Bookbinding is a Short Run Press speciality. We offer a wide range of styles from a simple saddle stitch to a fine leather case. We have the craft skills to give you sound advice and to produce whatever best suits your requirements and budget. All of the options below are suitable for publications printed using lithographic or digital printing technologies, or even a combination of the two.
Perfect binding -
This form gathers the folded sections and mills 3mm from the spine where the hot melt glue and cover are applied; an economical solution widely used in both litho and digital printing.
Slot, Notch or Burst binding -
Like perfect binding it gathers folded sections, but while they are being folded notches/ slots are cut into the spine. The gathered sections have hot melt glue and cover applied, so keeping the folded sheet in tact. Considered by some to be stronger than perfect binding for much the same price.
Sewn binding -
After folding and gathering, each section is thread-sewn to the next to create a sewn book block. This book block then has a hot melt glue and its cover applied. A more costly solution but the strongest - and generally considered the best.
There are two main styles of case binding, both requiring a gathered book block (which can be sewn, perfect or notch bound). Once a block has been formed, a flexi-line is applied to the spine and the book trimmed to size. The cases are made from grey board with either cloth / leather or a printed cover attached. Many extras can be added to cased books; for example, head and tail bands or ribbon markers, but the main options are as follows:
Case -
Cloth or leather is drawn on to grey board, embossing can then be applied to the spine, front and back.
Jacketed case -
As case, but a jacket is folded and wrapped around the finished book block.
Printed paper case (PPC) -
The cover is drawn on to the grey board.
Note -
The printed paper case is the cheapest option but it is nevertheless hardwearing and very durable. Most cased books will be sewn but it is possible to produce a budget-cased book by either perfect or notch binding the book block.
Saddle stitched -
After folding the sections they are inserted into the cover for twin wires to be stapled through the centre of the booklet. Best suited to shorter extent publications where the bulk is less than 3mm.
Wire-O binding -
Collated and trimmed book blocks are bound using a coil like wire. Good for opening and laying flat, e.g. music books or publications for photocopying, there are also other options such as Half-Canadian and Full-Canadian binding.