Perfect Binding
Perfect binding is also called glue binding or perfect bound. It is a softcover type in which a few page signatures are collected and glued on the spine. The perfect bound book or perfect bound booklet includes the front cover, spine, back cover and interior pages. Because the book or booklet looks clean and sharp after binding, it is known as “perfect bound”. Perfect bound books are commonly used in the professional publishing industry. It looks more formal than a saddle stitch book or spiral-bound book.
When to Bind As Perfect Binding
Perfect binding is most popularly found in those books that you read during your long flights or while you are on a train. It is one of the most popular binding styles used for books, magazines, and catalogs, as it not only economical but also takes less time for production. Being a very versatile method of binding, it can be used in a variety of places.
- Choosing thinner interior paper, whether you are making a catalog with several hundred pages or simply a magazine with about 48 pages, this method is no doubt the best you can opt for.
- When you do a disposable promotion booklet, this is also a good choice.
Perfect Bound Book Design Tips
In common, the perfect bound book spine thickness is more than 3mm. If the spine thickness is less than 3mm, after binding, the spine looks not straight on each corner. When you start a design, please check the page count, paper and calculate the book spine thickness.
There should be 3mm bleed on all edges and a 12mm margin on the binding edge. Aesthetically perfect and budget-friendly, this method of binding is definitely going to benefit you in several ways. Softcover books that are available in bookstores are made by using the perfect binding method. Groups of paper are bound to give you a crisp and clean finished product and these pages are bound together with the help of an adhesive.
Because of glued binding, the interior pages are thinner paper would be better. We recommend 80gsm offset paper, 80gsm art paper, 105gsm art paper and 128gsm art paper for interior paper. If the interior paper is thicker than them, we suggest doing with sewn and perfect binding. For example, 100gsm offset paper, 157gsm and 200gsm art paper are better for the sewn and perfect bound book.
Glued Binding vs Sewn Perfect Binding
As mentioned, perfect binding is glued binding. The sewn perfect binding, we also call thread sewn. Glued binding and thread sewn are very similar binding method. But they have different characteristics as well.
- Perfect binding is a short production time. In common, the glued binding production time is shorter around 3-7 days than sewn perfect binding production time.
- Cost-effective and affordable is another main point of the glued binding.
- Perfect bound book’s margin on left and right is larger around 2-3mm than sewn perfect bound book’s margin.
- The thinner interior paper is better for doing perfect bound book.
- Sewn and perfect bound book can be opened flatter. It is better for the book’s image across two pages.
Benefits of Glued Binding
Aesthetically perfect and budget-friendly, this method of binding is definitely going to benefit you in several ways. Softcover books that are available in bookstores are made by using the perfect binding method. Groups of paper are bound to give you a crisp and clean finished product and these pages are bound together with the help of an adhesive.
Affordability – Being a less time-consuming process requiring much fewer resources, perfect binding is a much affordable option as compared to other forms of binding. That is why this type of binding is often used in the books that are sold in bookstores because you can bind a large number of books is a small span of time.
Lighter – You must have noticed this yourself that softcover books are much lighter than their hardcover counterparts. Lighter in weight also means that these books will be much easier to ship and would not require as much shipping cost as the hardcover ones. So, you can also transport more copies of the book at an affordable cost and thus help its copies to reach a wider audience. This increases the number of books sold and brings in more profits.
Aesthetic – If you are thinking that being an affordable option, you cannot make your book aesthetic by opting for perfect binding then you are completely wrong. This is because with, soft covers, you can get more aesthetic and presentable options than the hardcover books.
Versatile – Glued binding is one of the most versatile options of binding in the market. With it, you can make literally anything and everything. Whether you want to use it for graphic novels or for portfolios, they can serve the purpose in a variety of scenarios.
A Good-Looking Spine – With a perfect binding, if the spine is thick enough then you can print the title of the book, name of the author and the publisher’s name on the spine.
So, whether you need to get your new novel bound or your portfolio aesthetically covered, we, at QinPrinting, can help you achieve the best results. We also offer special binding options in case you are looking for something different and unique. We always take into consideration the budget of the client and suggest those methods which would suit your affordability and also give you the desired results at the same time.