pri- ntpri- ntbinding

This section helps the designer with the choice of binding method which is appropriate for their design and helps to understand each one and its application. It looks at the different functionalities and visual qualities of each and what they can add to a publication as well as different folding techniques.

perfectThe book’s pages are held together and their spines are ground away to create a rough surface upon which a flexible adhesive is applied to form a spine. For additional strength the sections can be thread sewn or burst bound first. As each of the book’s pages in this method are individual pieces of the substrate, when preparing the file as a PDF, the pages would not need to be re ordered in order for the design to be correct. This type of binding is the most popular method used for producing paperback books.

spiralA gripper or metal spiral passes through a series of holes punched into each of the pages which creates a durable bind. This binding method allows the open pages of the publication to lie flat on the desk making this an ideal method to use when creating notepads or long instructions. When preparing the design a larger margin would be needed on the inner side of the page to leave adequate room for the binding holes so that they did not interfere with the design.

saddle stitchingThis binding method fastens the loose pages of a publica-tion together with wire stitches or staples through the central fold. This is most commonly used when creating simple booklets and can be a cheap method to use and should be considered if on a budget. When preparing the file the page order would need to be altered to apply this bind-ing correctly to the design as when printing different page numbers would be printed on the same side of the substrate.

side stitchingThis uses wire stitches or staples to secure the pages but through the entire thickness of the text block and gives strength to the overall finished publication. It can also be used to bind several sections together and can be then further bound or covered with tape. This is a cost ef-fective binding method that is easy to achieve; but a larger inner margin would need to be considered when preparing the page because some areas of the page are often lost in the bind as it will not lie flat when opened.

canadianThis works in a similar way to a spiral bound bind but uses a wrap around cover to conceal the gripper used. With this binding method the spine appears flat and the pages can lie flat on the desk, it combines the benefits of spiral binding with the professional look of perfect binding. This is suitable for publications that need to be shelf stored because of their flat spine.

foldsVarious folds can be applied to a single piece of substrate to transform the design into something different and more functional. This is a cost effective and easier way to produce a working publication than binding. The diagrams shown on the page show the finished visual of the various folds and also the layout and fold marks needed to achieve them.