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When paperclips won't do, here are methods for books, booklets, reports, design and rinting considerations for Binding



FULL BINDING METHODS

  For some types of binding it might simply be a matter of ensuring that the margins are wide enough to accommodate the holes for a three ring binder or spiral binding. For saddle-stitching, you may need to compensate for creep. Some bindings provide more durability, others allow your book to lay flat when open. You will also want to weigh the cost of special equipment if you want to do-it-yourself rather than using a local copy shop or printer for your binding and finishing.

  Here are the most common ways that you can bind your books or other documents.

Ring Binding

  This is a good binding option for some types of manuals where page revisions may need to be inserted periodically.

Comb, Coil, Wire Binding

  Plastic comb binding is a piece of plastic with "teeth" that fit into rectangular holes in the paper. You can purchase kits if you're the do-it-yourself sort. It allows your documents to lay flat when opened. Comb binding is an inexpensive but professional looking option.

  A sturdier alternative to the single wire spirals or the plastic comb is Wiro (Wire-o or double loop wire) binding. The wire forms teeth or double loops that fit into rectangular holes in the paper. The loops are crimped to hold the wire in place. Like comb and coil bindings, these allow the book to lay flat when open.

  Comb, coil, and wire binding methods require additional finishing time. Pages must be punched with the proper pattern of holes before binding. Because only a few pages at a time can be punched and they must all line up correctly it adds to the preparation time.

  Writing notebooks, notepads, steno pads, cookbooks, booklets, manuals, reference materials, workbooks, and calendars often utilize comb, coil, or double loop wire binding methods.

Thermal Binding

  Heat-fused cloth or plastic strips make thermal binding a strong binding method. For tape binding (Fastback is one brand name) a heavy cloth strip is fused to the edge of the document. It provides a very sturdy binding with a neat appearance and allows documents to open flat. Use with or without covers.

  Velo binding uses two plastic strips, heat sealed, to bind the documents. Desktop machines are available for home or office use if you expect to be doing a lot of thermal binding.

Stitched Binding

  Saddle-stitching or saddle stapling or "bookletmaking" is common for small booklets, calendars, pocket-size address books, and some magazines. Several sheets of paper are folded (the fold becomes the spine of the booklet) and two or more staples are placed in the fold. For do-it-yourself saddle-stitching you can purchase long, adjustable staplers to reach the fold.

  When the document is too large for saddle-stitching it may be side-stitched or side stapled. The staples are placed about 1/4" or so from the edge. A cover may be glued on. Side-stitched books can't be opened flat and extra allowance is needed in the inner margin.

Perfect Binding

  Puts all the pages or signatures together, roughens and flattens the edge, then a flexible adhesive attaches the paper cover to the spine. Paperback novels are one example of perfect bound books. Booklets, telephone directories, and some magazines use perfect binding methods. Compared to other binding methods, perfect binding is quite durable and has a low to medium cost. It can be used with publications that are several inches thick.

  A variation of traditional perfect binding is lay-flat or Eurobind binding where the cover is glued only to the sides of the spine so that a perfect bound book can lay flat when open. Also, some books may combine glue with sewn together signatures.

Case or Edition Binding

  The most common type of binding for hardcover books, involves sewing the individual signatures together, flattening the spine, applying endsheets and a strip of cloth to the spine. The hard covers are then attached. The spine of a case bound hard cover book is typically rounded and there are hinges (grooves) along the edges of the cover near the spine. Case bound books often also have dust covers or jackets.


Definitions courtesy of About.com