Order Perfect Bound Book Printing and Binding
- Perfect-bound, or softcover, books use a glue bind like most books you’d find in a store or library
- This method can accommodate projects ranging from 30 to 200 pages—making it great for self-published books, catalogues, magazines, and more
- Perfect binding offers a broad selection of paper types, coating, and sizing options to fit your needs
- It continues to be an economical printing option, while offering a premium look and feel
Why Printivity
Perfect-bound booklets: A premium, professional reading experience
You don’t have to be a famous author for your work to feel like a masterpiece. Perfect-bound booklets elevate your project—whether it’s a report or a catalogue, a manual or a magazine—by using a professional glue binding. So no matter whether it lives on a library shelf or in a desk drawer, your piece will always command attention.
Design? Done.
You don’t have to be a Photoshop master to create a million-dollar perfect bound book design. At Printivity, we put our expertise to work for you—providing guidance on visuals to elevate your business.
Check, check, and check again
At Printivity, we never blindly press the “print” button. Instead, we take the time to review your files and create a digital proof that works for you. And if we think there’s another option that’s better for your order, we’ll let you know—without delaying final delivery.
Our service promise
Our policy is simple: we guarantee that your project will meet your expectations. If not, we’ll reprint it for free or give you a full refund. For more details, check out our terms and conditions.
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Templates & specs
Helpful templates
Our templates have all the necessary information to make you a rockstar designer.
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FAQ
What is perfect binding?
What type of glue does perfect binding use?
Which is better: perfect binding or hardcover binding?
What are the most common uses for perfect binding?
How many pages are best for perfect binding?
Can I print on the spine of a perfect-bound book?
When will I receive my perfect-bound books?
What is the difference between saddle stitch and perfect binding?
More Information
Designing For Spine
Perfect bound books are an affordable way to print your own books for any occasion. One of the best features of perfect bound booklet printing is its outward-facing spine. It immediately tells the reader that this book is worthy of their shelf.
Custom Spine
Perfect bound books, PUR perfect bound books, and hardcover books give creators additional space to advertise their books.
What should you add to the spine? Use this space to introduce yourself from a bookshelf! Below are some common suggestions that can be added to the spine.
- Author name
- Title
- Volume number
- Date of publication
Some publishers require to be listed on the spine, but not at Printivity. We never add our logo to any products that we produce. Your business should be the most memorable name on your product.
Book spines can be customizable when the spine thickness reaches a specific width. When the spine width is less than 0.16”, the area is too small for a custom spine. Instead, Printivity will usually wrap the front cover design to the spine. If you prefer the back cover design for the spine, just let us know!
Determine Spine Thickness
When printing bound books, you can submit a pre-designed spine with your book covers. You’ll need to calculate the thickness of the spine if you are submitting your own design. Spine thickness is based on two major factors: page count and paper type. It’s important not to design the spine until the interior content is 100% complete and the paper type has been decided on. Even the slightest change in either of those two factors will change the size of your spine.
Once you determine those factors, Printivity will calculate the spine width for you. We can quickly and closely calculate the estimated width.
Did you change the page count or paper type during the proofing process? Don’t worry about revising the spine; Printivity has you covered. We want to make the process as smooth as possible for you. Our Prepress team will automatically adjust the spine design to match the correct width.
Need help?
Designing the spine is simple, but there are best practices to follow for the best results. One of the most common mistakes that print shops see is spines with a different color than the front or back spine. Any slight registration issue is glaringly apparent when the spine is a different color than the covers. Printers hold themselves to a high standard, but unfortunately, machines are not always 100% accurate. This is why we recommend wrapping the front or back cover design to the spine.
Text placement is also very important. All spine content should be in the center of the design and not too close to any of the edges. More importantly, keep all text away from the top and bottom of the book. Perfect bound book covers and interior pages are first bound at the spine, then cut to the final dimension for a clean finish. This final cut trims a minimum of ¼” from the three edges. However, we recommend moving important content a minimum of ¼” from the final dimension for the safety margin.
When designing your printing bound books spine, there are two ways of submitting the files. The first way is to design the front cover, spine, and back cover as a connected image. If you choose this route, please contact Printivity before designing, and we will calculate the spine width. The second way is to submit the three sections of the cover separately. Our team can easily work with whichever option you choose.
Can’t design the spine? Printivity has you covered. Our design team will create the exact spine you need for your perfect bound booklet printing. Please provide us with the following details:
- Fonts
- Text Content (book title, author, etc.)
- Content Placement
- Content Direction ( UK vs US style*)
*US style text direction on the spine refers to the text running down the spine. Where UK style text direction runs up the spine.
Every order at Printivity is important to us. This is why we will not print your order until you have fully approved the provided digital proof. The digital proof will include a separate file for the spine proof. This file will showcase the covers connected to the spine in the way it will be printed.
If you have an upcoming perfect bound booklet printing project, call our team at 1-877-649-5463. We’re here to help you with design best practices, placing orders, and any print and design questions. No questions? Our website makes it easy to receive an instant quote for all products. Enter all custom specifics for your order for pricing. Prices will instantly update with every change for you to compare spec variations to receive the perfect product.