By
Sarah Harris
Self-published authors sometimes have to consider the cost of printing more than the appearance of their books. But this doesn’t mean their books should be made of thin, cheap paper, be filled with typos and smeared ink or have pages falling out.
Saving money on printing starts with making wise yet economical choices. Saddle-stitch binding is a popular choice, as it provides a clean, crisp, attractive appearance for comic books, booklets, brochures and short books.
When done by an experienced printer, saddle-stitch binding can have fantastic results.
Introduction to Saddle-Stitched Booklet Printing
For this binding method, the paper is printed on both sides, then folded in half and stapled through the fold. Commercial printers use specially designed staplers and fasteners for this binding method — they aren’t your ordinary, run-of-the-mill office staplers.
If you’re printing a 40-plus-page saddle-stitched booklet or short, four- to six-page saddle-stitched brochures, you may have different paper requirements and staple lengths.
A brochure may use the same type of paper from cover to cover, a process referred to as “self-cover,” while a booklet may feature a thicker cover with multiple thinner-weight pages inside, known as “plus-cover.” Talk to your printer about which style may be best for your project.
Benefits of Saddle-Stitch Printing
Saddle-stitched books can be every bit as eye-catching as hardcover books and perfect-bound softcovers but come at a much lower price.
Cost-Effective
Saddle-stitch booklet printing is far less costly than other common binding methods because it can be done quickly with fewer resources. No glue is required, so there’s no need to wait for any adhesives to dry.
Versatile
While saddle stitching necessitates lower page counts than hardcover or softcover binding, your book or booklet can probably employ saddle stitch binding if it’s less than 100 pages. Small books, comics, brochures and notepads all look great with stapled spines.
High-Quality Final Product
A saddle-stitched publication can look stunning with a well-designed, high-resolution cover printed on quality stock. As long as care is taken with regard to paper choices and quality staples, your publication will hold together for years.
Are Saddle-Stitched Booklets and Brochures Right for Your Project?
Despite its benefits, saddle stitch book printing doesn’t work for all publications. If your booklet is close to or over 100 pages, closing it may be difficult or impossible.
Saddle stitching also doesn’t allow books to lie flat while open. When in doubt, ask your printer for recommendations.
5 Steps for Saddle-Stitched Booklet and Brochure Printing
You’ll want to pay attention to the small details as you prepare for printing to ensure that your saddle-stitched book project looks and feels its best.
Step 1: Design Your Saddle-Stitched Booklet, Brochure or Book
Remember your margins! If you place text or images too close to the center, they may disappear when the pages get stapled together. Your pages will also be trimmed for neatness to avoid shingling, so beware of placing content close to the outer edges.
Beyond these practical concerns, you’ll also need to consider general design items such as typography, layout and color scheme.
Step 2: Choose the Right Paper Stock
Would your publication look better with glossy or matte pages? Should the paper be thick or thin, rough or smooth? The choices you have when it comes to paper stock can be a little overwhelming. Here are some basic guidelines:
- The heavier the paper, the harder it is to keep the book open.
- The more pages your publication has, the lighter the paper weight should be.
- Photos and other graphics tend to look better when printed on glossy heavyweight paper.
If you have questions regarding paper type or other design elements, feel free to reach out to the experts at Print Bind Ship.
Step 3: Prepare Your Files for Printing
Think of this as the final editing stage. It’s your last opportunity to ensure that your text and images flow properly, your fonts and colors are eye-catching, your margins are properly spaced and your entire document is error-free.
If you’re unsure whether your publication needs tweaking, Print Bind Ship’s designers are more than happy to assist.
Step 4: Send Your Files Over to Print Bind Ship
Once you’ve sent in your files, we’ll get them ready for printing. We’ll take care of all the little details, such as adjusting the margins and trimming the pages to avoid shingling.
Step 5: Received Your Saddle-Stitched Printed Booklets
As soon as we’ve printed your booklets, we’ll send them your way. If you prefer the print-on-demand method, we’ll sync up with your online store and print your books as your readers order them.
If you’re printing booklets as part of a direct mail campaign, Print Bind Ship’s Mail Genius can send them out directly to your potential customers.
Why Choose PBS for Perfect Bound Book Printing and Binding?
When you’re searching for a printing partner, you want someone with knowledge, experience, and unmatched customer service. With Print Bind Ship, you get all of that and more.
Attractive, Durable Saddle Stitching from Print Bind Ship
Saddle stitching is cost-effective and can look exceptionally polished when done correctly. The secret is working with the right printing partner.
When you have a booklet project that needs expertly executed, high-quality saddle stitching, only Print Bind Ship will do.
FAQ
Saddle-stitched booklets must have at least four pages, with 100 pages being the upper limit.
Yes, depending on the choice of paper and the content of the publication.
100-pound paper is generally reserved for covers and booklet pages when the page count is 24 or fewer. Meanwhile, 80-pound paper can be used for up to 60 pages, and 60-pound paper is good for up to 100 pages.
Most printers can turn around saddle-stitched booklets in three to four business days.
Yes. In fact, this is how saddle-stitched booklets are printed almost universally.