Saddlestitching its probably the easiest have you the tools and the most economical binding method. The booklets are printed on double wide paper, folded in half, and stitched essentially stapled on the fold. In saddle stitching, the inside pages of the book are a bit narrower than the outside pages, explains stuart slater, director of business development at contemporary graphics. Perfect bound and saddle stitch are both great binding techniques. Is perfect binding or saddle stitch better for your publication. Saddle stitch binding for books that might have shortterm use or those with a small number of pages, saddle stitch binding is an excellent alternative. I know most publications of this size usually go with saddle stitch, but when pricing ive found that sometimes perfect binding can. Saddle stitching is a good option for catalogs, program booklets, etc. Usually a booklet can be saddle stitched up to 68 pages it can vary depending on the thickness of the paper. When staples are used for binding a comic book, this is known as saddle stitch binding. If your business has stayed away from professional looking binding because of the cost, square back binding is your answer. Once pages are printed and organized, they are stacked and loaded onto a conveyor from where they are stitched together using metal staples. Lets define the difference between perfect binding and saddlestitch binding. Saddle stitching allows a binder to produce a hardcover editing with sewn signatures, because it does not destroy the paper.
In the saddle stitching process, large sheets of paper are folded in half, cut and stapled along the spine for a magazinelike appearance. We offer perfect bindings for page counts over 16, while most other printers have a minimum page count of 64. If you have 100 pages, youll need to choose perfect binding. Wireo is another type of flat book binding using the same principles as coil binding. This type of binding is used for single issue comic books, workbooks, shorter catalogs, cookbooks, and booklets of all kinds. We stock a wide range of coloured wire and plastic binding material as. This method of keeping pages securely attached to a book has been around for a very long time. These are comparatively much thinner than the previous two binding types we discussed. Whats the difference between saddle stitch and perfect bound. Saddle stitch vs perfect bound digital printing blog. Saddle stitch is best for pamphlets and short magazines, while perfect bound is meant for a publication that may be looked at repeatedly. Three differences between perfect binding and saddle stitching size. Though perfect bound book binding is more expensive than saddle stitch, it offers a highly professional appearance at a fairly low cost. Saddle stitch books can be produced very quickly and efficiently.
Saddlestitching is the most commonly used binding method for books with 60 or fewer pages. Is perfect binding or saddle stitch better for your. Saddle stitch booklet printing and binding printivity. Saddle stitching is a binding method where a document is wire stitched on the spine, also known as stapled. Perfect binding involves the use of glue rather than staples to create the binding of a. Sunrise hitek book binding options saddle stitch, spiral binding, perfect binding, and hardcover. Compared to the perfect binding method, the saddle stitch bookbinding method is also faster and perhaps even more cost effective. Saddle stitching is used to bind booklets that are 8 pages or larger. The binding is as durable as that of a hardbound book. In perfect binding, the final page count just needs to be a multiple of two. Stitching can be done with or without a book cover. Coil binding is more expensive than saddle stitching but is more versatile and has its specific purposes. How are saddle stitching and perfect binding different.
Dick is president of consulting firm gorelick and associates, inc. The first factor to consider when choosing saddle stitch vs. Then the book, including the cover, is folded in half. However, the page count can sometimes be as high as 100 depending on the production method, the paper thickness and the resulting bulk of the assembled book. In the saddle stitching process, parent sheets are cut, folded, and stapled together to form a finished booklet. Many magazines and newsletters are bound by saddle stitching such as time, newsweek, natural history, and many others.
Perfect bound vs saddle stitch if youre wondering what the perfect binding minimum pages is heres a few factors to consider when planning your project. Choose from perfect binding, saddle stitching, wire and plastic binding and thermal. Types of binding back to basics student bookbinding. A book can be perfect bound as long as it is 28 pages or larger. Due to the way they are printed, saddle stitched booklets must be set up in increments of 4 pages.
Saddle stitch has some advantages over perfect binding in that it is cost effective, and the book can more easily lay open while being read. To form a book, the saddle stitch method uses wire staples to secure folded sheets of paper in the printing industry, saddle stitching refers to a very popular book binding method in which folded sheets are gathered together one inside the other. Anything with a page count above 64 pp should be perfect bound. Stapling through the centerfold, also called saddlestitching, joins a set of nested folios into a single magazine issue. A sewn book is constructed in the same way as a hardbound book, except that it lacks the hard covers. If spreads are very important to the overall look and feel of your book, we recommend binding types that lay flat, such as saddle stitched. For the saddle stitch method to work, the pages of your booklet need to be multiples of 4. Perfect binding can be used for documents from 8 pages to over 300 pages. Perfectboundvssaddlestitched both saddle stitching and perfect binding are ways to bind a book or a magazine. Although there are many ways to gather printed pages togather, saddle stitching and perfect binding are the two most common methods of binding a multipage booklet, catalog or magazine. The more pages a book contains, the more difficult it is to saddle stitch a book, so it is reserved for smaller books or booklets. Of the many ways to secure a book, saddle stitch binding is one of the best. This type of binding is often used for comic books, produ. Some commercial printers follow the rule that anything under 48 pages is saddle stitched, and books over 96 pages get perfect bound.
Among all the commercial bookbinding methods, it is considered to be the second most popular one. This results in a fast and cheap method to mass produce notebooks or thin books. How to design for gutter margins printivity insights. Saddle stitching is one of the most most common and. The length of the book will determine the amount of staples to be used to hold the book together. Saddle stitching is the least expensive and simplest binding method available.
The process involves inserting forms on top of other forms over a saddle and driving stitches through the. Once a book has more pages, it will need to be perfect bound. If you take a closeup look at a brochure bound this way, you will notice something very distinct. Whats the best binding for your publication saddle stitch or perfect binding. Saddle stitching or perfect binding is the way to professionally present your brochure, catalogue, magazine, newsletter or book. Unlike magazines that use saddlestitch binding, publications that use perfect binding are usually of a larger page count.
The drawbacks of side stitching as opposed to saddle stitch is that the pages dont open flat, and there is margin loss along the binding edge of the pages. In my experience, the general rule for a saddlestitched book is 64 pages or less to achieve a nice flat book. That is why its recommended to add one day in your calculations for printing your magazine. A saddle stitch book is a thin book bound together using either a thread or staples. Advancements in perfect binding have decreased the appeal of side stitching. Saddle stitching and perfect binding are the 2 most common options used to. Saddle stitched binding saddle stitched binding is the simplest and most basic booklet binding methods. Perfect bookbinding gives your book projects a professional, keepworthy look national geographic magazine or a paperback version of the latest bestseller. Saddle stitch book a saddle stitch book has 2 staples in the spine and is a cost effective way to produce everything, from a brochure to a kids book to a conference program. Whats the difference between saddle stitch and perfect. The greatest benefit of using perfect binding is the longevity it gives to your magazine. Thread bookbinding material 101 bookbinding workshop. Unlike saddle stitching, perfect binding does not damage the paper over time. Commercial saddle stitch binding uses staples to bind books.
Square back binding is an affordable solution inbetween saddle stitching and perfect binding, offering the security of a saddle stitched spine with the improved appearance of a perfect bound square spine. The perfect bound versiion contains cheap glue that will not age well, break, distort the paper in wavy fashion if the paper grain is wrong, and only take gluing in future binding efforts. A saddle stitched bound comic book is assemble by folding several sheets of paper in half and then binding with staples along one edge of the book. Bookbinding workshop sg is a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to and affiliated sites. Saddle stitch versus perfect bound, which one is better. Pages are folded, creased and stapled together not by an ordinary stapler a stapler with long jaws, designed specifically for saddle stitching.
It all depends on the weight of paper you use, but the maximum you should really saddle stitch is a 60 to 64 pp booklet. This is definitely a costeffective binding method because no glue is used. Your choice of binding will depend on the size of your job. Perfect binding also takes more time in production than saddle stitching. Imagine saddle stitching a magazine that is 48 pages with the pages being 8.
If you are fond of taking notes on different topics of interest, you must have come across the saddle stitch binding. The saddle stitch binding technique takes full sheets of paper, stapled together in the center. Turn on looping for your embedded video so it will play over and over and over and over and over and you get the idea. Perfect bound is best for a softcover book or a thicker magazine with varying paperweights. Saddle stitch bookbinding tutorial bookbinding workshop. To form a book, the saddle stitch method uses wire staples to secure folded sheets of paper in the printing industry, saddle stitching refers to a very popular book binding method in which folded sheets are gathered together one inside the other and then stapled through the fold line with wire. Saddlestitch binding uses two staples to hold the book together, whereas perfect bound books are glue bound. A perfect bound booklet has a flat spine, like a large catalog or paperback book. I was told recently that the rule of thumb is 96 pages plus cover. What is the difference between perfect binding and saddle. Make the right binding choice for your book copresco. A perfect binding is a more durable option for paperback childrens books.
This method of keeping pages securely attached to a book has been around for a long time. When shopping for your printing needs, choose the method that is best for your particular project. Saddle stitch binding and perfect binding for comic books. It is also a very ecofriendly process since it wastes no paper glue. Conversely, the perfect binding method is better suited for thick books with a high page count. Spreads can be very difficult to design for when producing perfect bound books or hard cover books due to the gutter. Saddle stitching is wellsuited for thin books with a relatively low page count. Know when to use perfect binding vs saddle stitching. Difference between saddle stitch and perfect bind clearprint blog. The print buyers guide to book binding print shoppe. Saddle stitching is used to bind multipage booklets that are 8 pages or larger. Saddle stitch binding is one of the most cost effective binding options for books with. Dinkums has a comprehensive range of stylish and practical booklet binding options, fit for any application. Can use single sheets but folded signatures are most common.
Although perfect binding has replaced much saddle stitching, the latter is still the most effective method for binding materials that are up to g inch thick. Perfect binding involves the use of glue rather than staples to create the binding of a magazine. When the book block is glued into a paper cover, the glue that attaches the sheets to the spine can flow into the notches or groundoff areas. Lets define the difference between perfect binding and saddle stitch binding. The spine of a saddlestitched book cannot be printed upon. These are gathered into a book and the edges of the spine are ground off or notched. A saddle stitch book is often referred to as a booklet or even. When do you decide to perfect bind a book rather than saddle stitch it.
Designer spreads vs printer spreads booklet booklet printing from indesign saddle stitch vs perfect bound perfect binding cover layout perfect binding printing steps by far the three most common kinds of binding the pages of a book together are. Thanks to dick gorelick for sharing his thoughts on binding with us. Saddle stitch binding solutions classic binding solutions. Perfect binding is formed when book pages are glued together at the spine.