Binding plays a key role in the appearance and performance of a printed booklet. Selecting the best type of binding for a print project requires taking into account several factors, such as the function of the booklet, the number of pages, the desired quality of presentation, and your printing budget.
But what are the different types of binding? Read on to learn about saddle-stitching, spiral binding, and other binding methods. And take a look at our infographic about how to choose the right binding for your next project!
Jump to Infographic: How To Choose The Best Book Binding
7 Ways of Binding Books: Book Binding Options Explained
There are several different types of bookbinding, each with their own benefits. If you need printed books, reports, or other printed projects, learn about seven binding styles that can bring your vision to life.
1. Saddle stitch binding
What is the easiest method of book binding? Saddle-stitching – it’s one of the most common and economical binding methods for simple booklets with lower page counts.
The process works by folding sheets of paper together and stapling them through the fold line of the booklet. Two staples are used for booklets up to 64 pages. However, Printivity now offers a square spine saddle binding that allows page counts up to 144 page count (4 covers + 140 interior).
Why is it called saddle-stitching if the pages are stapled instead of sewn? During the binding process, the folded sheets are draped over an apparatus that looks like a saddle. Early on, this process was given the name “saddle-stitching,” and it’s been a printing industry term ever since. Today, any bookbinding process that attaches wire staples through sheets of paper is commonly referred to as saddle-stitching.
Saddle Stitch Book Printing are ideal for presenting articles, advertising, or news, such as:
- Programs
- Wall calendars
- Newsletters
- Pamphlets
- Direct mailers
- Comic books
- Thin magazines and catalogs
Designing for saddle stitch binding
Because saddle-stitching uses folded pages, the total page count for the booklet must be a multiple of four. This is important to keep in mind when designing and laying out your booklet. Otherwise, you might end up with one or more blank pages.
The folding process also determines the size of the paper needed for the booklet. For example, if you want a standard page size of 8.5″ x 11 booklet, you would use 11″ x 17″ sheets of paper to accommodate the fold.
One point to remember: don’t place any text or graphics too close to the fold of the book’s spine or near an edge that will be trimmed. Otherwise, you may inadvertently cut off part of the content of the booklet.
2. Spiral binding booklet printing
Spiral binding is another popular binding option. It offers a wide array of print applications and is especially popular with business professionals for its simple design and ability to cost-effectively “dress up” small print projects of only a few pages.
Also known as coil binding, spiral binding holds the cover and the loose pages together with a long plastic coil. The coil is threaded through evenly spaced holes punched into the spinal edge of the book cover and pages. Once fully inserted, both ends of the coil are crimped to keep it from unraveling.
The plastic coils can be custom ordered in dozens of colors to coordinate with the cover, with black being the most popular. They also come in many different diameters to handle the number of pages in the booklet. The more pages in the book, the larger the diameter.
Spiral binding works well with pocket-sized books, oversized books and everything in between. The plastic binding allows for portrait or landscape paging and can even have the binding coil on top of the book instead of the side. This is a popular format for businesses and common applications range from instruction manuals, cookbooks, and directories to travel guides, PowerPoint presentations, textbooks, and calendars.
The primary advantages of this booklet binding option include:
- Can open 360 degrees and fold flat
- Pages are easy to turn
- An economical choice for short production runs
- The durable plastic coils resist distortion
- Great for wall calendars and other booklets that hang flat against a wall
- Can accommodate index tabs
- Quick turnaround times because no adhesives are needed
3. Wire-o booklet printing
The Wire Bound Book Printing option provides an upscale yet durable way to bind a wide variety of booklets ranging from presentations, reports, and workbooks to catalogs, cookbooks and more. The technique for this popular binding method is similar to spiral coil binding. However, unlike spiral binding, each coil is separate from the others, filling up two punched holes at a time with “o” binding wire.
Wire-o binding loops are made of sturdy wire and can be custom ordered in a variety of colors that can coordinate with the color and design of the cover if desired. Wire-o bound books offer the same lay-flat, 360-degree functionality of spiral binding, along with extra benefits like:
- Enhanced durability for environments that involve frequent handling or exposure to elements
- A professional appearance that’s slightly more upscale than
- Fluid page movement for books of up to 200 pages
4. Perfect bound book printing
Perfect bound book printing is another popular method with one big difference from the three book binding types above – it uses a flexible adhesive rather than wires or coils to hold the book together. The adhesive is applied along the spine to bind the cover and pages, which are cut to the exact same size to produce a perfect edge on all three sides.
This booklet binding option is far and away the leading choice for soft cover books, especially paperbacks. The cover usually consists of a heavier stock of paper than the other pages, and a clear coating can be added at an additional cost for more durability and improved visual appeal. Perfect binding is also very popular in the business world because it combines cost-effective binding with a professional look and feel. Common business applications include corporate reports, catalogs, product brochures, manuals, and magazines.
Benefits of perfect binding include:
- High-quality presentation
- Cost less to produce than hardcover books
- Very strong, durable spine
- The square spine allows for printing on the spine
- Spine will not crack or break in extreme high or low temperatures
- Is suitable for short runs
5. PUR perfect binging
Upgrade your perfect bound book to PUR when you need your product to withstand heavy use over time. Benefits of PUR include:
- Thin coat of adhesive allows for a more flexible spine and cleaner appearance
- Lay-flat abilities – can be pushed down without the spine cracking
- 50% stronger adhesive than EVA perfect bound books
- Ideal for high page count books
With the flexible properties of PUR glue, the PUR perfect bound books are able to be opened wide a without the glue cracking at the spine. Due to the strong bond, less glue is required to be applied which makes it more flexible and creates less distortion of the spine. Ultimately, PUR allows for an even cleaner appearance than the traditional adhesive.
6. Hardcover binding
Of the different types of binding, hardcover book binding also called case binding, is the most premium book binding option in the industry. Once your custom cover design is printed and protected by lamination of your choosing, it’s glued to a heavy-duty chip board. The book block, which ranges from 30-400 page documents, is attached to the hardcover spine using the strongest glue on the market.
There are unique properties to hardcover books that you will not find in other types of book stitching. The one that stands out the most are the endsheets. This sheet is glued to the inside of the front and back cover to cover the chip board and gives a smooth appearance. The endsheet extends past the cover and is the first and last sheet of your book. The extended part of the sheet is commonly referred to as the flyleaf. Setting up your content will be different compared to other book types due to the flyleaf.
Hardcover binding can be used for any of your book printing needs, such as:
- Cookbooks
- Yearbooks
- Coffee table books
- Textbooks
- Photobooks
Designing for hard cover binding
Setting up your content will be different compared to other binding styles due to the flyleaf. Most booklets allow printing on the inside cover, but unfortunately printing is not available on the endsheet/flyleaf. Because of this, you will need to start designing your content to start on the right side.
7. Three-ring binders
Three-ring binders are one of the newest binding offerings at Printivity. Binders offer two different products that, when combined, create an infinitely interchangeable binding option that includes three-ring binders and binder documents.
All three ring binder offerings hold 8.5″ x 11″ documents, but you can choose different spine thicknesses, depending on how much you need it to hold. The spine thicknesses offered are 0.5″, 1.0″, 1.5″, 2.0″, and 3.0″. You can also choose to print custom front and back covers and a spine to match your brand and purpose of the binder, which are showcased in the clearview pockets.
Printivity’s binder documents let you choose between black-and-white and color copies. A three-hole punch is included to easily add to your binder. Add divider tabs to your order when you want to find the exact section as fast as possible. These divider tabs extend 0.5″ past the other documents to quickly thumb through the sections.
Need More Info About Different Types of Book Binding?
Printivity specializes in booklet binding options designed to meet your booklet printing needs. Whether you’re a company looking to give your print marketing materials a boost or a first-time author looking into different types of binding options, Printivity has the perfect binding style for you.
When you need a professionally bound booklet, bring it to the experts at Printivity. Request an instant cost estimate with our online booklet printing price quoter to get started on your next project. Or, call us at 1-877-649-5463 with any questions.
Infographic: How To Choose The Best Book Binding
