FAQs

Binders

  1. What is the most popular binding style?

    Plastic comb binding is most popular and commonly used.

  2. Why is plastic comb binding so popular?

    Plastic comb supplies are very affordable. They come in a wide variety of sizes, colors and has a lie-flat capability which is user-friendly.

  3. What are the smallest and largest comb sizes available from GBC/Ibico?

    Comb sizes ranges from 6mm to 51mm.

  4. What are the benefits of wire binding?
    Wire bound documents project a professional look, provides security of page and pages may be turned 360.
  5. How many types of wire are available from GBC/Ibico?

    3 types - 9:16 pitch wire, 3:1 pitch wire, 2:1 pitch wire.

  6. What is meant by pitch?

    The pitch is the positioning of the holes that your machine punches. Different binding machines have a different pitch depending upon how they bind.

  7. What does US pitch means?

    US pitch = 21 holes in total on A4 paper.
    2:1 = Two holes punched per inch. 23 holes in total on A4 paper.
    3:1 = Three holes punched per inch. 34 holes in total on A4 paper.
    4:1 = Four holes punched per inch. 46/47 holes in total on A4 paper.

  8. What are the benefits of thermal binding?

    Thermal binding turns loose papers into perfect bound books in seconds without the need of paper clips, staples, fasteners, etc. Bound documents lay flat, are ideal for storage and provide page security as the bound document will be destroyed if any page is removed.

  9. What kind of "spine" does thermal binding use?
    Thermal binding uses thermal covers instead of spine.
  10. What are the minimum and maximum thicknesses available for GBC/Ibico thermal covers?

    Thermal cover thicknesses are available from 1.5mm to 51mm.

  11. What are the benefits of Click binding?
    Click binding offers back-to-back 360? page rotation and pages may be easily removed or added using a special zipper. IbiClicks are made of polypropylene robustness and environmentally friendly!
  12. What are the available sizes of IbiClicks?

    IbiClicks currently come in 8mm and 12mm. 16mm ibiClicks will be available soon. The available colors include black, white and blue.

  13. How many "rings" are there in an IbiClick?

    34 rings.

  14. What is the pitch of IbiClicks?

    3:1 pitch

Laminators

  1. Do GBC/Ibico laminators need carriers?

    All new GBC and Ibico office laminators are designed for carrier free operation. If a carrier is used for the new machines, the document will not be laminated properly and may appear cloudy or bubbled - the document needs more heat to laminate through a carrier

  2. The document you want to laminate is smaller than the pouch. Can you cut the pouch to the size of the document?

    All cutting and trimming must be done after lamination.

  3. What is a carrier?

    A carrier is a coated paper sleeve used to feed pouches through a laminator that helps to distribute the heat evenly. Carriers are needed on older designed laminators with heating plates instead of hot rollers.

  4. When feeding the pouch into the laminator, which side should you insert in first?

    The sealed side of the pouch should always be inserted first to prevent jams.

  5. When the GBC/Ibico pouch box states 125 micron, what does this mean?

    Micron refers to the thickness of the pouch. GBC/Ibico always state the thickness per flap i.e. total 250 microns for both flaps.

  6. Why does the laminator smell when it is hot?

    The odour comes from the rollers and the heating element when the machine is new. This is normal for hot roller laminators, there are no hazards in the odour and it will disappear after some hours of operation.

Shredders

  1. What does auto 'on/off' mean?

    Once your document has activated the trigger in the centre of the throat, the shredder will turn on and off automatically.

  2. What are the benefits of using Cross-Cut shredders?

    Cross-Cut is ideal when higher security is required. It reduces more waste, bulking down by at least 70%.

  3. What is the difference between cross and straight cut?
    A Straight-Cut Shredder produces literally long 'strips' cut vertically. A Cross-Cut cuts the paper in both directions - horizontally and vertically, producing 'chips'.
  4. What are the benefits of using Straight-Cut shredders?
    Straight-Cut offers faster speed and is suitable for lower security documents.
  5. Why is my shredder not shredding as many sheets as it says in the manual?

    To maintain smooth operation the cutting head must be lubricated regularly using lubrication oil for shredders.

  6. What does din level mean?
    Din level determines the size of paper cut and the security level each shredder offers. This is an industry standard.
  7. How do I clear normal paper jams?

    Continuously reverse and forward until the paper has cleared through.

  8. What does continuous duty motor mean?

    The GBC office shredder range from 2000 series onwards can shred for 24 hours without a need to cool down.

  9. What is a safety cut off feature?
    To protect the user, all GBC cross cut shredders are fitted with a safety device that ensures the machine will turn off immediately when removed from the bin.
  10. Why do the shredders have a separate 'on/off' button?

    To ensure extra protection the shredder can quickly be turned off on the machine - no need to unplug!

How to Choose the Right Shredder?

  1. First and foremost, size

    In most cases larger businesses require larger shredders, but this may not be true for all. Consider:

     

    • How you use your machine
    • Number of people in your business
    • Shredder capacity

     

    GBC shredders effectively destroy anywhere from one to 15 sheets with our personal/executive offerings, and up to 600 sheets at once with our Auto Feed range, so be sure to browse our selection carefully before choosing.

  2. Manual or Auto feed?

    Manual shredding means feeding sheets in – and while being close to your shredder may be ideal for the home-office, it can be counter-productive for larger business. Our Auto Feed shredders provide the convenience of walk away shredding, allowing you to spend less time by your machine, and increasing productivity by as much as 98%.

  3. Security Level

    While the focus of all shredders is document security, some companies have to go above and beyond to comply with strict data protection laws. 

     
    With this in mind, shredder security is paramount. Security is measured by a ‘P scale’, which relates directly to the cut the shredder provides.
     
    From P-1 (lower security strip cut) to P-7 (super-fine micro cut) we have a range of products to suit. Whatever your choice always consider purpose before purchase, as the majority of household or small business users do not require higher security levels.
     
    At the end of the day, whether selecting a shredder for data protection, to comply with legislation, or simply to destroy unwanted household documents, you can rely on Rexel to provide unparalleled security and peace of mind.
     
    Want more information? Our Shredder Selector takes the hassle out of choosing the perfect shredder for your needs.