How many ways can you bind a book?

At Oregon, we believe that everything we print for you should just work, from the colors and paper we use to the way we hold a project’s pages together. Take book (or any kind of document)-binding: we have plenty of different ways to bind books, but they’re not one-size-fits-all. Here’s what we’re capable of:

• Saddle-stitch binding. This type of binding is common for small booklets, brochures, and newsletters. Pages are folded in half and stitched down the fold. When we saddle-stitch a digitally printed book, our Plockmatic bookmakercan also add a box score to the fold, giving the book a crisp, squared-off look. We recommend saddle binding for mailing pieces, when there’s no room for extra weight and bulk

• Spiral or wire binding. This method is perfect for any document you want to lie completely flat when opened: workbooks, training manuals, and yearly planners are good examples. With spiral binding, a single coil runs through holes punched in pre-cut pages. Wire binding is similar; it’s a series of double C-shaped loops that pass through the punched holes. (Many school notebooks use this style.)

• “Perfect” binding. Perfect binding is what you see on most paperbacks, and some thicker manuals and reports. The spine of the book has a flat, rectangular edge, and pages meld seamlessly into the cover.  Our bookmaker can do this, too, and it’s simpler than you might think: printed sheets of paper enter the machine, and a tiny bit gets ground off the pages’ outer edges to make them easier to attach. Glue is applied to the inside of the cover, which is scored to size and wrapped around the book. While these books don’t lie flat, they’re great if you want a piece with some longevity.

• There are a few other techniques that we don’t use as often. We occasionally do post binding for creative applications; a hole is drilled into the pages, which are held together with a screwed-in metal post. We can also do three-ring binding; it’s a little old-school, but if you need to add and remove pages or mix up sections, it can’t be beat.

There’s no one best way to bind your documents. It all comes down to what fits your business, your project, and your budget. That’s why we’re here—to help you find your perfect match.

Got a book project you want to discuss? Contact Oregon and we’ll help bring your vision to life.