Setup a Booklet for Printing
HOW TO SETUP A BOOKLET FOR PRINTING
Saddle Stitched Books
Simple yet professional looking, this method uses printed sheets that are folded and placed one inside the other and then stapled through the fold line with wire staples. The staples pass through the folded crease from the outside.
Saddle-stitched booklets are constructed of folded sheets. Each folded sheet joined within the finished booklet will form four pages of the booklet. This means the page count of every saddle-stitched booklet must always be a multiple of four (4). It is not possible odd numbered paged saddle-stitched booklets. All saddle-stitched booklets must contain 4 pages, 8 pages, 12 pages and so on. Even if a page in the booklet is blank, it still counts as a page.
With bleed, our maximum sheet size is 450mm x 320mm, known as SRA3.
Some of the most common book sizes requested are:
A5 148.5mm x 210mm (portrait or landscape)
A4 210mm x 297mm (portrait only)
210mm x 210mm (square)
Saddle Stitch Setup
Unlike other binding methods, saddle-stitching doesn’t come with any design-specific restrictions. Since the pages open completely flat, images can extend across two pages (known as a double-page spread) without the chance that any content will be lost in the gutter. Supply all pages as individual pages (not as spreads) in the one folder, clearly labelled and pages numbered.
Covers and Text Finishing Options
- Use a heavier cover stock. Consider using 200gsm, 250gsm or 300gsm in coated or uncoated stock to a lighter gsm text.
- Cello glaze your cover- single or both sides with either Matt or Gloss.
- Your text can be either coated or uncoated paper in any GSM stock your design requires
- The minimum number of pages for saddle stitch bound books is eight, and the maximum number of pages is 68 (that’s 17 sheets using 80gsm weight paper).
Wire, Comb and Spiral Binding
In wire, comb and spiral binding, holes are drilled along one side of the printed pages, and then either wire or comb is clamped down into the holes, or a plastic spiral is threaded through them. Wire, Comb and Spiral binding both lay very flat and are often used for calendars and manuals.
Binding Setup
The most significant thing to remember when designing these projects is that the holes will be positioned 10 millimeters inside the trim line on the bound side of the document. Because of this, we recommend keeping all important content at least 10mm inside of the trim line on the side that will be bound, since any content inside those 10 millimeters may be obscured by the holes drilled or by the binding itself.
Another thing to consider with wire, comb and spiral bound projects is that unlike most other binding methods, your page counts do not have to go in increments of 4. Instead, they can be in increments of 2 (both sides of a sheet of paper), since wire, comb and spiral books do not have to be folded in the binding process.
The shaded area indicates where the wire bind will be placed. Keep all text 10mm inside the trim line of the document.
Send your wire bind file as individual pages. We also suggest numbering your pages
Finishing Options
- We offer the option of having clear acetate on the front and plain black back cover
- Or plain black on the cover and the back
- Use Black or white wires
- Colour Covers, printed full colour on 300gsm (With the choice of printing single or double sided and with the choice of Gloss or Matt Cello-glazing)
Thermal Binding
(Minimum: 5 sheets. Maximum: 250 sheets of 80gsm uncoated stock)
This type of binding uses heat to bind the documents to the cover. For professional-looking securely bound documents that look like perfect bound books, thermal binding is a great way to go. The variety of finishing options allows you to create a product that is virtually the same as a commercially produced book.
Thermal and Perfect Binding Setup
It’s important to note that because the book block is glued into the cover, bound books have 4 millimeters of an area on their inside covers that will be glued to the first and last inside page.
This means that all artwork on the inside covers, as well as the first and last inside page of the text, should be kept at least 4mm away from the spine.
Perfect and Thermal Binding Setup
On the first and last page, from the trim line (indicated in red), we need 4mm to allow for the glue margin. No text or artwork to be placed in this area as the glue does not adhere to printed areas. From the bound area (indicated in pink) allow an additional 6mm for internal bleed (safe area). (That is a total of 10mm from the trim edge). Text should be placed within this safe area. If your artwork requires a full coloured first page, e.g. red inside cover and red first page, start your colour 4mm from the trim edge. We need at least 4mm for the glue to adhere.
The cover will have a hinge/spine area in the middle of the front and back, inside cover. The width of the spine and the first 4mm of each 7mm hinge must be print free. The first 4mm of the hinge is the “glue margin”.
Finishing Options
- Without punching holes into your document, use our thermal bind covers (pictured below) for your next business presentation. Available in a variety of binding sizes, in A4 long edge only, gives any document a perfect book appearance.
- For those who want an individual/ customised cover, create your own and cello glaze in either Matt or Gloss (outside cover only).
- Uncoated stock can only be used for Thermal Binding.
BEFORE SENDING US YOUR ARTWORK, HAVE YOU?
- Checked the paper size is right?
- Set your colours to CMYK?
- Made sure your images are 300dpi?
- Added a 3mm bleed and crop marks?
- Embedded your fonts?
- Saved your artwork as a PDF?
- Proof read your document?