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When printing a paperback book, novel, training manual, annual report or other booklet, book binding and finishing should be considered long before the pages are printed and the front cover is designed. Not only will the book binding and finishing impact the look of your final product, but it will also influence the way people use your booklet; how many people buy the book and whether the booklet can be used over and over again.

With each method of book binding and finishing comes a set of pros and cons you need to consider:

• Ring binding. With ring binding, a row of interconnecting rings made from metal or plastic are used to attach the pages to one another. These rings hook into holes on the pages (these holes are made by a specialised machine at a printing shop). The pros of this method include being cost-effective and being able to easily modify the booklet you need to add pages or sections at a later stage (which is ideal for study guides and work related Booklets). The disadvantage of ring binding, however, is that it doesn’t give a professional finish that one would need for book binding and finishing, for instance.


• Thermal binding. When thermal binding is used, strips of plastic will be heated in order to stick the edge of the pages together. Thermal binding will give your book a high quality finish (it is also extremely durable). The con of this method is that it is more expensive than other simple binding methods.


• Saddle-stitching/Saddle stapling.  Saddle-stitching, also known as saddle stapling, involves folding the pages of the book or booklet in half and stapling them together. This staple then becomes the spine of the book or booklet. This binding method is relatively inexpensive and it is used for small items such as information guides and Calendars.  The disadvantage is that saddle-stitching isn’t the most durable book binding and finishing method.


• Perfect binding. This is the preferred method of binding for Books and novels. During the perfect binding process, a machine roughens the edges of a stack of paper before a plastic strip is melted to attach the pages to one another and form the backbone of the book. Perfect binding offers a very neat finish and most paperbacks are bound this way.

Contact Minuteman Press Lynnwood for all your binding and finishing needs