Disc-Binding Systems

Information on disc binding systems and manufacturers.

Disc Binding is a loose-leaf notebook binding that uses discs to hold the sheets of paper together.

History

  • Invented by Andre Tomas and Andre Martin (from whom the Atoma brand name was derived)
  • Patented in 1948

Manufacturers and their Systems

Company System Name Availability
Aurora Productions  ADOC  Belgium
Atoma  Atoma  Belgium
Boxclever Press (formerly called “Organised Mum”) Busy Days Planner UK
Clairefontaine Clairing France
Ftdc (defunct)
Levenger Circa US
Rollabind US
Me and My Big Ideas Happy Planner
Myndology US
Office Depot TUL
Staples ARC US
Wiltdam Hannah UK

Disc Sizes

According to Levenger:

Disc Size Number of Pages
3″ 450
2½″ 400
2″ 350
1½″ 200
1″ 150
¾″ 120
½″ 80
¼″ 50

Exact numbers will depend on page thickness.

Page Sizes

European Systems

A4 A5 A6
210 ✕ 297 mm 148 ✕ 210 mm 105 ✕ 148 mm
8.3″ ✕ 11.7″ 5.8″ ✕ 8.3″ 4.1″ ✕ 5.8″
ADOC 12-discs 8-discs 6-discs
Atoma 11-discs 8-discs 6-discs
Clairfontaine* 11-discs
Staples 11-discs  8-discs
William Hannah 8-discs 6-discs

*Clairfontaine also make notebooks containing 165 ✕ 210mm (a kind of wide-A5) paper, bound with 8-discs.

US Systems

Common Name EU US Number of Discs
Letter  216 ✕ 279 mm 8.5″ ✕ 11″ 11 or 10
Junior* (Half Letter /  Memo)  140 ✕ 216 mm 5.5″ ✕ 8.5″ 8
Compact 3.75″ ✕ 6.75″ 7
PDA (index cards) 3″ ✕ 5″
Micro PDA (business-card size) 2″ ✕ 3.5″

*Not to be confused with “Legal Junior”.

  • Rollabind – Letter, possibly others
  • Levenger (US) – Letter, Junior, Compact
  • Myndology – Letter (10-discs), Journal (6.5″ ✕ 8.5″ 8-discs), Index (5-discs), Note (2-discs)
  • Office Depot (US) – Letter, Junior

Other Systems

  • Busy Days – Size Unknown (9-discs)
  • Happy Planner (7″ ✕ 9.25″)

Acknowledgements

  • Image Public Domain, by Ryan Rassmussen, via Wikipedia