FAQs

It is mostly used for documents that have a low page count, like school materials and resumes.

Perfect Binding, commonly called "Soft Cover" or "Paperback" binding, is a binding method where the inside pages are stacked on top of each other, and the cover is wrapped around and glued in place. It is called Perfect Binding because the books are trimmed on the 3 non-spine edges after binding, producing a "perfect" finish as the pages all line up and the book has sharp square corners. Other telltale features of this binding method are the square spine that is often printed on and the "hinges" on the front and back covers. These hinges are created because the cover is not only glued on the face of the spine but on the front and back cover as well. The usual glue area is .25" from the edge...

The minimum page count is generally 48 inside pages. However, the thickness of the paper does have an impact. The true minimum is not a certain number of pages but the overall thickness of the finished piece. Perfect binding requires the book to be a minimum of .125" thick otherwise the pages might not glue properly and could fall out. Therefore if a thicker paper is chosen, 44 or 40 pages might be possible, whereas if a thinner paper is desired, 52 or 56 pages might be needed to get up to the required thickness.

Page counts up to 400 pages can be done with Perfect Binding, but extra caution is needed for such high numbers of pages. This is due to the structure of the binding and the fact that the book should not be opened too far, or there is a risk of breaking the spine. Therefore a book with smaller dimensions might not have enough space for sufficient margins to keep the content far away enough from the spine gutter. If a thick book is desired and/or the application requires the book to open wide and lay flat on a table, there is a specific type of perfect binding called "lay flat" binding that, as the name suggests, would allow this without risking the spine breaking. This is not the standard for...

Perfect Binding is the only binding method, aside from Hardcover (Case) Binding, that allows for printing on the spine and therefore is very popular for publications that will be stored on shelves, such as novels, magazines, catalogs, or manuals. It is also useful if there is a desire for artwork on the spine to add an extra touch. Perfect Binding is usually the preferred option for these applications as Hardcover (Case) Binding is much more expensive, as unless the quantity is in the thousands (say 5000+), much of the work is still done by hand or mostly by hand. We can print on the spine, however, it first needs to be calculated based on the number of pages and the thickness of the inside...

The general margins for booklets is a minimum of .25" or 1/4" on all edges. However, an additional margin of .25" or 1/4" should be allowed on the spine edge (for a total of .5" or 1/2"). This includes space for the glue itself as well as margin to ensure that no content "falls" into the spine and becomes difficult to read or obscured.

It allows for printing on the spine, ideal for book titles, issue numbers, seasons, etc. It has a very clean, professional finish due to the final trim. Because the books are so square, they stack very well. It allows for a wide range of page counts. While Perfect Binding does cost more than other binding methods, it is still a fairly economical binding method for a very professional finish. This binding method works for a wide range of applications, such as product catalogs, magazines, manuals, company profiles, or novels.

You should be fine with the 100# text paper.

There are several characteristics of the Wire-O binding method that make it very suitable for many different applications. The structure of the coil allows the book to open flat and stay open, which is ideal for manuals, guides, or recipe books. The book can also be opened 360 degrees without "losing" the cover, ideal for a book that needs to be held in one hand or placed into a book holder. In either case, there is no spine to break and the pages will not be curled or folded over, increasing the longevity of the book. As the coil comes in several sizes, this binding method can easily accommodate a large range of page counts, from 8 to 400 inside pages, plus the cover. The binding can also...

Currently, White and Black are the two colour options that can be ordered through the site. Other options can be specified via custom quote requests, such as metallic finishes in gold, silver or copper, or solid colours like blue, green, red, etc.

As indicated below, the binding must be taken into account when designing the file for a Wire-O Bound Book. On the top, bottom, and non-spine edges, the margin should be a minimum of 0.25". On the binding edge,  0.27" of margin for the binding plus 0.25" of safety will ensure both that nothing gets cut off, and that the content looks centred. Even though it will actually be slightly off centre, the reader will judge from the edge of the bindery punches rather than the actual spine edge of the sheet. Therefore it is always important to include the margin for binding in any margin calculations, in case more margin than the recommended minimum is desired. If, for example, a 0.5" margin is...

The Wire-O hole punch is a 3:1 (3 to 1), which means every inch there will be 3 holes. The punched hole will be a square shape of 0.1875" (4.572mm).  The spacing between each hole is also the same 0.1875" (4.572mm) The distance from the edge of the sheet to the furthest edge of the hole is 0.27" (6.858mm) The distance from the edge of the hole closest to the edge of the sheet is 0.09" (2.286mm) See the image and figure below. Is there a possibility of making a waterproof book? Yes, we can print waterproof books using synthetic paper. Can you do a non-standard size for the coil-bound books?  Yes, we can accommodate custom sizes. For...

Please add 0.5" to the width. With the coil it will be 9" wide x 11.125".

The size refers to a single page size, so that is the size of a closed book.

The size on the website refers to folded size.

Yes, 12 pt. Card C1S paper stock allows you to write on one side, and 100 lb. Mohawk and Lynx allow you to write on both sides.

The product size refers to a folded sleeve.

Yes, you can write on one side of 12 pt. Card C1S paper, and on both sides of 100 lb. Lynx Uncoated Cover.

The product size on the website refers to a folded card holder.

Yes. In that case, 12 pt. Card C1S paper stock allows you to write on one side, and the other two paper options can have both sides written on.