Perfect Binding - All you’ll Need to Know
Posted on - 21st January 2019
Set your publications bound, appearance, durability and price with perfect binding. The right machine and binding technique will create pieces and publications that are stylish, cost-effective and long-lasting.
Perfect Binding is one of the most popular techniques for paper bookbinding, magazines and catalogues. But what exactly is it? How does the process work? And what are the benefits and uses? Here at The Finishing Point, we have 25 years in the print finishing industry and in this piece, we’re going to answer all of the above and discuss why perfect binders are a must have in the publishing industry.
What’s, Whys and When’s of Perfect Binding
What is Perfect Binding?
Perfect Binders are widely and commonly used in softcover print and book-based binding! Pages are bound to the spine with flexible yet strong thermal glue. The clean, crisp and professional end product for authors, businesses and organisations who release annual reports, manuals, catalogues, brochures, magazines and more. Finish the binding, with the remaining three sides being trimmed for the complete finished publication.
The process of Perfect Binding...
Each machine has their own process of how to bind so in this instance we’ll use our Gemini EasiBinder 800. Perfect binding is one of the final steps of creating a form of publication.
1. Assemble the stack of internal pages in a neat block. 2. Hot glue is then applied to the rough edge of the interior page block. 3. The cover of the publication is then wrapped around the block of pages and the glue then binds along the spine. 4. To finish, trim the three remaining pages, giving them a clean edge.
The Benefits of Perfect Binding…
Perfect binders have a multitude of benefits, firstly they are affordable and for a variety of budgets. This also makes the cost-effective, more so than hard bookbinders as well as for relatively small print business - who don’t rely on huge outputs.
The use of hot glue is both flexible and sturdy meaning you get durable and long-lasting end products and with the addition of a flat spine allows you to print your brand on to it.
When to use Perfect Binding?
Perfect binding can be used in a range of publications which we have listed in the article above. We would recommend that perfect binding is not suitable for spines that have a width of less than 4mm as there will be not enough glue to bind to.
Contact TFP for Perfect Binding
There is so much to love about perfect binding and if you would like some more information about these brilliant machines then speak to The Finishing Point today.
Additionally, the team at The Finishing Point will be happy to provide demonstrations for our any of our binding machines as well as the rest of our product range.