder formats (like 11x8.5 or 11x17), presentation covers, which come in 10 standard formats, might be the only way to bind them into a book.

Flexible Capacity. The screwpost binding system allow for unlimited scalability in thickness. To increase the capacity of a presentation cover, just add screwpost extensions.

Slim Profile.  For presentations with a small number of pages a presentation cover will give you the thinnest possible presentation, starting at just ¾” of an inch.

Style. A presentation cover looks cooler than any folder or binder.

Difficult to Switch Pages. Because it’s time consuming to add or subtract pages, you won’t have anybody messing with your presentation.

Cons

Difficult to Switch Pages.  Because it’s time consuming to add or subtract pages, it’s more of a project to make a presentation book than if using a folder or a binder.

Limited Capacity. We do not recommend using a presentation cover for more than 40 sheets of paper. Above that and it becomes hard to turn the pages and view the center of spreads.

Cost. Presentation covers cost more than folders or binders.

Understanding Formats

Presentation Cover formats are specified in the title of the product and refer to the size of sheet the Cover is designed for. Thus the Machina 19x13 Presentation Cover is designed to hold sheets that are 19x13 inches in size, while the cover itself measures .75 x 14.5 x 19.75 inches. Additionally, the first number in the title designates the binding edge for the Presentation Cover. Thus in the example above the binding is on the 19 inch edge, making for a portrait oriented display. With the Machina 11x17 Landscape Presentation Cover the sheets are bound on the 11 inch side in a landscape oriented display.

Binding Options

Another key difference between 3-Ring Binders and Presentation Covers is that Presentation Covers are designed to hold sheet protectors, inkjet sheets or adhesive hinge strips while you can simply use a hole punch to bind your work into a 3-ring binder. The 3 main binding options for Presentation Covers are as follows:

1) Sheet Protectors: There are two types of sheet protectors made for use with Presentation Covers. Both are pocket style, meaning they are sealed on 3 sides, and your documents slip in from the top and are securely held in place. Sheet protectors prevent viewers from touching your work which can be important in some applications. This is the most popular way to bind work into a Presentation Cover.

2) Inkjet Sheets: Instead of slipping your documents into a sheet protector which is bound into the cover, you can simply print your work on a scored, drilled inkjet sheet and bind that directly into the book. The big advantages here are that you don’t have the cost of the sheet protectors and you don’t have to look through the glare of plastic to see the documents.

3) Adhesive Hinge Strips: As an alternative to sheet protectors or inkjet sheets, you can bind your work into a presentation cover using adhesive hinge strips. Simply peel off the adhesive backer and affix the strips directly to the binding edges of your work. The adhesive hinge strips are punched to fit standard format binders and presentation covers.