08.10
In the past I’ve dealt with the typesetting of documents and the selection of paper to be printed on. However this obviously leaves two steps: printing and binding. Here are some fast tips:
When printing an important document (like for example your thesis) always try to use a Laser printer, even if this means you would need to have it printed elsewhere. Laser printers generally have higher resolutions which make the characters/glyphs cleaner and smoother. Laser printed documents also should generally last longer in archives.
If you fail to gain access to a decent Laser printer, you can fall back to your inkjet printer. Preferably use original cartridges. The cheaper refill inks often bleed more, and quite likely may not last in archives. Most original vendor inks should easily last decades in proper archival circumstances.
In both cases you should avoid “Fast” or “Draft” printing modes, always check your printer is set to “High Quality”.
Finally when you’re done printing you should have your important document bound. The most common way to bind documents is to use a plastic coil. But don’t! Plastic coil binding looks cheap (and actually is cheap). Plastic coil binding often isn’t durable enough to stand the rigors of being intensively handled by multiple people.
The next option would be to have your document glued. This process is relatively expensive. Most schools don’t offer it, you’ll need to look for a more professional copyshop for that. Glued documents are reasonably durable and look just fantastic.
The final and most durable option would be metal coil binding. A metal coil will resist any trials you throw at it, the paper will give way first. Metal coils are cheaper than glueing, but avoids the cheap look that plastic coils induce. Most shops will have you choose between bare metal and black metal coils. You should use black metal coils to go with white paper for maximum contrast and bare metal coils with creme paper to complement its natural/elegant look.
