Binding Options/Experiments

Perfect Bound:

Perfect binding is commonly used for catalogs, directories and paperback books that have a higher page count. Pages are glued together at the spine with a strong, flexible glue. The cover is wrapped around the glued pages, and the brochure or catalog is then trimmed to its finished size. This would work well for my book as it is around 32 spreads, therefore having a saddle stitch book would make it too thick. I also think that a perfect bound book has more of a professional finish, which is something I want to achieve in my book. My experiment went well and the small memo pad booklet stayed together. PVA was used as the binding material and supported with a small strip of scrum. This type of bind would also allow me to use different stocks throughout the book, which could mean the double page spreads could be printed in high gloss stock, to give the truest of colours.

Although the finish is more aesthetically pleasing it does mean that if the glue does not take to all of the pages properly it will begin to fall apart page by page. There is also the gutter to take into consideration, as the glue is placed in the center of each spread. Meaning unless the book is perfectly aligned it will lose part of the image or text in the center of each spread. This is a major factor that must be added in the design process because of the content I have produced overlaps on most of the spreads.

Saddle Stitch:

Saddle stitching is a simple printers term for stapling. Printed, folded forms are opened at their centers (half the pages on one side and half on the other side) and then gathered or nested together – each form falling on top of the next in proper order while riding along a chain. This gives a similar effect to a pamphlet stitch. Because of the way that this stitch holds the book together a creep is created in the center of the book and must be compensated for in the design. This means the center pages of the book will technically be shorter than those on the outside, yet this is not seen when the book is lying flat. This binding option is cheap and fast, although it may not be useful for my design, although it is more durable than perfect bound, it will give the book a pamphlet style; something I want to avoid.