Different Types of Binding and When to Use Them
If you have a print project that goes beyond one printed sheet of paper, you may need to bind them or fasten them together to create a book, magazine, or booklet. To produce a polished, professional publication, it’s important to understand the various binding and finishing methods available so you can make the right choice for your print project. Here’s a breakdown of each binding option to help you determine the best fit for your specific piece.
Saddle Stitch Binding
Commonly used for magazines, manuals, booklets, brochures, catalogs, and pamphlets, saddle stitching is one of the most popular and cost-effective means of binding. In the saddle stitching binding process, several sheets of paper are nested into one another and attached by staples to create the fold. More specifically, these sheets of paper are laid over a base, giving it the appearance of legs over a saddle – hence the name – where long staples are “stitched” through the paper to hold everything in place. The use of two staples is the standard for saddle-stitched booklets, but more can be used along the spine to accommodate larger paper sizes.
Benefits
It’s cost-effective, yet still produces quality and professional-looking booklets.
It has a minimal amount of excess bulk weight, which can be great to lower shipping costs.
It’s versatile and can be used in a variety of sizes.
Phillips Recommendations
Saddle stitch binding is perfect for booklets or manuals with no more than 64 pages or so. This is because the stitching could come undone if too many pages are forced together. This type of binding is ideal and more economical if you need to create hundreds or thousands of booklets or instructional guides because they weigh less than other binding methods, making them cheaper to ship.
Perfect Binding
Perfect binding is a form of adhesive binding that gives publications a perfectly bound rectangular backbone, making them excellent for books, corporate reports, manuals, and brochures. The flexible adhesive attaches a cover to the spine that is then placed around the inside pages, giving it that perfect strong yet flexible feeling when flipping through the publication. For cover design options, foldouts, pocket covers, die-cutting, foil stamping, and embossing are available to further enhance and personalize your publication – so don’t be afraid to get creative!
Benefits
They look professional and provide a great visual appeal.
You can place text on the spine (i.e. author, book title, etc.).
Phillips Recommendations
Perfect binding is great for publications and magazines with larger page counts because they accommodate thick spines. We recommend having at least 28 pages, so it’s thick enough for a straight backbone.
Because of such, perfect binding is great for projects you wish to showcase marketing articles in your business lobby or even sent as a catalog to customers.
Wire-O Binding and Spiral Binding
Wire-O binding is a technique that uses a circular double-wire strip through pre-punched square holes along the binding edge, allowing the pages to be turned 360 degrees without damaging the binding. As such, Wire-O bound books can lie flat when open, making them a great choice for presenting information in a more formal, organized, and professional way, making them ideal for manuals, notebooks calendars, and more.
Spiral binding uses a spiral or plastic coil using a PVC coil that is spun through punched paper and then cut and crimped to prevent the coil from spinning back out. Coil binding is ideal for any publication you may use as a daily reference to read or write in. Thanks to the durability of the plastic coil, you can flip through pages thousands of times before seeing wear and tear. Spiral binding is usually used for reports, calendars, and manuals.
Benefits
The publication can lay completely flat
The pages flip 360 degrees
The binding can be placed on the left or top
Phillips Recommendations
Spiral and wire-o binding works best for internal business materials because it can lay flat, making it easier for employees to refer to. They’re also great for projects where the pages are turned a lot because they are sturdier and more reinforced, making it easier to flip through the pages time and time again without worrying about wear and tear.
Because spiral and wire-O binding are very similar, it can be difficult to choose between the two. To give you our two cents, if you have a higher page count, we recommend using spiral binding over wire-o binding.
By picking the right binding, you can ensure your book, magazine, or booklet will withstand years of handling and reading or if it can pack easily for shipping. A binding finish adds the final finishing touch to any printed project – they quite literally pull the whole thing together with metal, glue, or a wire.
If you’re thinking about binding your next print project, be sure to consider the number of pages per unit and the scope of the project for distribution purposes. At Phillips, our team of finishing professionals can help you make an informed, efficient decision that’s just in line with any budget. Contact us today!