When it comes to publishing a book, picking your book binding will be a big decision you will have to spend time thinking about.
If you have been looking for a complete guide to perfect bound book binding, you have come to the right article.
If you do not know, perfect binding uses a soft cover that surrounds the main pages and it is glued in place along the spine. It is different than other types of binding, which we will cover.
We will be going over what perfect bound book binding is, other options out there, when you should use perfect binding, a guide to it, and then an overview on various companies out there who can publish your book for you.
In this complete guide to perfect bound book binding, we’ll cover:
What Is Perfect Bound Book Binding?
In book publishing terms, perfect bound book binding is referring to the process of using adhesive to create a clean, sharp printed book product.
You most likely know these books as paperback books, but in the printing world it is called a perfect bound book.
There are different types of “book signatures” you can choose from as well, that you will need to decide before you get your book printed.
What Other Types Of Book Bindings Are There?
Now that we have covered perfect bound binding, let’s go over some of the other options out there.
Casebound and Hardcover Book Binding
There are a variety of types of casebound and hardcover book bindings available, some of which have the cover image printed directly on the cover, while others use a dust jacket. Most casebound and hardcover books are Smyth sewn in sections rather than perfect bound (though there are exceptions).
Board Books
Board book bindings are almost always on children’s books as they are firm and so are the pages. It needs to be able enough to hold the book together, which can be semi-heavy, depending on how long the book is.
Wire-O Book Binding
Wire-O binding is similar to coil binding due to the fact that wiring is used, but wire-o can be used for both hardcover and softcover books. The coil can be slightly hidden, depending on the style you prefer.
Saddle Stitched Book Binding
For books that are not as long as full novels, saddle stitched is a unique option as it is a book simply stapled along the spine. Generally, these are for short books or you will also see this type of stitching in smaller notebooks, too.
Coil Book Binding
This is for books that need to lay flat as it has a coil and no visible spine. You will often see things like reference books or other types of cookbooks with bindings like this because of the ability to stay open on a page.
The reason some authors choose to not use coil is because some bookstores need books to have a visible title on the spine, and the coils make that impossible.
Books That Use Perfect Bound Book Binding
Any book that does not need a hardcover or a coiled binding will often use a perfect binding. This includes both fiction and nonfiction paperback books, directories, some textbooks, and more.
Once your page count is over 50 pages, you will want to think about using perfect binding, because saddle stitch doesn’t work well for larger books.
Perfect bound book bindings give your book a professional look and can be much more appealing to readers than some of the other options. It will also hold up longer because the glue in the binding is often strong.
A drawback to using perfect binding is that they almost never lay flat due to how the pages are put together.
Signatures in Binding
Not all books are printed on single pages and instead a lot of companies use giant sheets of paper that are cut up to create “signatures”.
Signatures can help reduce the amount of paper waste created in the printing process.
All types of Signature printing options come in multiples of four, so you can see page counts around: 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, and 64.
What will make each one different is the ultimate length of the book and the paper quality used in the printing process.
Companies That Offer Perfect Bound Book Binding
1. The Book Designer Team
We now offer a Publishing Package through Selfpublishing.com where we provide book cover design, formatting, and publishing. We upload your book to Amazon KDP for print-on-demand printing to make it easier on everyone.
2. BookBaby
BookBaby has a ton of options for printing your books, and they can have them printed and ready in as fast as three days.
They also include free shipping, which can help cut down on costs for a ton of authors. They also can print your book and use different types of bindings, if you prefer to publish different editions of your book.
They have customer service available when you need it and a 100% money-back guarantee, so you can rest assured that you will actually be happy with your end result.
3. Printivity
Printivity is a great option for printing your perfect bound book binding. They offer various paper types, coating, sizing options, and other customizations to bring your book to life.
As a company, they also go the extra mile to make sure your files are correct, everything is formatted well, and they will create a digital proof so you can make sure your book does not have any errors before you print a lot of copies.
4. Printing Center USA
Printing Center USA is a company that can also get you your printed book in just a few days from you sending over your print-ready PDF files.
They also have a variety of coating options and some other ways you can customize your book to get exactly what you need and want.
5. Barnes And Noble Press
As one of the most well-known book retailers, not everyone knows that they also will help you print your books, too.
Barnes And Noble Press is their publishing arm to help you get your book published.
Ready To Publish Your Book?
If you are ready to publish your book, you do not want to miss out on the publishing package that will help you get your book from idea to done.
Publishing a book is a little complicated and having guidance can help you make sure you do not miss an important step.
The Publishing Package is designed to give you everything you need to make sure you are publishing your book without overlooking an obvious mistake. It will also help you go from your manuscript to becoming a published author.
