HardingPoorman Group continues its blogging series on binding techniques. The way a finished multi-page piece is bound is important to its overall look and function. The correct binding type can reinforce the theme and look of a piece, sending important queues about tone, price and product integrity.
Perfect binding is a type of binding that incorporates a set of pages, binding them together with glue. This is the binding method used for most paperback books, which is the majority of what is sold at bookstores.
A perfect bound book is created by precisely stacking together pages, then gluing them along the spine edge with a very strong and flexible glue. After the pages have dried, a heavier stock paper is glued to the spine as a cover. Since there is no folding – with the exception of the cover – the the edges of the finished book are very clean.
Examples of perfect bound products are:
- Annual Reports
- Paperback books
- Magazines
- Textbooks
This method works well with for projects with a page count of 64 and up and for large run quantities (5,000 books or more). Although this method is very cost effective, keep in mind that perfect binding is the least durable way to produce books. If your project is designed to be handled many times or to last for an extended period of time you may want to investigate what other binding options you have!
Have a question about binding techniques for your next printing project? Ask to see samples of all the binding types HPG can produce.