The Different Styles of Book Binding

Determining what style of book binding to use greatly depends on the purpose of the book being created.
Styles of Book Binding
- Perfect Binding: For this binding, the book must be inserted into the binding machine. A small amount of material, about 0.125 inches, is then removed, either from the spine of the book or from the back. The next step in the process, roughing, prepares the pages of the book for the glue that will hold them together. This process is occasionally called adhesive binding. This style of book binding is most common with paperback novels, but it is used for hardcover books as well.
- Notch Binding: In notch binding, every group of pages carries notches from being folded together. Like perfect binding, an adhesive is also used to hold the books together. Notch binding is also a wise choice for binding paperback or hardcover books.
- Lay Flat Binding: Lay flat binding mimics the appearance of perfect or notch binding. However, this style ensures a book will remain flat on a table while being used. Books with this binding must be fed into what is known as a binding line. Then, as in perfect binding, 0.125 inches are removed from the spine. A type of cover known as the detached cover is added on. Now, the book can lay flat.
- Sew Binding: In this style of binding, a machine sews the spines of the books together.