Document binding is the process of physically combining a document of papers from an ordered stack of pages sheets that are folded together into one section or sometimes left as a part of individual sheets. The paper stack will then combine along one side of the edge by sewing with thread through the folds, binding materials, or by using adhesive.
Optional binding methods are cheaper but they are not much durable because with time they loose-leaf rings, individual screw posts or binding posts, damage spiral coils, and plastic spine combs. So, to protect binding from this, the bound stack is either wrapped in a cover or attached to thick boards. Finally, a cover adheres to the boards, including identifying information and decoration. Book artists or specialists in book decoration can also greatly enhance a book's content by creating book-like objects with the artistic merit of exceptional quality.
Types of document binding
There are a lot of binding methods such as saddle stitching, perfect bookbinding, comb bind and the most popular one is wire binding. You have to select which of these binding options is suitable for your documents. All of these have all evolved out of the craft of bookbinding,
Wire Binding
Wire binding is the most popular option for documents that need to lay completely flat when opened. It uses a C-shaped wire spine that holds punched sheets of paper together by looping through punched holes in the paper. It also allows for a complete rotation of the pages around the spine.
This method looks modern and high tech and has durability as its main advantage. The finished book is easy to read and lies flat when open.
Comb Binding
Comb binding uses a similar method as wire binding, using round plastic spines through rectangular punched holes in the paper. Comb binding spines tend to be less fixed than wire spines so this may be suited only to lighter weight documents.
The plastic comb is crush resistant and will last a long time. In this method, It should be noted that the document is not permanently sealed, so you can add or remove pages as you want.
Perfect Book Binding
Perfect binding is a method that is mostly used nowadays. This method uses an adhesive to attach a paper cover to the spine of assembled printed sheets. This method is commonly used for paperback books but is also appropriate for other big documents requiring a professional finish.
Now, most of the bookshops use this perfect-bound method. They have a square printed spine and the cover is made from paper or cards that are heavier than the pages.
Saddle Stitching
This is most appropriate for smaller documents. It is also useful in making booklet publications such as newsletters and calendars. Sheets of paper are folded so that the fold forms the spine and then use staples to hold the sheets together.
The document sheets are normally folded and bound with staples along its folded edge. This method is very popular with brochures and newsletters. This is a very cost-effective option because you can use this to bind bundles of documents for a very small price
