There are many different types of binding methods out there that designers and students use for dissertations, portfolios, pitch documents and books.

The Most Common Types of Binding:

Saddle-stitching – It’s probably the easiest (have you the tools) and the most economical binding method. Pages are folded, creased and stapled together (not by an ordinary stapler – a stapler with long jaws, designed specifically for saddle stitching). We often see this type of binding used for look books, booklets, and magazines that have a smaller page count.

Perfect Binding – a form of binding most often used in the types of books you find yourself reading on the train or at home, otherwise known as paperback or softcover books. Perfect bound books can also be useful for manuals, catalogues, and annuals. Pages are folded into sections (termed signatures in the industry) and glued with a heavier printed wrap-around cover into the spine using a strong adhesive. It’s not the strongest form of binding and your book won’t open flat; you’ll know a book has been poorly perfect bound when your pages start falling out.

Perhaps you’ve heard the term PUR perfect bound? Here the binding is much the same, but a stronger adhesive is used, and is what we would recommend if perfect binding is the style you’re going for. Generally, a hardback covered book would only be PUR perfect bound, as the glue used to form your paperback or softcover books won’t adhere to the hard case spine very well.

Section Sewn – Your most secure binding method. Here pages are folded together into sections (signatures). Each section is then sewn into the following section along the spine. The spine is then glued together for extra support and the cover then attached. A Section Sewn book, regardless of page count will be able to lay flat.

Wire Binding/ Spiral Binding - Most of you would have bound a document throughout school or university using one of these methods. In a nutshell, holes are punched through the pages of your document near the bound edge, and held together using either wire or plastic coils. If you’re after a something a little fancier, a document can be wire bound inside a hard cover, cloth or printed case.

Hotspot Printing provides standard types of binding with a fast turnaround.  Please contact one of our Account Executives to discuss these options.

Have a Printing design that includes Book Binding that needs to go from concept to reality? Get in touch with a Hotspot Printing & Packaging specialist today!  You can call us, 310-538-2540, or submit a quote online.