How to Choose the Right Book Binding
How Do I Choose the Right Binding for My Printed Booklet?
Custom booklets with the right book binding are one of the best marketing tools you can use to blend important information with eye-catching images and impressive design elements for your audience. Choosing the right book binding can engage your reader both visually and at an instructional level. Watch the following video to learn how to choose the right book binding for marketing and more.
Throughout this article, explore the most popular book binding types – perfect bound, saddle stitch and coil bound – to find the best fit for your print project. The binding you choose should reflect how you want your booklet to be used and take into consideration the type of information and imagery you want to include.
Book Binding: Perfect Bound
Often referred to as paperback booklets, Perfect Bound Booklets have a clean, finished profile with a seamless square spine that’s great for professional pieces. Durable, a perfect binding features cut pages that are glued and bound in a wrap cover.
Perfect Bound Booklet Features
- Ideal for publications with 46 pages or more, up to 2″ thick
- Square spine can be printed on and included as part of the design
Perfect Bound Booklet Applications
- Excellent choice for combining informational copy and stunning photography and design
- Great for catalogs, lookbooks, magazines, photography portfolios, graphic novels, workbooks, directories and more
Book Binding: Saddle Stitch
Most commonly recognized as the binding for magazines and handouts, Saddle Stitch Booklets feature pages that are laid together and stapled through the fold line. In booklet printing, saddle stitch gets its name from the way the pages lay over the metal staples like a saddle.
Saddle Stitch Binding Features
- Perfect for booklets with small-to-medium page counts
Saddle Stitch Binding Applications
- Frequently used for informational pieces like policy manuals, training manuals and annual reports
- Great for magazines, product catalogs, holiday and season catalogs, event programs and lookbooks
Smartpress Tip: When designing saddle stitch booklets, remember to maintain a generous margin so your text and designs aren’t cut off by wires or holes.
Book Binding: Coil Bound
Coil bound books feature a sturdy coil threaded through drill holes in the pages. Smartpress’ premium online printing services offer Spiral Coil Booklets with a continuous plastic coil and Wire Coil Booklets with individual metal coils.
Spiral bound books and wire-o books are unique in that they open flat and allow the pages to fully rotate for convenient usage and handling.
Spiral Coil Features
- Feature a sturdy plastic coil that runs through holes drilled in the cover and pages
- Durable binding that maintains its shape
- Coil size can vary, making it ideal for any page count
- Maximum thickness: 1-1/2″
Wire Coil Features
- Pages are bound with a durable metal coil
- Durable binding that maintains its shape
- Maximum thickness: 5/8″
Coil Bound Booklet Applications
- Commonly used for manuals, cookbooks, planners, menus and more
Tips & Tricks
- Create the look and feel you want with custom stocks, UV coatings and Soft Touch laminate.
- Use our Versions feature to design and print multiple booklets within one order.
- Personalize individual booklets for specific customers or topics with variable data printing.
These guidelines can help you determine which binding is ideal for your project, but remember: creativity is key. You can design a cookbook with a perfect binding instead of a coil one or showcase your portfolio with a saddle stitch binding instead of a perfect one. It’s up to you!
Smartpress Booklet Bindings Summary
| Binding Type | Perfect Bound | Saddle Stitch | Coil Bound |
| Description | Pages glued into a wraparound cover with square spine | Pages folded and stapled through the center fold | Plastic or metal coil threaded through drilled holes |
| Page Count Range | 46 pages minimum, up to ~2″ thick | Low to medium page counts | Flexible for any page count; max thickness varies |
| Durability | High | Moderate | High |
| Common Uses | Catalogs, magazines, portfolios, workbooks, directories | Manuals, reports, event programs, slim catalogs | Cookbooks, planners, menus, instructional guides |
| Customization Options | Laminate, UV coating, soft touch, printed spine | Custom covers, versions | Spiral (plastic) or wire (metal); flexible sizes |
As a premium online printer, Smartpress has a team of experts ready to help you select your book binding and design your book from cover to cover. If you need help or have questions, please contact customer service.
Learn more: Perfect Bound: Print Booklets with a Sophisticated Binding, Choosing the Right Paper Stock for Your Booklet
