How to Choose the Right Types of Booklet Binding
The company’s semi-annual all-hands meeting is next month, and you’re in charge of compiling the internal updates booklet for everyone. Chock-full of policy changes and other employee must-knows, you need a durable yet professional-looking booklet to keep 100-plus pages secure. With so many booklet binding options, you may be scratching your head trying to narrow down the types of booklet bindings that will hold up under continuous use. Rather than going for the saddle stitch, comb, or another binding option based on how they look, it’s best to weigh several factors.
We’ll cover the different types of booklet binding and all the factors you need to consider.
Understanding Booklet Binding Options
As its name suggests, booklet binding is how the pages of your booklet are bound together. The right binding will protect the pages of your booklet, helping it last longer. It also has a direct effect on your booklet’s shape and usability.
Common Types of Binding for Booklets
- Saddle-stitching
- Glue-spine binding
- Screw-bound binding
- Comb binding
- Wire-O binding
- PUR binding
- Spiral binding
- Tape-bound binding
- Perfect binding
No two types of booklet bindings look or function in the same way, either. Some use adhesives or staples (perfect binding and saddle stitching, respectively).
While others are bound with plastic (spiral binding), wire coils (wire-O binding), or other materials. Some binding options are more suitable for booklets with fewer pages (saddle stitch), while others are better for lengthier ones (perfect binding).
Let’s dive deeper into the most in-demand types of binding for booklets and why you might choose one over another.
Popular Types of Booklet Binding
Saddle Stitch Binding
The most affordable to make, saddle stitching, aka stapled binding, is a popular choice if you want a booklet that’s professional on a budget. Saddle stitching involves compiling full spread pages and folding them in half, so that each full page when folded exists in increments of four (front/back).
The pages (up to 64 maximum) are then bound with staples at the saddle (fold line). They’re ideal for smaller booklets, brochures, direct mailers, and activity books. Suitable for most types of stock and finishes makes saddle stitching attractive for professional, short-run projects where you need to stay on budget. In contrast, if you need a booklet binding that can hold more than 64 pages, then saddle stitching won’t fit the bill.
Perfect Binding
Perfect booklet binding will give you a sleek, professional finish for higher page counts. A strong adhesive – not coils or combs – binds the cover and pages, where then the remaining three sides are trimmed to the perfect length/size. The spine will form a square shape, providing you with more real estate to customize.
Most choose perfect binding for thicker booklets, magazines, manuals, and high-level marketing materials due to their advantages. They’re professional looking and durable, giving the look of a hardcover book without the price tag. One of its few downsides is that it won’t allow the booklet to spread out flat, which can affect usability.
Spiral Binding
Remember the three-subject notebooks we all used back in school? Most sported spiral-bound binding (aka, coil binding). A line of consecutive, evenly spaced holes form along the spine of the booklet, where then a plastic spring-looking coil threads through the holes, binding the pages together.
Spiral binding is suitable for landscape or portrait-oriented booklets in most shapes and sizes. From notebooks to manuals, directories, and guides, this binding can lay flat. Plus, it offers 360-degree page rotation, giving you comfortable usability with a long lifespan. As for its main downside – sometimes the coil ends can snag or cause page tearing.
Wire-O Binding
Think of wire-O booklet binding as the upscale version (aesthetic-wise) of standard spiral binding. Instead of using a continuous plastic coil, individual metal coil threads attach separately through the spine, two consecutive holes at a time.
The binding accommodates most page counts and also allows the pages to rotate at 360 degrees for maximum flexibility and usability. Its clean appearance makes it an in-demand option for professional uses, such as manuals, corporate presentations, journals, and more.
Its downsides include the inability to add or remove/edit materials once they’re bound. The wiring can also bend, making them not as sturdy under pressure as plastic spiral binding.
Comb Binding
Perfect for reports, booklets, presentations, and more, comb binding is a common and affordable booklet binding option. A rigid plastic spine with multiple tines (or teeth) fit through multiple consecutive holes along the spine to keep the cover and pages together.
Not only does comb binding allow you to lay the booklet flat, but you can also add and remove pages as necessary. On the flip side, comb binding isn’t as durable as the other options, and not the best choice if you plan to use the booklet often.
How to Choose the Right Binding for Your Booklet
Zeroing in on the best binding for your booklet needs will take some careful consideration. By assessing how you plan to use it, the number you need, your budget constraints, and more, you can sift through all the types of booklet binding in no time.
Consider the Booklet’s Purpose
While you likely have a vision for what you want your booklet to look like, its purpose should also factor into the binding-selection process. Think about what your booklets are for and how everyone will use them. Do they simply need to flip through the pages once or twice? Or will they need to fold back the pages and write in the margins weekly (maybe even daily)?
Their intended use will directly impact the booklet binding you require. For instance, a booklet featuring your company’s building expansion plans won’t likely experience the same level of hands-on use as a team-specific policy and protocol manual.
With budget and other factors aside, here are a few types of booklet binding ideas according to your booklet’s purpose.
Ideal Booklet Bindings by Type
- Instructional guides – spiral or comb binding
- Employee training manuals – wire-O or spiral
- C-suite meeting for a new merger – perfect bound binding or hardcover binding
- Activity books – saddle stitching
Assessing Budget and Quantity
It’s time to address the elephant in the booklet-binding room – numbers! The look and usability of a booklet are top-tier considerations when choosing from among the types of binding for booklets. But the same goes for the quantity you need and the budget you’re working with. You’ll need to weigh all of these factors in the process. Let’s assume you need 500, 32-page booklets in 8.5” x 11” for your all-hands meeting. But it’s your number one priority to keep the cost as low as possible. Your best bet (all other factors aside) would be to choose saddle stitching, which will cost $3.31 per booklet.
Under the same scenario, if you were to choose spiral binding, you’re looking at a little over $7.00 per unit. Or, let’s say you secure a higher budget authorization and you only end up needing half as many booklets (250). With a higher budget for fewer booklets, you’re starting to think about other considerations, such as color graphics. Plus, you anticipate everyone using them daily, so you’ll need them to last as long as possible. Going with wire-O binding at a little over $10.00 per unit will give you a usable and durable booklet that will stand the test of time.
Durability and Usability
Let’s face it — not all booklets need to last a lifetime. Some are a one-use-and-done creation. While others will be subject to constant flipping, folding, and dog-earing for years. You’ll know a well-loved booklet when you see one. The edges will fold up and some pages may even be missing.
Choosing the most durable option of all the types of booklet binding is essential. So, consider how you (and others) plan to use it. For instance, will you use it weekly? Do you need to lay the booklet flat for multi-person/collaborative use? Consider these types of durable and easy-to-use booklet binding options:
- Wire-O booklet binding
- Spiral/coil binding
- Saddle stitching
Printing Center USA’s Booklet Printing Services
Do you have a print-ready booklet ready to go? Or maybe you’d prefer to start the design process with an easy-to-use booklet design tool?
Designing, much less choosing from all the types of booklet binding will require some expert reinforcements.
Contact PrintingCenterUSA, and let our dedicated design support specialists help you navigate our high-quality design and customization options, leaving no binding staple or coil unturned.
