Coil binding is a simple binding process that is used for a variety of different types of documents. It is not unusual for formal presentations and proposals to be constructed using a coil binding. This form of binding is also a popular option for cookbooks and instruction manuals. Printed materials that are joined using coil binding do not have a proper spine, as with books and other documents that are bound using other methods. However, coil binding does allow the document to lay perfectly flat when open.

There are a number of different names for the process of coil binding. Many booklets make use of what is known as spiral binding. These examples of coil binding make use of thin metal coils that are ran through a series of perforations along the top or left side of the document. The coils may be simple exposed metal types or the metal may be coated with a protective plastic cover that is available in many different colors.

Easy coils are another form of coil binding used in many business settings. Rather than utilizing metal, this type of coil binding is created of plastic and involves a round body with a series of arms that feed through the series of holes punched into the margin of the booklet. As the arms emerge from the opposite sides of the holes, they are securely placed under the rounded body of the coil, making it unlikely that any of the pages will slip out of line. Many businesses still use manual binding machines using this method to bind instruction booklets, presentations, and proposals. Cookbooks created and sold as fundraisers for non-profit organizations also make use of the type of coil binding, since the process is relatively inexpensive.

While there are still manual binding machines in common use today, there are also automated machines that can produce a large quantity of coil bound products in a short period of time. Coil binding machines of this type include a means of punching holes in the materials that are to be bound, keep the materials aligned properly, and move the materials into position so the machinery can quickly insert and wind the coil into position. The machinery can also crimp the ends of the metal coils, ensuring they will not slip out of position.