The Best Binding Styles Available for Your Work (And What They’re Best Suited To)

 A Whole New World of Binding to Explore

As humans, we are always looking for new ways to improve upon existing ideas, and the presentation of our work is no exception. Even so,  have you ever considered how the bind would affect the functional impact of the finished product?

Whether you’re a student looking for dissertation binding, or a business looking for marketing booklets, binding styles are super important to consider!

Let’s take a look at what each binding type is, and what it’s most common uses are…

Comb Binding

For our first style of the day, we have comb binding.

This method uses round plastic spines with a series of rings to bind the document through a series of rectangular holes punched along the side of the paper.

Suitable for:

• Reports
• Dissertations
• Presentations

Here at Day Night Print, we specialise in comb binding due to its extreme versatility. A cheap, reliable binding option that allows you to add or remove pages if required, so your document is always professionally bound but available to edit.

The true jack-of-all-trades when it comes to binding!

Staple/Saddle-stitch Binding

This binding type involves compiling the sheets – one inside the other – and then folding them in half before stapling or stitching down the fold.

Suitable for:

• Booklets/brochures
• Magazines
• Newsletters

A brilliant cost-effective solution, making it well suited to use in mass printing. It allows the pages to be opened flat, and it’s a simple solution to binding documents that you require in bulk.

Spiral Binding

Spiral binding uses either a plastic or metal coil, which gets wound through a series of holes punched along the side of the document. In this sense, it’s very similar to comb binding. However, they have different properties, and thus different best-suited uses.

Suitable for:

• Work Diaries
• Handbooks/manuals
• Portfolios

Similar to comb binding, this style is best suited to projects where you specifically need 360-degree rotation around the spine or to lay pages completely flat. This suggestion is due to it being more expensive, and not allowing the addition or removal of pages.

Hardback Binding

This binding style is where the pages get secured to a tough board casing with specialist glue.

Suitable for:

• Guest books
• Photo books
• Thicker books that may need a more solid structure to prevent damage

The king of big and bold books!

Albeit a budget-breaking bind, the price yields impressive results! For a sturdy finished article with top-quality protection and a high standard appearance, this is the bind of choice for those bigger or more meaningful pieces.

Perfect Binding

Perfect Binding uses specialist adhesive to stick the pages to a piece of thick paper or card which encases the whole document. This style is essentially the same as hardback, just with a thinner flexible cover as opposed to a solid one.

Suitable for:

• Books
• Collections (Such as poems or short stories)
• Textbooks

An incredibly versatile bind that gives a wonderfully sleek finish.

Protective, attractive, and budget-saving in one.

Thermal Binding

Almost the same result as perfect binding, but uses a slightly different method. It involves a strip of cloth with an adhesive on which is wrapped around the spine then heated to melt the glue and secure the pages.

Suitable for:

• Scripts
• Uses listed under comb binding for a smoother finish at the edge

The ideal middle man between comb binding and perfect binding! Works for both smaller and thicker products and is customisable with a coloured strip of your choice with various finishes available.

Brilliant for organising, and for documents that need stacking.

So…

Now we’ve looked at the various binding types available, and what they’re best suited for, you know where to come if you’re ever in a bind!

I’d say we’re sorry for that terrible joke, but we’re not!

Day Night Print is well equipped to help you with the majority of binding services quickly and professionally.

Check out our website or send us an enquiry to see what we can do for you!

Before you go, we’d love to know what your preferred binding method is and what projects you use it for.

Why don’t you let us know in the comments below?