Frequently Asked Questions
- Are These Copies or Originals?
- What Size Pages Can You Bind?
- What if I have oversized pages larger than 8.5x11?
- What is the binding area?
- What types of paper can you bind?
- What do I need to do to prep my papers?
- Can you bind greeting cards and photos?
- What if something I send won’t bind well into the book?
- I have years of papers saved- where do I even begin?
- Can I just send you my giant bin of papers and you sort it out for me?
- How do I get my papers to you?
- What if I’m nervous about sending my stuff to you?
- How do you ship the finished book back to me?
- What size book should I order?
- What if my papers won’t fit in the size book I ordered?
- How long will it take for my book to arrive?
- What if I want to combine papers from different grades or multiple kids in one book?
- What other types of books can I do?
- Don't see your question here? please CLICK HERE to contact us.
Are These Copies or Originals?
We bind the ORIGINAL pages you send us, up to maximum page size of 8.5 x 11 inches.
What Size Pages Can You Bind?
Our books are designed to hold 8.5 x 11 papers. You can also include smaller papers, but we don't recommend anything smaller than 1/4 page. If you have papers smaller than that, we suggest mounting them onto larger pieces of paper, or you can just attach them to the back of another page, since many school and artwork pages are one-sided.Important: Please note that up to 1/2” of the left margin will not be visible once it is bound into the book, as it is within the Binding Area. See Binding Area below for further explanation.
What if I have oversized pages larger than 8.5x11?
This is common with construction and sketch/art paper, which is often 9 x12. We can work with papers as large as 11 x 17, using a variety of techniques such as trimming, folding, a combination of trimming and folding. We offer a menu of services for trimming and folding larger items and/or mounting smaller items into your book. We don't charge for these services until after we have received your papers, so we can evaluate the scope of the job and combine services where possible to save you money.
What is the Binding Area?
The Binding Area is the left hand ½ inch margin of your paper. Up to ½ an inch of the left-hand margin will not be visible once the page is bound into your book, so if you have anything critical written or drawn there, you may not want to bind that page.
What types of paper can you bind?
Most types of papers will bind into the book, even laminate. We don’t recommend papers that are so stiff they don’t bend easily. Pretty much anything else flat and flexible will work: Scrapbook, copy, notebook, card stock, manila, photo, laminated (if it’s not overly stiff), shiny, construction, handmade/pulpy papers are all good. We also offer pocket pages, photo pages, or clear archival sleeves to hold other items you may want to keep in your book. We bind those into the back of the book empty and you insert your items after your book arrives.
What do I need to do to prep my papers?
1. Remove all staples, paper clips, spirals, plastic binding combs or any other materials that are holding pages together, like yarn or string.
2. Put the pages in the order you want them to appear in the book. If you’re more of a free spirit and don’t really care what order the pages are in, then however you send them to us is the order they will be in. We will honor the order of your pages and not rearrange them.
Can you bind greeting cards and photos?
Yes. Our fee to mount photos and greeting cards is $45 per book. As a courtesy, we will mount up to 5 pieces per book included with the price of your book. After that, it involves additional time, materials, and labor to prepare and mount your photos and cards.
What if something I send won’t bind well in the book?
If we determine something won’t bind well in the book, usually because it is too thick, too stiff, can't be folded, then we will return it to you. We do not recommend more than 2 paper plates per book because they take up a lot of room. If we can bind it, we will. If not, we’ll return it with your book.
I have years of papers saved- where do I even begin?
Please don’t feel like you have to get all the papers sorted all at once. Get out a bin and leave it by the t.v., then do some sorting while you have some free time. Try to pull out and sort at least one grade, then work on the rest later. Hopefully, most of your papers are pretty much sorted by grade, but if not, put some sticky notes on the table that say K 1 2 3 etc., then as you go through the papers, put them in the proper grade. Put the ones you’re not sure of in a separate pile, so you can revisit them later. Once you have at least one grade (or time period that you want, like Preschool, in a pile, then go back and edit that pile down, if necessary. Put the pages in the order you want them in the book, if that matters to you. If you think you’re going to have too many pages, try removing the ones that really don’t seem as important anymore. Once you have a final pile, it’s time to order a book, if you haven’t done so already.
Can I just send you my giant bin of papers and you sort it out for me?
Yes, please email peter@4everBound.com to get that process started.
How do I get my papers to you?
We recommend you ship via USPS Priority Mail, which includes tracking and insurance, or any other reliable shipping service, like UPS or Fed Ex. USPS is extremely safe and reliable, which is why all the giant e-commerce sites, like Amazon, rely on it. Their prices are very reasonable, especially their Flat Rate Priority service.
Ship to:
4everBound attn: Robyn Pomonis
826 E Palisades Rd
Oro Valley, AZ 85737
What if I’m nervous about sending my stuff to you?
It’s an understandable thought, but if you package and address things properly and use a reliable service like US Priority Mail, your papers will get to us safely. Almost every large e-commerce company in the United States uses the US Postal Service and it is incredibly reliable, especially when it is insured and tracked. All Priority mailed packages include $50 insurance and tracking. Our headquarters is located in a secure residential/commercial area and we are open when packages are delivered, so your package will not be sitting outside. It’s a very secure process. We also provide you with very detailed suggestions how to package and ship your papers to us.
How do you ship the finished book back to me?
We wrap the book very carefully with boxes and bubble wrap. We use Priority Flat Rate shipping with tracking and insurance, with a pre-printed address label with tracking barcodes. You will be notified via email when your package has shipped and you will be giving tracking info if you want to follow it's progress.
What size book should I order?
If you know you’re planning to do an entire grade, we recommend ordering the Chronicle, which holds an inch and half stack of papers. Stack your papers on the table, DO NOT press down on them, and use a ruler to measure the stack. If it’s 1.5 inches or less, it will fit. Keepsake holds 1 inch and Sentiment holds half an inch. Use the same process of stacking and measuring.
What if my papers won’t fit in the size book I ordered?
You have a couple options:
- EDIT/PURGE: Go back through your paper stack and re-edit. Pull out any papers that are not critical. We moms tend to over save.
- UPSIZE TO NEXT SIZE: Unless you’ve ordered the Chronicle, which is our largest size, you can upgrade to the next size book. Just email us and tell us what height your paper stack is. If it’s ¼ inch or less more than the book you ordered, we can upsize you to appropriate size for the difference in price.
- ADD VOLUMES: Chronicle is our largest book size, so there is no upgrade available. However, you can add a second volume, or more. You can just send your papers and put a note on top that says "I need to add volumes" or something like that, and we will contact you when we start your project.
How long will it take for my book to arrive?
We work on your book(s) by hand and, depending on how complex your project is, it can take a few weeks. We also have crunch times like end of school year and Christmas where we get a LOT of packages. We won't let just anybody work on your papers, so that means we sometimes get backed up. If you have a specific deadline, we will always work to meet it if you chat with us ahead of time. Our goal is to turn your book(s) around in 2-3 weeks, but we won’t risk any mistakes with your precious papers by rushing the process. Therefore, we ask you to set your expectation to two weeks, and we hope to get it there sooner, and sometimes it may be longer.
What if I want to combine papers from different grades or multiple kids in one book?
It's your book, you can put in whatever papers you like and then have us title it accordingly for you. Instead of putting a Grade and Year on the second line of your cover, just tell us what you would like it to say, such as “My First Drawings” or “Short Stories”. We will print whatever you type in for the first and second lines of your cover.
What other types of books can I do?
If we can bind it, we can make it for you. Bridal Showers, Weddings, Milestone Events, Baby Showers, Graduation books, Memorial Books, Cards and Letters, Family Recipes, Family Ancestry, Short Stories and Poems, Family History, etc. There is an extra fee for letters and greeting cards of $50 per book. They take a long time to prepare and we work with each one by hand.
Don't see your question here? please CLICK HERE to contact us.