What are the four types of binding?
1. Case Binding
Many of the book-lovers prefer hardcover over other options because of its higher durability. This variation of a book’s exterior is officially known as case binding. In this process, the pages are first arranged according to their signatures and then sewn together in that particular order. The cover can be made with a range of materials including vinyl, cloth, and leather. Endpapers treated with glue are used to attach these covers to the main book.
Case binding is certainly the highest quality and most prestigious method of bookbinding.
Pros:
Highly durable
Variety of cover materials
Impressive aesthetics
Cons:
Usually heavyweight
2. Perfect Binding
This is a very common way of binding softcover books. The process of this binding is quite simple. All it requires is to apply thermal glue along the spine of your cover and then attach the pages there. Then the end of the cover or pages on the open sides needs to be trimmed so that there is no uneven edge around the book. Because of this requirement of the edges being perfect, this kind of binding has been named “perfect binding”. Even though the fringes seem impeccable in these books, the cover is usually very soft. As a result, you cannot rely on it to last a long time unless the book is stored properly.
Therefore, a good idea to extend its durability is laminating the book. UK Book Binders offers a range of in-house laminations. However, if you are planning to keep the book flat open in front of you while reading, this binding does not allow it. You have to either hold it in hand or use paperweights on both pages to read comfortably.
Pros:
Perfect trimmed edges
Beautiful presentation
Affordable
Cons:
Low durability (try Section Sewing if durability is a concern)
3. Saddle Stitch Binding
These are comparatively much thinner than the previous two binding types we discussed. That is because you cannot make it thicker than the amount your staples allow. As a result, the number of pages needs to be limited as per the staple’s capability. In saddle stitch, the pages are basically bound together using staples or threads. As a result, the books can be made faster and be available at very affordable price points.
Pros:
Simple to make
Very affordable
Ideal for booklets
Cons:
Poor quality compared to other methods (we can PUR bind short runs from 1.9mm)
Limited thickness
Prone to tearing up
4. Section-Sewn Binding
The pretty self-explanatory variation of bookbinding relies on separating all the pages into several sections or signatures. Each of them is sewn up individually first. Then they are sewn into their following section to maintain the proper sequence. As a result, it creates a strong bond throughout the entire book. To enhance their strength, glue is applied to the spine and a durable cover is attached. Because of this whole system, section-sewn binding is a very reliable option for those large and heavy documents which need to last for years. Besides, you can read such a book comfortably since it lays flat on the surface.
Pros:
Can hold a high number of pages
Highly durable
Comfortable reading
Cons:
More expensive than PUR or Perfect binding, but will last much longer