The thing that makes a book a book, and not just a stack of paper, is that it is professionally bound. Depending on the purpose of your book, there are many ways that it might be bound at the printer. By working with Custom Printing Quality Lithographers, you will have access to professionals who are in tune with industry standards and can help you make the right decision based on your budget and how you want to present your final project. You can explore various paper types and weights as well as binding types.
Book Binding Services
Common types of bookbinding include perfect binding (often used for paperback novels), stapled or saddle stitch binding, typically used for smaller booklets, and spiral binding. While perfectly bound and stapled books look good, they can lack practicality. One common type of book that uses spiral binding often is a cookbook. This is because, when used properly, cookbooks need to stay open on the right page, even if the person’s hands are full of butter and flour. But it’s not just cookbooks. Other things like product catalogs, instruction manuals, and more can benefit from spiral binding. Whether the book has 20 pages or 500 pages, it allows the reader to look at one page at a time with more purpose and intent, because keeping the book open is less of a chore.
Why Spiral Binding is Worth the Cost
There are some people that are surprised when they hear how much it costs to put together a book or catalog using spiral binding. Many think of the spiral notebooks that they use in school, which are available at great bargains during back-to-school sales. But there is more to creating a spiral-bound project than this. There are several options for plastic combs that are meant to hold pages together. Wire spirals used for those bargain notebooks are rarely made in the U.S. They were less sturdy than the plastic alternatives and were more likely to snag. Plastic spirals bounce back much better and provide more overall durability and flexibility. The right materials are needed to support the paper type. The combs need to be aligned just right in order to keep a sense of consistency throughout the project. Spiral binding feels looser, and perhaps less “bound” but that is part of its appeal. Using spiral binding gives you an opportunity to add more creativity and personality to your project by choosing from various different colors. If you have different editions of your project, you can change the color in order to distinguish between them.
Making Sure Spiral Binding is the Right Choice for Your Project
Spiral Binding is an economical and valid choice for many books and projects for a variety of reasons, but it might not be the best for you. Some of the benefits include
- The ability to lay flat when open.
- Available for books over an inch thick
- Many fashionable colors to choose from
- Professional Looking
On the flip side, it is easy to be hard on a spiral-bound book. Think of how your English notebook looked by the end of the semester. Professionally bound spiral bound books are sturdier. However, if they are regularly folded over and stuffed in a bag, there is a greater chance that they can be damaged, or that pages could rip or fall out. While the look of a spiral-bound book works for many, some do not see it as professional-looking because the binding sticks out of the side of the book. If it is not for you, that’s okay. We are more than willing to discuss what you’re looking for and find the type of binding that suits you best.
At Custom Printing Quality Lithographers, we have been serving the printing needs of individuals and businesses across several Southern California locations since 1975. To us the business of printing is more than a business, it’s a craft and we are dedicated to make your project look great. Whether you need an order or business cards, brochures, catalogs, booklets or books we to make your project fit and provide you with whatever other printed materials you might need.