A paper punch is an essential office tool used to punch holes in paper or any other material. The holes help in collecting the punched papers into folders or binders.

Parts of Paper punches

There are three important parts of paper punches:

1. The handle: The handle is similar to a lever, it decreases the amount of force the user applies.

2. The punch head: It is a typical cylinder, with a flat end surface called the face. It is movable.

3. The die: The die is the flat plate where the holes match the face. It is fixed in place.

Both the die and head are made of metals that are durable and have precise tolerances. One or more sheets can be inserted between the head and the die, when the handle is pressed down, the head drives into the paper, cutting it into small holes at that place, the cut paper holes then fall into the bottom of the die.

There are many variants of paper punches, such as the single-hole punch, eyelet punch, multi-punch, etc.

Multiple hole punches make a pattern of holes on one side of the paper, usually for efficiently putting the papers into binders.

Paper punches were a key invention and now have become an indispensable tool in offices around the world. At the end of the 19th century, a german individual invented the tiny device and patented it there. Coincidently, the invention was also patented in the United States around the same time. For decades, paper punches have helped in organizing and binding official documents, important papers, etc. They still continue to be used in various places due to their versatility and functionality.

Nowadays, paper punches are also utilized for craft projects. And from simple circular holes, paper punches now cut various shapes and forms like hearts, stars, balloons, other crafting items, etc. These paper punches have become quite popular in art and craft projects as well.

It is evident that paper hole punch is now designed to cater to a wider consumer population. The earlier official limitations of the punches have been far surpassed.