Knowledge Center
Lever Arch File Formats And Ring Sizes
Lever arch files and ring binders are built from three parts: a board core, a covering and a metal mechanism. Each is specified separately, and getting the combination right is what separates a file that lasts from one that works loose in a year.
Paper Format
A4 and letter are the standard formats on the PVC binder range. The paper lever arch range is made in A4, A5 and F/C.
Format is worth confirming rather than assuming, because letter and A4 are close enough that a file made for one will accept the other but will not look right on a shelf beside it.
Ring Type And Size
Ring sizes on our PVC binder range run from one inch to three inches, in two ring and three ring formats, in D shape and O shape.
A D shape ring holds pages in a flat stack against the straight edge, which means the binder holds more paper for the same ring size and pages turn more cleanly. An O shape ring is the lower cost option and is fine for lighter use.
Choose the ring size from the paper volume, allowing headroom. A ring filled to capacity is hard to open and the pages splay.
Lever Arch Mechanism
A lever arch mechanism is different from a ring binder: the lever opens the arch so a full file can be opened and closed one handed. It is the standard for archive filing where files are opened often and held on a shelf.
The failure point is the rivet. A mechanism that is poorly riveted works loose, stops closing square and the file becomes unusable long before the covering wears out. Rivet seating is one of the in line checks on our production.
Board Thickness
Board thickness is what stops the cover bowing when the file is full. It is also invisible on a photograph, which is why it is the first thing cut when a price has to come down and the first thing a buyer regrets.
Set the board against the loaded weight, not the empty product. Approving a sample loaded to full capacity is the only reliable test.
Covering
PVC covering wipes clean, resists marking and takes a gloss or embossed finish. Printed paper covering is cheaper, takes offset print at high quality including patterns such as marble, and takes a pen directly on the spine.
Both are produced here, so the same buyer can run a premium office line and a high volume archive line from one factory.
