Binding Style: 5 Things to Consider for a Stellar Document

Binding Style: 5 Things to Consider for a Stellar Document

When printing a multipage document, selecting the correct binding style is a very important consideration. At Publishing Xpress, we offer four different binding styles:

Saddle stitch: For documents from 8 to 80 pages. Each sheet of paper contains two pages on each side (4 pages per sheet). The paper is folded in half and the booklet is stapled in the center to keep it bound.

Perfect bound: For documents from 8 to over 300 pages. With this binding style, glue is placed in the center of the inside cover and the inside pages are then adhered to the glue. Paperback books and many magazines use this binding method.

Plastic coil: Also for documents from 8 to over 300 pages, this binding style features a black plastic coil. Think school notebooks, except the coil is black.

Wire-o: This binding style is similar to plastic coil, except it features black wire instead of the plastic coil. Wire-o has a bit more sophisticated look than plastic coil.

So How Do You Decide on a Binding Style?

With four great options to choose from, how do you decide on the best binding style for your printing project? Here are five key questions to ask before making that decision:

1. Do you expect heavy usage of your document?

Some documents are meant to look pretty, others are meant to be used heavily. Maybe the reader will consult them frequently or will write in them often. If you expect heavy usage of your document, consider saddle stitch or especially plastic coil and wire-o. These bindings tend to hold up better to heavy usage than perfect binding does.

2. Will your users write in your document?

Workbooks, journals, calendars, and similar documents are meant for the user to write in them. For those types of applications, plastic coil and wire-o are ideal options. Not only do those options lay flat, but the user can work on one page at a time, which takes up less room.

3. Is there a need for the document to lay flat?

In some cases, your user will find that the documents needs to lay flat, even if they aren’t writing in the book. For instance, cookbooks are often easier to use if they lay flat, because the user often is busy working on the recipe and can’t hold the book. In those types of applications, plastic coil and wire-o are again great options.

4. Are you looking for an impressive presentation?

Many documents are meant to impress the reader, either so that they will buy your products or services or so that they will continue to purchase your publications. Perfect binding is a great option–the binding style never fails to impress readers. Saddle stitching is also a great option, although as your page count increases, it often makes more sense to use perfect binding.

5. Do you need a cost-effective, professional presentation?

For many applications, including small catalogs, seminar schedules, and program booklets, saddle stitching is a great binding style. It is our most economical binding style and the finished product is very professional looking. It also stands up to heavy usage.

Still not sure what binding style you should use for your binding style? Give us a call at 1-877-977-3779 or chat with us online and we’ll help you make the decision. And be sure to check out our numerous 5-star Google reviews.