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To
help you make an informed decision among the numerous bindery options,
here are descriptions of several ways you can attach loose sheets of
paper. Bindery methods vary according to cost, durability, and
appearance.
Saddle-Stitching
Signatures
are nested (set one into the other rather than stacked) and then
stitched through the fold with staples made of thin wire. These books
can lie flat. However, saddle-stitching only works for shorter books of
up to 80 pages or so. These books also have no spine on which to print a
title.
GBC
Binding
Also called
plastic comb binding, this method is good for technical manuals that
have a lot of pages and must lie flat. The stack of pages comprising the
book is punched with a series of holes along the binding edge through
which a plastic comb is inserted. This comb, which curls into a cylinder
along the length of the book can provide a screen-printable spine. It
can also accommodate numerous pages, and pages can be added or removed
as needed.
Wire-O
Binding and Sprial Binding
Both of these
mechanical bindings hold far fewer pages than comb binding. Wire-O is a
series of parallel wire loops attached along a wire, while spiral
binding is a metal or plastic continuous loop passing through the
punched holes in a spiral from the top to the bottom of the book. Since
wire can be crushed, plastic is a resilient alternative. Also, plastic
coil bindings come in multiple colors.
Neither
binding method will accept as many pages as GBC. Also neither provides a
printable spine or allows for pages to be added or removed. However,
both binding methods allow the product to lie flat.
Tape
Binding
This is often
used for presentations. In this case, the covers and book pages are
taped together over the binding edge. The spine can be printed on, and
there are multiple color choices for the spines.
Ring-Binders
This is
exactly what the name implies: the binders we used in school. The vinyl
covers can be silk screened or paper inserts can be printed and then
inserted behind the clear covering of some ring-binders.
Mechanical
bindings
(GBC, Wire-O,
spiral, and ring) are more expensive per unit than saddle-stitching, and
unlike most printing operations, their unit cost does not decrease with
increased volume. They also require ample margins since they take up a
lot of room at the bind edge. On the positive side, they can allow for
the inclusion of many inserts of various types and sizes within the
text. Because of their cost, mechanical bindings are usually best suited
to short runs.
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