BINDING TYPES

Item	Description	PROS	Cons
Saddle Stitch: (Staple Binding on spine)	Binding achieved through the insertion of 2 or more wire staples in the middle of the spine; Suitable for magazines, newsletters, catalogs; pages must be set up as ‘printers spreads’	Cheap, fast	Usually cannot be used for more than 100 page book, looks cheap
Side Stitch:	Similar to Saddle stitch, but through the side	Cheap, fast, very strong	Requires proper design setup
Side Sewn:	Same as Side Stitch, but using stitched thread	Classy Old World feel	Requires proper design setup, more time consuming
Perfect Bound: (Paperback)	A method of binding for paperback books where hot glue is applied to the edge of the singly cut pages to affix them to the cover.	slick, finished feel	more expensive and time consuming
Burst Perfect	A variation on perfect binding where pages are first sewn in bundles then hot glued into the cover	slick finished feel, stronger than normal perfect binding	more expensive and time consuming than perfect binding
Lay Flat Perfect:	A special kind of perfect binding where the book can lay flat on the table	good for cookbooks and other paperback books requiring lay flat	cannot do in China normally, only available for higher quantity
Case Bound (Hardback, Smythe Sewn)	Binding for books where pages are sewn together and then the ends applied by glue to a thick, hardbound cover	best quality	more expensive and time consuming for books
Spiral Bound: (Coil)	Binding using a plastic or metal coil running through holes punched through the piece; good for school books, cookbooks, notebooks	strong and long lasting, can be made in low quantity	expensive and time consuming
Double Loop Wire: (Wire-O)	A variation of Spiral binding with a double coil of wire	Stronger and better than normal spiral	more expensive than normal spiral
Concealed Double Loop:	A variation of Double Loop Wire binding where the coils is hidden inside the cover	Better looking, do not have to see the coil, can be made in low quantity	Cover can rip more easilty
Comb Bound:	Binding with plastic ‘teeth’ that close together into holes punched in the piece; good for business proposals, reports, and other low quantity items	Can be made by anyone with a cheap machine, can be made in low quantity	Cheap looking, easy to fall out of the holes, not suitable for big runs
Screw and Post:	Binding with a metal or plastic screw and nut that are inserted in one or more holes in the piece	Classy looking, can be done in low quantities	Hard to find the right size screw and post, art must be set up special, expensive
Ring Bound:	Binding where a thick metal ring is inserted through a large hole punched in the piece; Can be a single loose ring or a binder of 2 or more rings affixed to board or PVC	good for binding very thick pieces; allows pages to be inserted or removed	more expensive and less permanent than case binding/perfect binding
Rivet Bound:	Binding where a metal rivet is clamped down into a receiver to hold pages in place	allows flexibility and permanent feel	only good for thin pieces
Plastic Grip:	Binding where pages are slid vertically into a plastic clamp, usually with a PVC or Mylar cover page and cardstock backing; for business presentations, reports.	Good for low quantity.	cheap looking, only good for very small quantity.

Binding Types

BINDING TYPES

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