Booklets and Paperback Books
Booklets
Booklets are saddle stitched - those staples in the middle and folded over. So when planning a booklet, keep in mind the total number of pages have to be divisible by 4. The minimum number of pages is 8. And the maximum pages is 72 or76 pages - otherwise the pages spring open.
An advantage of booklets is the variation of size. Imagine an A3 paper cut in half lengthwise and "stitched" in the middle making a 297x105mm booklet. Or an A5 "stitched" in the middle to make a little booklet.
A booklet of sayings, a cookbook, a short story, a children's book, a newletter, a product catalogue - all look great saddle stitched.
Spiral Binding
We use plastic spirals with small round holes. These are much stronger than square holes. And you can flip the pages around and around. Anything more than 300 pages (150 double sided sheets of paper) gets a bit more difficult spiral bound - the outside edge tends to bulge with more pages.
Spiral bound books GENERALLY have a plastic cover and a black leather grain back. I've used recycled card stock, plastic sheets, and laminated sheets front and back.
Reports and technical books are brilliant spiral bound. Cookbooks are great - although I recommend a plastic sheet front and back.
Perfect Binding
These are paperback books. My smallest book was 100mm high by 75mm wide. BUT at least 50 sheets (100 pages) are required to get a flat spine on the outside.
We've slowly developed this art and have improved greatly over the years. One, the spine is scored for a sharp square edge. Two, the pages are stitched. This creates a very strong book.
Self-publishing and family histories are the most common books we do. We like doing 100 books or less. We print on demand for a local publishing house.
Recycled covers and inside pages are options you need to request. Our standard is FSC, carbon neutral and TCF paper. |
