Book Binding Guide – How to make an informed decision
Book binding is far from a simple business, with so many different options to choose from (Far to many to exhaustively list them all here), so many different constraining factors playing into which types you can use, should use and crucially afford to use it can be a hard task working out which is the best fit for you. Hopefully this guide will help make that decision a little easier by arming you with all the information that you need to make an informed decision.
First things first, what questions should you be asking yourself when deciding on which book binding method is right for you? Well when deciding on a book binding method there are really four main factors that are generally taken into consideration; number of pages, function, cost and of course aesthetics.
Number of Pages
Some binding methods can only be used, or are only practical with either a low or a high page count. Saddle stitching for instance can be great for low page count projects and is perfect for small 8 page booklets, however with higher page counts in the region of 60+ pages will struggle to hold the book together. On the other hand PUR binding is the opposite, it will very successfully bind large books but struggle with low page count documents.
Function
Sometimes books have special requirements such as the need to be laid out flat, for which Wiro binding is ideal. Sometimes they need to be added into ring binders making loop stitching the obvious choice. Often if you have specific functional requirements you will be limited to only a few binding options for your book.
Cost
Unsurprisingly this is often a factor when deciding which book binding method to choose. Some methods such as saddle stitching can be very economical. Whilst others like Case binding can be very expensive. It is also worth bearing in mind that some binding methods may have relatively cheap initial set up costs but high running costs (Or vise versa) meaning that the cost of a biding method is relative to the number of copies you wish to have produced.
Aesthetics
This factor is sometimes very closely linked with cost. As with many things in life generally the more expensive the binding method is the more aesthetically pleasing we find it. Aesthetics is an entirely subjective factor that can play into your binding decision. It should really only be considered last as function and number of pages should really be your main constraining factors.
Common Book binding Methods
A comparison of some the most frequently used means to bind books
Saddle Stitched
Description: Stitched with (Typically) two small metal wires, that creates a binding effect very similar to stapling.
Used For: Small to medium sized books to create a professional polished finish that should not break the bank.
Cost: Relatively inexpensive.
PUR Bound
Description: Glued along the spine with very strong PUR glue and a hot melt glue along inside of front and back pages.
Used For: Medium to large sized books to create a high quality finish. Standard finish used for softback novels.
Cost: Moderate.
Wiro Bound
Description: Bound with one long continuous wire that loops through holes punched in the pages before being closed.
Used For: Books that need to be laid out flat, easily navigated or where there are too many pages for Saddle Stitching.
Cost: Low to moderate.
Stab Stitched
Description: Typically Stitched with anywhere between 1-4 small metal wires, that creates a binding effect very similar to stapling. Unlike Saddle stitching this is done on the front page of the document rather than along a spine.
Used For: Small to medium sized documents. Typically done as a DIY form of binding or where an odd number of pages are required
Cost: Inexpensive.
Sewn Bound
Description: Stitched with a thin thread along the spine.
Used For: Rarely used on its own. More commonly used for binding together sections to be used within a Case Bound book.
Cost: Moderately expensive.
Case Bound
Description: Book is encased within a hard cover bound together in many sewn bound sections.
Used For: Medium to large sized books to create a very high quality finish. Standard finish used for hard back novels.
Cost: Expensive.
Screw Bound
Description: Bound with small rivets (Either metal or plastic) that can be removed if necessary.
Used For: Books of any size that either need to be able to be fanned out to view multiple pages simultaneously or where pages need replacing over time.
Cost: Relatively inexpensive.
Spiral Bound
Description: Similarly to Wiro Binding it is bound with one long continuous plastic coil that loops through holes punched in the pages.
Used For: Books that need to be laid out flat, easily navigated or where pages being able to be rotated indefinitely is desirable.
Cost: Low to moderate.
Loop Stitched
Description: A variant on Saddle stitching that allows for easy insertion of the book into ring binder.
Used For: Books that need adding into a ring binder whilst remaining readable.
Cost: Moderate.
Plastic Grip
Description: A plastic grip that locks sheets of paper together. Often used as a quick in office binding solution.
Used For: Quickly creating a book out of printed pages, particularly where pages are likely to need replacing.
Cost: Low.
Comb Bound
Description: Similarly to Wiro Binding but with a plastic spine. part of the spine loops through holes punched in the pages.
Used For: Books that need to be laid out flat, easily navigated.
Cost: Low to moderate.
Tape Bound
Description: An adhesive tape placed around the spine of a book to bind pages together. Normally used in conjunction with another binding method to reinforce it.
Used For: Books that need adding into a ring binder whilst remaining readable.
Cost: Inexpensive to moderate.
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