| Books are divided into two very general | | | | starting to fall out as can happen with regular |
| categories: hard cover and soft cover. Hard | | | | perfect bindings. |
| covers usually use a Smyth sewn binding and soft | | | | Spiral Bound |
| covers are typically perfect bound. There are two | | | | If your book needs to lie flat like a recipe book, |
| commonly used hard cover methods, casewrap | | | | or be folded back to back to be useful then this is |
| and dust jacket. Novels usually have a dust jacket | | | | the binding for you. The pages are cut on all four |
| for an attractive colourful imprint on the | | | | sides with holes punched in the margin so a metal |
| bookstore shelf and the fabric covered cover | | | | or plastic spiral holds the pages together. With this |
| underneath will usually use gilt lettering on the | | | | binding the thickness of the book is limited. |
| spine. Casewrap covers are full colour, glossy and | | | | Comb bound |
| don't usually come with jackets. This cover type | | | | This is very similar to spiral binding except the |
| is commonly used on text or coffee table books | | | | book can not be folded back to back but can lie |
| but lately is becoming more common on novels. | | | | flat. Some of you will recognise this as a Cerlox |
| Here are the standard binding options (and there | | | | binding. The advantage of the comb bound book |
| are additional variations). | | | | is a cleaner look where the title can be printed on |
| Side stitched | | | | the spine and pages can be added at a later date |
| The pages are trimmed on all sides and held | | | | (not as easy as it sounds as anyone who has |
| together staples on the left side. This is a | | | | tried to do this without the proper equipment can |
| common binding for low circulation reports. It is | | | | attest). This binding will also limit the thickness of |
| inexpensive and often used by law firms and | | | | the book. |
| medium to large companies. This type of binding | | | | Smyth sewn (rhymes with blithe) |
| cannot be opened flat and doesn't work on books | | | | This is the traditional binding. The book is divided |
| thicker than 1/2 inch. Sometimes the book will be | | | | into several smaller booklets which are saddle |
| drilled on the left side and held together with | | | | stitched together (always with thread not staples) |
| twine or other decorative stitching. This is the | | | | and then glued to the cover. This method is |
| original method and is still used today for very | | | | generally reserved for hard cover books and is |
| small run decorative or art books. | | | | available in several grades. But don't confuse this |
| Saddle stitched | | | | type of binding with a hand sewn binding. |
| For very small books (less than 64 pages) this is | | | | Hand sewn |
| the binding of choice. For books of this size it is | | | | You may be able to find someone in your area |
| difficult to glue the pages together. The book is | | | | that hand binds books. Smyth sewn books are |
| printed in a two-up format (4 pages on one sheet | | | | done by machine and the process is based on the |
| of paper -- 2 front and 2 back) and stitched or | | | | system used to hand bind a book but there are |
| more commonly stapled in the centre. | | | | distinct differences. The main difference is, of |
| Perfect bound | | | | course, that hand binding is done by hand. The |
| The most common type of binding used today. | | | | pages are folded in signatures the same as |
| The pages are trimmed on all sides and then | | | | Smyth sewn but are hand sewn to heavy cords |
| glued onto the cover, either hard or soft. This is | | | | or ribbons. The cords and ribbons are used to |
| an economical binding and all manner of books | | | | attach the cover boards and using cords result in |
| today use it, even some high quality coffee table | | | | the ridges that you see on the book spine. |
| books. | | | | Leather is the material of choice for the cover |
| Notch bound | | | | but there are many variations. The resulting book |
| This is essentially a modified perfect binding. The | | | | is costly but lovely and a pleasure to own, |
| paper is trimmed on only three sides. On the | | | | particularly if you are the author. You might want |
| untrimmed inside margin several notches are cut. | | | | to have a couple of copies of your book hand |
| Sometimes twine is glued into the notches. When | | | | bound so have your printer reserve several |
| the cover is glued onto the pages it forms a very | | | | pre-bound book copies that you can use for |
| good bond eliminating the problem of the pages | | | | special binding. |