Whether you’re printing the company newsletter or you’ve written the next great American novel, you’ll need a binding style that matches both your budget and your publication. With more than a century of experience as a union Kansas City printer, we’ve bound just about everything—and can find a unique solution for your printing project, too.  

One of the most popular binding methods, saddle-stitch binding uses wire staples to secure nested folios together. Great for brochures, pamphlets or smaller books and catalogs, saddle-stitching is an excellent option for most publications.

Pros:

• Cost-efficient
• Time-efficient

Cons:

• Page count must be a multiple of 4
• Not customizable
• Not editable

Pros: 

• No text or graphic loss due to a three-hole punch 
• Documents remain bound even when removed from a binder
• Cost– and time–efficient 

Cons: 

• Doesn’t lay flat 
• Spine is not customizable 
• Page count must be a multiple of 4

The gold standard of bookbinding, hardcover books are the most durable binding method, commonly used for textbooks, cookbooks and novels. Able to be made from a diverse range of materials – including leather, cloth or paper – hardcover books are perfect for featuring intricate artwork or stylistic foil-stamping, adding a personalized touch to your publication. 

Pros:

• Extremely durable, commercial-grade binding 
• Customizable spine
• Available in a variety of colors and materials 

Cons:

• More expensive
• Longer lead time  

Frequently included with hardcover books, dust covers (also called dust jackets or slipcases) are designed to protect hardcover books and can be a more versatile, cost-effective way to feature cover art on a case-bound book. With plenty of paper types, textures and inks to choose from, dust covers can make your book stand out on the shelf and feature important information such as an author’s bio, book summary or reviews from industry critics.  

Pros: 

• Cost–effective 
• Can feature more intricate artwork  
• Can incorporate information about your publication 

Cons: 

• Not as durable, prone to wear and tear 

Another classic book binding option you’re probably familiar with, spiral bound books are virtually everywhere and are an easy, low-cost binding method. Using a machine that punches a specific hole pattern through a block of loose pages, a coil made from plastic or wire is then threaded through the holes, trimmed and bent at the ends to prevent pages from falling out. Allowing for 360-degree page rotation, this option is great for publications you want to lay flat, and coils come in a variety of colors.  

Pros: 

• Cost-effective and time-efficient 
• 360-degree page rotation 
• Coils come in a variety of finishes/colors 

Cons: 

• Not easily editable 
• Can cause text or graphic loss along left margin 

Like spiral bound, comb binding is cost-effective and quick. Combs are available in either plastic or wire, and are able to be customized with your brand’s logo or colors. Great for presentations, reports or formal documents, comb binding is a great option for most publications. 

Pros: 

• Combs can be printed on/customized 
• Suitable for thicker publications 
• Cost- and time-efficient 
• Easily editable  

Cons: 

• Not as durable as other methods 
• Can cause text/graphic loss along bound edge

Twin-loop binding requires drilling a specific punch-pattern on the left margin of your document and through which wire loops are inserted and pinched closed. Typically used for calendars, notebooks, manuals or proposals, this binding style produces a sleeker, more professional look than spiral or comb binding. 

Pros: 

• More durable than comb or spiral-bound  

Cons: 

• Not easily editable 
• Spine is not customizable 

A classic binding technique, this method uses strips of linen or vinyl coated with a thermoplastic glue. The strips wrap around the spine and covers of your publication and, when melted, create a strong and durable bind. Tape binding is great for adding a decorative flourish to your publication or for reinforcing the spines of your publication.

Pros: 

• Can be re-heated and edited 
• Fully customizable 
• Highly durable 

Cons: 

• Can be more expensive 
• Longer lead time  

Perfect binding is the most common technique used when it comes to soft-cover books. It’s also commonly used for larger magazines, booklets and journals. The method uses a PUR adhesive to wrap the front and back covers around the spine, creating a seamless bind with clean edges. As the spine and covers are printed on same sheet of quality stock, it can lend itself to a creative, contiguous design between the covers. 

Pros: 

• Spine is fully customizable 
• Highly professional and durable  

Cons: 

• Can be more expensive than other binding methods 
• Does not lay flat 
• Spine can become damaged or creased over time 

Pros: 

• Can lay flat 
• Less expensive than hard-cover books 

Cons: 

• Longer lead time 
• Can cost more than traditional perfect bound books 

Side-sewn binding is performed by drilling small holes through the signatures along their left margin, which are then threaded by a large-gauge needle and sewn together. While this is a popular method used to hold pages together before being bound by a hard cover, side-sewn binding can add a decorative touch to your publication if the cover is sewn through as well. This method produces an incredibly strong bind that works for almost any size document, yet is not as time-efficient as other methods.  

Pros: 

• Can be great for decoration  
• Extremely durable  

Cons: 

• Not time-efficient 

Pros: 

• Extremely durable 
• Decorative touch 

Cons: 

• Requires multiple materials 
• Not easily editable