Book Printing: 9 Advantages of Perfect Binding

estimated reading time: 3 minutes

What is Perfect Binding?

Perfect Binding is an extremely popular softcover bookbinding method that uses a strong glue to join the book's cover and pages together at the spine.

The perfect binding process starts by collated the book's printed pages into a crisp block. Hot melt glue is then applied to the spinal edge of this page block and a printed cover is wrapped tightly over it. After the glue cures, the book is neatly trimmed to create crisp corners and clean "perfect" edges.

What are the Advantages of Perfect Binding?

1. Offers a professional appearance - because the trimming is so even and precise, perfect bound books are very aesthetically pleasing. The crisp corners and arrow-straight edges provide a very professional and finished look and feel.

2. Available in any run size - perfect bound books can be produced in short, medium, or long production runs. Whether you need 100, 1000, or 10,000 books, perfect binding will be a readily available option.

3. Produces a flat spine - perfect binding is the only softcover binding method that produces a flat spine. In most cases, the flat spine is wide enough to accommodate printed text, such as the book's title, author name, volume number, or other important information. This allows the book to be easily identified whether lying flat in a stack or standing upright on a shelf.

4. Works with most page counts - perfect binding works well for books ranging in thickness from .125" to several inches. This means the perfect binding process will accommodate the majority of book projects, with very thin books being the only exception.

5. Economically priced - perfect binding yields a professionally bound book for a fraction of the cost of hardcover binding. A perfect bound book is also lighter in weight than a comparable hardcover book, which helps save money on shipping costs.

6. Suitable for a variety of applications - perfect binding works well for virtually all types of printed book projects, including manuals, handbooks, novels, directories, and journals. The perfect binding method is also great for thicker comic books, magazines, and catalogs.

7. Lies perfectly flat for stacking - because the perfect binding method creates books with a uniform thickness, these books stack perfectly on a desk, table, or shelf. Unlike some other softcover binding styles, there is no asymmetry in a stack of perfect bound books.

8. Durable and long lasting - the glued spine of a perfect bound book remains firm and resilient, so the books hold up well during handling and transit. The cover can also have an optional clear coat or laminate applied to help resist scuffs, moisture, and stains.

9. Can be made with mixed page stocks - perfect bound books can be made using a mixture of different paper stocks for the pages. For example, pages with images could be printed on a gloss-coated stock while the text pages are printed on an uncoated stock. Or, a section of the pages could be printed on a colored stock to differentiate it from the other pages.

If you have an upcoming need for Perfect Bound book printing, give Color Vision a call at 800-543-6299. Or, if you already know your specifications and would like a quote, click here to submit our quote request form.

By the way, Color Vision uses Polyurethane Reactive (PUR) glue on all perfect bound book projects. PUR is a superior adhesive offering exceptional strength and flexibility, so we use it exclusively.

We look forward to assisting with your next book project!