How to Instantly Make Your Perfect Bound Book Stand Out!

With a binding style that has been around for over a century, perfect bound books have become one of the most common types of binding among amateur and professional publishers. So, what can you do to make your book appear more valuable than your competitors?

Rounded Corner Perfect Bound Book

Last updated on May 16th, 2023 at 02:57 pm

Perfect bound books have cardstock covers and are bound with glue along a squared spine. This type of binding is known for giving off a clean, professional look; which is why it has received its bold name.

With a binding style that has been around for over a century, perfect bound books have become one of the most common types of binding among amateur and professional publishers. So, what can you do to make your book appear more valuable than your competitors?

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The quickest way to catch a viewer’s attention is add an extra coating to the covers!

There are not one, but two different ways that you can make your covers shine and the colors pop! UV Gloss Coating and Lamination are the two most popular coatings that can improve the look of the covers.

UV Gloss Coating is a liquid that is added to the paper after it has been printed on and cures under a UV light. Once the UV Gloss Coating has cured, your prints are left with a high gloss look that can make any book stand out!

Most of the published books that you see on the bookshelves at bookstores typically have laminated covers. Lamination comes in two finishes, gloss and matte. Perfect bound books use a thin 1.3 mil laminate, which is perfect for protecting the book covers while still having flexible properties.

So which coating should you choose?

Both UV Gloss Coating and Lamination will protect your book from scratching, sun damage, and give the covers a smooth, sleek feel. However, Lamination is a stronger, more durable material. So if you want your book to last throughout years of wear and tear, lamination would be the recommended coating. UV Gloss Coating is great for helping your covers stand out and making the colors pop, while on a budget.

Matte versus gloss cover lamination. The matte lamination does not have a shine and the colors are muted. The gloss lamination is extra shiny and the colors are more vibrant

Don’t stop with the covers, you can change the shape of the book!

Rounded Corners are a customization that requires a die-cutter to cut the corners in a 1/8”, ¼”, or ½” radius. Besides being an aesthetic choice, rounding the corners of your book can also have a practical advantage as well.  Rounding the corners of a children’s book will help prevent the risk of injury and cuts due to the sharp corners. It will also reduce the possibility of the corners becoming bent or frayed like they would with square corners.

Rounded Corner Perfect Bound Book

Once your covers customization has brought in a new reader, keep them engaged with the feel of your book!

One thing that you will want to budget for in your perfect bound book is quality paper! A thin paper type can instantly make your well-designed book feel cheap and poor quality. Spending a little extra on a 100 lb Gloss paper will make your book feel more luxurious!

70 lb Text Uncoated paper is the thickest of the uncoated text weights. The sturdiness and durability of this paper weight is great for workbooks, journals, and other books that are primarily meant to be written in.

Coated paper is the ideal paper finishing for marketing products or other professional perfect bound books that will be distributed. Coated paper usually comes in two options: gloss or matte. If there is color printed throughout the book, either option will make the colors appear more vibrant and brighter!

Gloss coated paper gives off a high shine and a smooth feel that works perfectly for any high-quality perfect bound book! Matte coated paper is the perfect choice when you want your book to have the professional look without being concerned about the glare that can occur with gloss coated paper.

Make your design your own!

You’ve worked so hard to make your book one of a kind, but you don’t need to stop at the design. UV Gloss Coating and Lamination will enrich the colors and add shine to your covers. Changing the shape of the book by adding rounded corners will improve the appearance and practicality of the book. The paper that you choose for your perfect bound book can be more than just what your content is printed on. It can also improve the look of the colors and make the book feel more substantial.

Adding even just one of these customizations to your perfect bound book will make any viewer stop in their tracks!

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