Binding Types
Which type of booklet is right for your project?
Saddle stitch, perfect bound and wiro bound.
Let’s take a closer look at book binding methods – how they’re made, the benefits each type offers, and the things you’ll need to consider before you order a whole print run of them!


What’s saddle stitch binding?
Saddle stitch binding is essentially the same as stapling. Each leaf of the booklet is folded in half to create four pages, then placed over a triangular metal frame (like a saddle on the back of a horse) and stacked one on top of another. The middlemost pages sit at the bottom of the nested stack, while the front and back covers sit at the very top.
Once all the pages have been nested, they’re ‘stitched’ together using short lengths of metal wire, which are threaded through all the pages at the spine. The fastened booklets are then further pressed to help them stay folded and flat when closed.
Advantages of saddle stitch binding
Things to consider with saddle stitch binding
• Limited page counts. Since each leaf forms four pages, every saddle stitched booklet can only contain pages in multiples of four. Also, booklets with more than 48 pages (depending on paper thickness) will tend to pop open slightly instead of lying flat.
• Paper creep. Each leaf of your booklet will naturally protrude slightly from the leaf it’s nested within. This is usually only an issue for booklets with thicker paper stocks and/or higher page counts, and can be fixed by trimming to outer edges of the booklet after assembly – but the artwork design of your pages might need to be adjusted to prevent print elements drifting to the outer edge of the booklet (and potentially getting trimmed off).

What’s perfect binding?
In a nutshell, perfect bound booklets are glued together rather than stitched together, with two pages to each leaf rather than four. The booklet’s leaves are placed in a simple vertical stack and glue is placed along the left edge of the stack; the stack is then nested inside the booklet cover so that the glued edge fastens to the spine of the cover. Finally, the three outer edges of the book are trimmed to ensure a seamless finish.
Advantages of perfect binding
Things to consider with perfect binding

What’s wiro binding?
Wiro binding employs hole-punching to thread each leaf onto an open wire coil, forming the book’s spine. The wire is then bent to close the loop and securely fasten the pages. Wiro bound books offer excellent versatility, as they lay flat and allow pages to rotate 360 degrees around the wire loop. This makes them convenient for notebooks and journals. They can also accommodate a wide range of page counts. However, wiro binding may not provide the same level of professional appearance as perfect binding, and the wire spine can be susceptible to damage or pages being torn out.