Comb binding has the advantage of being light and compact and easy to handle even where desk space is limited. An opened up 2D-ring binder with a 7cm spine is about 50% wider than a comb bound volume and slightly longer as well. A D-ring binder is heavier and, being thicker, takes up more space when being transported than a comb-bound volume.
The overlapping cover of a ring binder means that any tabs can only be read when the volume is open. With a comb-bound volume tabs can be read whether the volume is open or closed.
You can turn over pages in a comb-bound volume easily just as you would a book. With a ring binder you can turn over up to 20 sheets (e.g. from page 30 to page 50 if printed single-sided) just as you would a book but if you want to turn over, say, 40 sheets the pages will initially bend back, rather than moving over the rings, and you then have to push the 40 sheets over the rings. This is not difficult to do but it makes using a ring-binder slightly less agreeable if you are often skipping from page to page.
If a comb-bound volume has flexible covers made of relatively thin - e.g. 160gsm - card, it is very easy to handle because you can bend and "fan" it to make it easy to go straight to the page you want.
Comb-bound volumes stack better horizontally one on top of the other but 2D-ring binders stack better vertically.
Card for covers for comb-binding is readily available in every colour if volumes are to be colour-coded. It can be difficult to obtain 2D-ring binders of the colour you want in the desired size: 2D-ring binders are available in white in all sizes but availability of other colours may be more limited, particularly for wider binders. However as long as a 2D-ring "presentation" binder is used it is of course possible to use a white binder and print title pages and spine inserts with a coloured background and insert those in the clear pockets on the front and spine. To create a coloured background in Word, select Design - Page Colour and use Options - Display - Print Background Colours when printing. To create a coloured page background using PDF X-Change Editor use Comment - Highlight Area.
So comb-binding has a number of advantages but, on the other hand, the actual assembling of volumes (if you are doing it yourself rather than using a reprographics shop) is easier with 2D-ring binders than with comb-binding. Loading sheets in one go into a 2D-ring binder is easy. With comb-binding it takes a bit longer because you have to match up the 21 holes with the plastic rings on the comb.
The cost of consumables for the two methods is broadly similar. Pre-punched paper for comb-binding is more expensive than unpunched paper but that is made up for by the cost of D-ring binders which are more expensive than the simple coloured card used for the covers of a comb-bound volumes.
Traditionally ring binders (or lever arch files) were used for hardcopies of hearing bundles because it was possible to insert or replace pages in them easily without access to a bulky binding machine which would be necessary to easily replace pages in a comb-bound volume. Some tribunals still mandate the use of ring binders. For example in the County Court trial bundles "should normally be contained in a ring binder or lever arch file" (CPR 32 PD 27.9). But in most tribunals it is rare nowadays for a hardcopy to be produced without an accompanying matching eBundle PDF, and the fact that, once sent out, an eBundle cannot have new pages inserted into it (so that a supplementary bundle is necessary if there are to be further documents put before the tribunal at the hearing) and the requirement that eBundles must match hardcopies, means that in most tribunals there is no requirement to be able to insert or replace pages in the hardcopy once it has been sent out, so that a comb-bound volume can be used as an alternative to a ring binder (and double-sided printing can be used if desired providing this is allowed by tribunal rules). Some tribunals have a stated preference for comb-bound volumes. For example in the Supreme Court volumes are to be bound "preferably with plastic comb binding" (Practice Direction 5 5.22 (a)).
The statement that, once sent out, an eBundle cannot have new pages inserted into it, needs further explanation. It is, of course, technically possible to add pages to an eBundle PDF but sending out a replacement eBundle is not practical given that any recipient of the original eBundle might have started to mark it up. Also most tribunals have a firm rule that imprinted page numbers must match physical PDF page numbers (i.e. legal numbering 16.1,16.2, 16.3 etc. cannot be used) and any addition of pages in a replacement eBundle would therefore put out the page numbering of all pages after the inserted page (and possibly put out the numbering of all pages before the inserted page as well if the addition caused the index at the front to overflow on to an additional page) which would cause difficulty for anyone who had already made external notes referencing page numbers, or written a skeleton argument or chronology referencing page numbers.
If comb-binding is to be used you should have your own comb binder machine, even if you are using a reprographics shop to do the printing and assembly, because you might need to replace the odd page if it is discovered that it has not printed properly. A comb binding machine has a punch which produces 21 rectangular holes, as well as having a (separately operated) comb opener to hold open the plastic combs so that sheets can be threaded onto them.
If you will be doing all the printing/assembling yourself and not be using a reprographics shop, note that the comb-binding machine punch is only intended for low-volume punching (it can only punch about 10 sheets at a time) such as for punching the covers, dividers and any A3 sheets. Pre-punched A4 paper should be used for printing the bulk of the pages (make sure it is loaded in the printer with the holes on the correct side). Pre-punched A4 paper is not generally available from ordinary office suppliers but can be obtained from e.g. Prontaprint or Salisbury Printing.
Binding combs come in various sizes:-
A 14mm comb can accommodate 100 sheets of 80 gsm paper
A 25mm comb can accommodate 200 sheets of 80 gsm paper
A 35mm comb can accommodate 300 sheets of 80 gsm paper
A 48mm comb can accommodate 400 sheets of 80 gsm paper
These are theoretical figures and in practice the fact that you may be using tabbed dividers, and may have some A3 sheets folded double, will mean that the realistic capacity of a 48mm comb, for example, may be not much more than 350 sheets.
If you decide to use 2D-ring binders you should have your own two-hole punch even if you are using a reprographics shop to do the printing and assembly because you might need to replace the odd page if it is discovered that it has not printed properly.
Use 2D-ring "presentation" binders - i.e. binders with clear pockets on the outside front cover and spine which allow the title page to be inserted in the pocket on the front.
Binders come in various sizes:-
An A4, 2 D-Ring, 25mm capacity binder, can accommodate 250 sheets of 80 gsm paper
An A4, 2 D-Ring, 40mm capacity binder, can accommodate 400 sheets of 80 gsm paper
An A4, 2 D-Ring, 50mm capacity binder, can accommodate 500 sheets of 80 gsm paper
These are, however, theoretical figures and in practice the fact that you may be using tabbed dividers, and may have some A3 sheets folded double, may mean that the realistic capacity of a 40mm capacity binder, for example, may be little more than 300 sheets. It is important not to overfill a binder - i.e. there should be no sheets beyond the point where the straight part of the D-ring starts to curve - in order to ensure that pages can be turned over easily without snagging. 65mm capacity binders do exist but are not recommended because, if filled, there is such a thickness of paper that it is difficult to turn to a page which is towards the end.
The quoted width of a 2D-ring binder is the size of the straight part of the D-ring (before it starts to curve) which holds the pages. The actual width of the spine of the binder is a bit more. For example a 40mm Capacity 2D-ring binder has a spine width of approximately 55mm.
Use 2D-ring binders rather than 3D-ring or 4D-ring, as turning over pages is easier with two-hole binders. Most manufacturers have a greater range of 3D-ring and 4D-ring binders than 2D-ring binders and many manufacturers - such as Q-Connect - do not produce 2D-ring binders larger than 25mm so do check that you are not buying a 3D or 4D binder by mistake. Elba is one manufacturer which does make larger 2D-ring binders and the Elba Panorama Presentation 2D-ring Binder is available in white in 40mm and 50mm. The Elba is also available in 25mm size but has hard covers which are wider than necessary making it a little more bulky than necessary to transport.
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This page was lasted updated in May 2026. Disclaimer