Using a postbound album without page protectors- possible?

I'm making a road trip guide and I originally was going to use a three ring binder, but then I found a great album that was considerably larger on sale. The only problem is that it's postbound, and I really don't want to use page protectors. The pages I'm planning are going to be interactive, with pockets and fold out maps.

Does anyone know if it's possible to use a post bound album without page protectors? Any ideas on how I could anchor the pages in? My fear is if I punch holes in the pages directly, that would make turning pages difficult.

Just curious if anyone has any ideas!
Thanks

Hi and welcome.

A page protector is bendy where the hole strip meets the pocket, allowing the pages to bend at that point. Thinking on my feet here, not having done it...

I'd make each page from 2 sheets of card-stock attached back-to-back. At the spine edge, I would sandwich between them a punched strip that was scored lengthwise just beyond the card-stock. That way the posts go through the holes and don't move. The part that bends would be along the score, and your pages would lie flat when the book was opened. Don't adhere the pages together with the binding strip until after you've completed them.

Does that make sense? It's really hard to describe.

No, that makes perfect sense. That's actually what I was thinking of doing, until I realized all my sheets are double-sided.

I'm probably going to end up making some sort of piece that will adhere to the page and sandwich it, I just don't know how to make it bendy.

I could use fabric tape, or some sort of durable tape. That would have some bend to it, I'm just not sure how long it would last. The tape I'm thinking of is also used as a spine for books. It's very bendy!

Some years ago, I think it was Pioneer that sold post bound albums that simply had longer-than-normal sheets of paper, with holes punched into the edge of the paper, rather than using page protectors. I actually still have two albums like that (I later converted at least one to a page protector style, but two remain unconverted), but I doubt those are still sold.

You said you were originally going to use a 3 ring binder for this project; have you considered using a 12x12 ring bound scrapbook album? There's plenty of room in the spines of those for sheets to turn without curling, so you could still easily put sheets into those with holes punched in the edges.

You wouldn't have quite the full width of the 12x12 page, but you'd certainly have more space than a letter size page would have given you.

I had originally thought of using the ring binder, but I found the We R Memory Keepers Jet Set album kit on sale for $15 and grabbed it, not realizing the album itself was postbound. Had I read the label and comprehended it, I would have.

I think I solved my problem. My road trip maps will be for several trips, and I have a Bind-It-All machine that would allow me to wire bind them. I'm thinking I'm going to wire bind each trip individually and then make giant pockets out of paper for them to rest in the album. That way I still get what I want and I can still utilize the album that matches the sheets I purchased. (The jet set pad of papers was also on sale, so I scored!)

Then I can add pockets and pull outs and whatever I like to each setup, and I'll just create some large pockets for them to slide into for the album. Does that make sense?

Makes sense and sounds sensible. Make sure you store the album upright, otherwise your wire spines could mark the neighbouring pages.

Book-binding fabric would be perfect. Think of how long it lasts on hard-back books - longer than the paper pages. I've used it for box hinges that get used much more than my albums get opened and closed. One box contains my baker's twine and is opened and closed many times each week. 10 years on and it shows no sign of wear at all.

Will you come back and show us your album as you work on it? It sounds such fun.

Yes! I have a couple of those too! I LOVED them for displaying my received greeting cards until the weight of the cards, started getting to heavy for the cardstock of the album and tearing the pages. I think red squirrel had a great solution, as long as the paper is heavy enough to hold all the things you want on the page. Maybe I should look into that so I can re-do my old card albums in a sturdier way. I just wish some company would figure out a solution to getting the protection and look of the page protectors but the interactiveability of plane cardstock.