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Thread: Staples ARC System Notebook

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    Default Staples ARC System Notebook

    Can anyone with experience with the ARC System (or CIRCA) answer a basic question for me, please?

    I want to make a notebook with printed piano music for a family member. The notebook should be easily updated or revised. My question is,
    how easy is it to turn the pages in these notebooks? Would the pages have a tendency to come loose or even tear out, if turned very fast?
    The pages will be printed on HP 32lb paper for the most support, and the entire notebook will hold approximately 110 pages.

    Any thoughts and insights are appreciated, as I've never seen one of these notebooks in person.

    Thanks.

    Beowulf50

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    Senior Member Mags's Avatar
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    Default Re: Staples ARC System Notebook

    The pages turn with moderate effort. The pages are designed to be removed using the system so they will come out if the page is flipped over to fast by a musician in throws of the performance at the piano perhaps. Heavier stock paper seems more dureble in the system but a bit more resistant to fast page turning. Over stuff the book and its dang tuff to turn pages. I totally abandoned the system as the discs rubbed my hand too awkwardly as a left handed person and supplies and refills were unpredicable in price and supply in Canada while I was in the Toronto area....I shudder to think about western store shelves in the Canadian Prairies.


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    Member Faustine's Avatar
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    Default Re: Staples ARC System Notebook

    I have used discbound systems heavily over the past decade - at work every day for keeping notes and projects, and at home occasionally for planning and hobbies. Most often I use Levenger Circa, occasionally supplementing with Staples Arc systems. And yes, they can have issues with page turning, among other complaints I hear or read about discbound systems. But in using them and learning all the varying opinions about them, I have found that users often have issues with these notebooks due to three things: using large disc sizes, overstuffing notebooks, and using plastic discs.

    It's interesting that most discbound systems come with discs 1" or larger in size nowadays. I think people like the idea of carrying and storing as much as possible on these gigantic discs. But in my experiences, I quickly stopped using them because not only do they add weight and bulk to my notebooks (which cuts way down on portability), pages just didn't seem to turn as well on them. I noticed that when using any disc size larger than 3/4", the user has to make the motion of lifting the page up slightly and then pull it over the disc to complete the page turn motion - and if you don't consciously get in the habit of turning the pages this way, pages popped off the discs more frequently. This action is even more pronounced the larger you go in disc size. In my experiences, with 3/4" or smaller, the page turning is smoother, more natural and the pages fall out less often - unless you overstuff the notebook.


    This use of the large discs is often combined with the habit of overstuffing notebooks. It's tempting to do, but I have found that the more paper you have on discs, especially with the large bulky leather covers and pockets and tab dividers and sticky note tabs and all the other goodies out there - all this makes page turning more likely to have issues, as the pages just run out of room on the discs. Especially if you like as I do to fold my notebook over on itself just like if it were a spiral bound notebook. In a full notebook, this is a sure recipe for the pages to pop right off. So while I use my notebooks and don't leave a ton of extra space on the discs, I leave a little wiggle room - developed through trial and error - which allows me to use the notebook the way I want. The paper weight you use can have a consideration here as well. For example, the 32lb paper will be great for fountain pens, but does add some weight and bulk to any notebook you put it in. I have often compromised and picked the next paper weight level down when printing my pages (I want to say 24 or 28lb maybe), just to minimize this bulk factor.


    Finally, the biggest contributor to smooth page turning that I have learned is to use metal/aluminum discs. I am a huge convert to Levenger's aluminum discs in general, but specifically in the 3/4" size. I know Staples and the other brands are starting to come out with metal discs too now in recent years, but I've not tried them so can't compare and am not sure what sizes those come in. And often plastic certainly is more affordable - the metal can come at a $$$ premium. But with the metal discs, pages glide so much more smoothly - it really is almost a magical difference, and the one key thing I recommend to most people who are ready to ditch the system. I don't use plastic at all anymore given the choice.

    These are just some of my observations; ultimately it depends on how you want to set up your system and the cost of getting supplies, shipping, how often you want to pull pages in and out, all that stuff. Some ideas if you use smaller metal discs would be to maybe just put half as much content in at a time? Or have two notebooks? The beauty of the discbound system is that it is so easily customizable.

    Sorry for the essay!! Good luck.

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    Default Re: Staples ARC System Notebook

    Thank you Mags and Faustine for the very helpful information. Should I decide to go this route, the three main things I'm taking away from your replies, are to not overstuff the book, use smaller discs, and splurge on the metal/aluminum discs. If I proceed, I'll let you know how I make out and how effective the book actually turns out to be.

    Beowulf50

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    Default Re: Staples ARC System Notebook

    I recommend the Circa Levenger system because the holes are bigger than the ARC system Notebook. For Levenger Circa binding system follow the link.

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