Stapling, Booklets and Hole Punch, and When They Pay
Staff stapling, punching and assembling printed documents by hand is slow work that finishing options can take off the desk.
Last updated: September 2026
Finishing options are the parts of the device that staple, punch, fold or bind a job as it comes out, so a document arrives ready rather than needing hand assembly.
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Quick formFour that usually earn their place
- Stapling. Widely used in offices producing multi page documents, and the option that removes the most repetitive manual step.
- Hole punch. Worth it where documents go into folders as a matter of routine, such as compliance records or client files.
- Booklet making, meaning fold and saddle stitch. Earns its place where the office produces bound sets regularly, and sits idle where it does not.
- Offset stacking, which shifts each job slightly in the output tray. Small feature, disproportionately useful on a shared device.
Telling whether you need it
Look at what someone is doing by hand at the machine today. If a person stands there stapling, that is the answer.
Count the repetition rather than the volume. Twenty sets a week assembled by hand is a stronger case than a thousand loose pages.
Ask what happens to the document after it prints. Anything that goes into a folder or gets bound is a candidate.
Effect on the device and the quote
Finishers are physical units that attach to the machine, so they add footprint. Measure the space before choosing, including the door swing.
They move the device into a higher specification band, which is reflected in the monthly figure.
They also add moving parts, which is a service consideration rather than a cost one on a bundled agreement, since parts and labour sit inside the monthly fee.
Finishing is generally easier to include at the start than to retrofit, so decide before the device is chosen rather than after.
Common questions
What are finishing options on a photocopier?
They are the attachments that staple, hole punch, fold or bind a job as it is produced.
Documents come off the machine ready to use rather than needing assembly by hand.
Is a stapling finisher worth it?
It removes repeated manual work in offices producing multi page documents.
The test is simple: if somebody currently stands at the machine stapling, a finisher gives that time back to them.
What is booklet making on a multifunction printer?
It folds and saddle stitches a set of pages into a bound booklet.
It earns its place where an office produces bound sets regularly, and tends to sit unused where booklets are occasional.
Can finishing be added to a device later?
Sometimes, but it is generally easier and cheaper to specify at the start.
Finishers attach physically to the machine and move it into a higher specification band, so the decision belongs before the device is chosen.
Related reading
Once you know roughly what the office prints each month, the next step is to get a printer lease quote sized to that volume.