The Definitive Guide to Book Binding

You’ve done it! You’ve finally finished your book, you’ve it laid out, you have an amazing design for the cover, and you have the perfect blurb for the back. Now it is time to print it. Printing your book might be intimidating at first glance, adding bleed and margin. Do you pick perfectly bound or case bound? What does a layflat bind mean?

In this definitive guide, we’ll explain it all. We’ll fill you in on each binding type, things to consider before heading to print, what’s best for you and your needs and how to upload your work to be printed.

Choosing the Book Binding to suit your needs

Choosing the correct binding for your project doesn’t have to be complicated. There’ll be a binding option out there for every idea. Consider what your project is, its needs, and what you want the outcome to be.

If you’re a photojournalist and want to create a book documenting a story, you might want to think about a layflat book, as it’s perfect for displaying every mm of your image.

If you want to make a new starter booklet but want it to be more than just a brochure, then a perfect bound book might be the way to go, as it creates a professional appearance that leaves a lasting impression.

You may want to create print advertising to stand out from the rest and add another marketing tool to your arsenal with the inexpensive, sleek, and stylish saddle stitch booklets. When considering printing, there are some things to consider before clicking send. “Do I need colour? Is the markup enough? Does this style match my project?” Making sure you have a print that matches all your needs is essential.

Making a Statement with Case Bound Books

Nothing beats a good hardback. Perfect for that cookbook you've always wanted to make, limited-edition prints of your new novel, or if your company had a great year and you want to showcase that with a sleek annual report. Case bound books are truly a cornerstone in publications, providing a more durable and cleaner look.

Whether it's A4, A5, or even a custom size, we have everything you need, including a variety of cover options with lamination and foil selections. With up to 500 pages available to print at one time, you have more than enough room to fill those pages with colourful images, as you can print in mono or full colour. Don’t forget about your spine width. You don’t want half the people in the yearbook to end up in the spine of the book. We have a calculator on the product configurator that will tell you how thick your spine needs to be to ensure the best print possible.

For a detailed walkthrough on setting up your artwork for case bound books, check out our handy guide.

Page Turning Perfectly Bound Books

Looking for something sleek and professional? Perfect Bound Books are ideal for everything from novels to magazines and catalogues. Perfect bound bookbinding offers several benefits. PUR books provide a clean and professional look, making them a great choice for businesses and individuals looking for high-quality printing.

Whether in the market for a small booklet or a full print, PUR is a great option for displaying your content. Available in a range of sizes from A4 to A6 and custom sizes too with up to 600 pages, perfect for a level of novelist, starting or advanced. Looking to further customise your print? You can add a number of laminated covers and even spot UV and foil embellishments. You can even have silk-coated internal pages, which are a great middle-ground paper, good at holding colours, bright whites and smooth with a slight shine.

For a detailed walkthrough on setting up your artwork for PUR binding, you can check out the guide.

Spread the Word with Saddle Stitched Books

Saddle stitching truly is an inexpensive marketing solution for businesses that want to showcase their product range or service or if you want to create a welcome packet for your new starts. Saddle stitch books are super versatile and stylish solutions.

No matter your industry, stapled booklets have had a hand in your marketing strategy. These booklets are a high-quality option and can be handed to the customer at the checkout, handed out at a networking event, or left on a table; they ensure your brand remains firmly at the forefront. These sleek and stylish saddle stitched booklets are completely customisable. Just upload your content, up to 68 pages worth, and choose from the expansive selection of paper stocks and foil embellishments. Whether you need A4-A6 or you are looking for a smaller square size, we have a solution for you. We have a selection of gloss and silk pages with matt and soft touch lamination available. You can fully customise your booklet to best suit your needs and impress those potential clients.

For a detailed walkthrough, look at our booklet guide.

Capture your Audience with Layflat Books

Nothing beats a photo album, every image jumping off the page. Whether for personal enjoyment or professional reasons, a well-designed Hardcover Layflat Book can be a stunning piece of art.

The appeal of a layflat is no page gets lost in the spine as it lays flat. Making it perfect for showcasing beautiful images of your big day or photos of your latest journey. In a more professional sense, these are perfect for showcasing your latest recipes or your photographic skills. Available in A4, A5 and A6 as well as custom sizes and in both landscape and portrait, it can be customised to suit your needs. With gloss, matt or soft touch cover, you can fully control the outcome of the book. You can even have up to 120 pages.

Spiral Bound for Getting Around

Otherwise known as Wiro Bound Books, the humble spiral bound book is your classic sleek notebook-style book. Called as such for the metal spiral that holds the pages together, the wire-binding book is both durable and convenient.

Whether you need spiral books for presentations, manuals, or portfolios or just want a custom notebook, our wire binding process, punched and secured with a spiral coil, ensures that your pages stay secretly in place and are easy to flip open. Completely customisable, offering various paper types, sizes and cover finishes, allowing you to create a spiral-bound book that perfectly matches your needs.

For a detailed walkthrough, check out the wiro bound books guide.

You can't go wrong with a classic Paperback

The classic paperback is a powerful tool. If you are looking to self-publish a novel, print manuals or textbooks or print your latest product catalogue or company brochure, the flexibility of the paperback is unparalleled.

Whereas PUR book binding is better suited to visuals, the paperback is your classic novel or report book style. Still has space for up to 600 pages and with multiple cover types available such as 300gsm silk or uncoated you cannot go wrong choosing paperback. Perfect for first-time publishers, veteran novelists, students wanting to print their doctorate dissertation or those wanting to share skills, this low-cost method of producing books and documents is a very cost-effective way of creating that perfect token of your hard work.

The Nitty Gritty

You’ve picked out your idea printing, adding all your cosmetic editions and paper choices and now it is time to upload your artwork and get printing. But, you may not know much about the specifics of print. We have templates for each printing option, but let’s break down what to consider before uploading your artwork.

Bleed. The bleed is the area outside of the trim line. Do not include anything important in this area. In order to avoid white borders on your final product, be sure to extend your design beyond the trim line, typically by 3mm, but this may vary based on the template used.

Margins, Gutters and Safe areas. These are safe zones within the trim line. Be sure to keep important elements inside the margins to prevent them from being cut off in the final product.

CMYK. This stands for (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black), and is the standard colour model used within the printing industry. Your artwork needs to be in CMYK mode to maintain accurate colour reproduction.

When uploading file formats for print, PDFs or InDesign documents are the preferred option. We also have a PDF proofing option available upon upload, which you will receive via email for you to double-check before it goes to print. For optimum image print quality please ensure all your images are 300dpi-450dpi or dots per inch. Anything lower than that will give poor image quality.

For more resources and tips on book design and printing, explore our Book Super Centre.