Bindings
Board Book Binding
Board book binding is not technically “binding”.
Each set of 2 pages is printed, cut, and then glued to paperboard. The cover paper is wrapped and glued around the body.
Most board books are 6 to 20 pages (including the front and back cover).
Perfect Binding
Perfect sewn refers to soft cover bound books.
In perfect binding, pages are folded, gathered, sewn, and glued into a cover to form a squared-off spine.
Perfect binding is the preferred binding method for graphic novels, trade paperbacks, softcover children’s books and coloring books.
48 page minimum best for perfect binding.
Saddle Stitched Binding
Saddle stitching refers to a binding where the pages are gathered together, folded and stapled along the crease.
Popular with readers, booklets and paperback books with less than 80 pages.
Smyth Sewn Binding (or casebound)
Smyth Sewn is used to refer to casebound hard cover books.
This binding wraps completely around the book block and allows for a printable spine. Smyth Sewn is a durable binding.
Smyth Sewn is ideal for hardcover books, sketchbooks, planners and journals. Typically used for books with 20 or more pages.
All things being equal, Smyth Sewn tends to be more affordable than wire-o binding.
Concealed Wire-O
Concealed Wire-O binding is similar to Wire-O but the wire is concealed, so it’s not seen on the spine. It allows text/graphics to be included on the spine similar to a casebound book.
Wire-O Binding
Wire-O Binding is also known as Twin Loop, Double-Loop, Double-O, Duo-Wire, or simply Wire Binding. It is sophisticated and professional-looking and comes in metallic and custom colours.
Ideal for journals and planners under 250 pages.
All things being equal, the cost of Wire-o binding is typically a little less than spiral.
Spiral or Coil Binding
In spiral binding, the pages and cover of a journal and planner are joined using a continuous coil made of very durable plastic or metal.
Spiral bound books open 360 degrees (cover to cover) which allow them to fold flat and lie flat for easier reference (or for your Planner to hang on a wall).
This binding style works extremely well with index tabs and all page counts.
Fast Fact: When creating wire-o or spiral binding, the book block is first trimmed on all four sides. Then, holes are drilled along one side and the pages are secured by either a wire that is clamped through the holes or a spiral that is threaded through the holes. Because projects using this type of binding do not have to be stapled or sewn through the fold, they do not follow the standard page count multiple of 4 rule. Instead your final page count can be any increment of 2. That is great news if you have a project that has a page count that isn’t a multiple of 4!
