The binding method used for a magazine affects much more than how the pages are held together.
It can influence the appearance of the publication, how it opens, the usable page count, spine width, paper choice, durability, artwork setup, manufacturing cost and even the efficiency of the production route.
For most magazines, the principal choices are saddle stitching or adhesive binding, including conventional perfect binding and PUR binding.
There isn’t one binding method that is automatically better.
At Magazine Printing Company, we consider the binding alongside the magazine’s pagination, paper, format, quantity, cover specification, printing process, distribution requirements and budget before selecting an appropriate manufacturing route.
What Is Saddle Stitch Binding?
Saddle stitching is one of the most common binding methods used for magazines, newsletters, programmes and booklets.
Printed sheets are folded and gathered before wire stitches are inserted through the fold at the spine.
Although these are commonly described as staples, the binding equipment normally forms the stitches from wire during production.
A saddle-stitched magazine has no square, glued spine. Instead, the folded sections form the spine of the publication.
The result is a simple, efficient binding method particularly suited to magazines with relatively low or moderate pagination.
What Are the Advantages of Saddle Stitching?
Saddle stitching can be an extremely efficient way to manufacture a magazine.
Its advantages can include:
- economical production
- relatively few binding operations
- good opening characteristics
- suitability for short and high-volume production
- relatively low additional binding weight
- good visibility across double-page spreads
- suitability for many regular magazines and membership publications
Because the publication opens from a folded spine rather than a glued square spine, images running across facing pages can also work particularly well.
Whether saddle stitching is appropriate, however, depends upon the complete physical specification rather than page count alone.
How Many Pages Can a Saddle-Stitched Magazine Have?
There isn’t one universal maximum page count.
You will often see approximate limits quoted by printers, but the practical limit depends upon factors including:
- paper grammage
- paper bulk
- finished size
- number of pages
- cover construction
- stiffness of the paper
- the stitching and trimming equipment
- the required appearance of the finished magazine
A 64-page magazine printed on a relatively lightweight stock is physically very different from a 64-page publication produced on bulky or heavy paper.
As pagination and paper thickness increase, the folded spine becomes progressively bulkier and the magazine may become less willing to close flat.
For that reason, we don’t tell publishers that a particular page count automatically determines the binding method.
We assess the actual specification.
Why Are Saddle-Stitched Page Counts Usually Multiples of Four?
In conventional saddle-stitched magazine production, printed sheets are folded through the spine to create pages.
Each folded sheet therefore contributes four finished pages to the publication.
This is why conventional saddle-stitched pagination normally works in multiples of four.
For example:
32 pages
36 pages
40 pages
44 pages
48 pages
and so on.
A separate four-page cover can then be added where required.
The exact section construction used by the selected printing process is a production matter. Publishers should supply individual artwork pages in normal reading order rather than attempting to impose printer’s spreads themselves.
What Is Creep in a Saddle-Stitched Magazine?
As folded sheets are nested inside one another, the inner sheets are pushed progressively further away from the spine.
This movement is known as creep.
The thicker the publication, the more significant creep can become.
During professional production, creep can be compensated for as part of the manufacturing workflow so that trimming does not progressively damage margins or page content.
Publishers do not normally need to calculate or impose creep themselves.
The important thing is to design with sensible margins and supply the pages individually in reading order according to the artwork requirements.
What Is Perfect Binding?
Perfect binding creates the familiar square-spined appearance used for many magazines, catalogues, journals and paperback books.
The gathered text pages are prepared at the spine and bonded into a wraparound cover using adhesive. The publication is then trimmed to its finished size.
Unlike a saddle-stitched magazine, a perfect-bound publication has a defined spine.
That spine can carry printed information such as the magazine title, issue number or other identification, provided there is sufficient usable spine width.
Perfect binding can be particularly appropriate for publications with higher pagination or where the visual appearance of a square spine is important.
Does a Perfect-Bound Magazine Need a Minimum Number of Pages?
Not in the sense of one universal page-count rule.
What matters physically is whether the combination of pagination and paper thickness creates a spine suitable for the selected binding process.
A relatively low-page-count publication printed on a bulky paper may create a usable spine, while a publication containing more pages on a very lightweight stock may remain comparatively thin.
Different binding equipment and adhesive systems also have their own operating ranges.
This is why specifying perfect binding simply as “64 pages or more” is too crude.
We calculate the expected spine from the actual paper and pagination before confirming the binding specification.
What Is PUR Binding?
PUR stands for polyurethane reactive adhesive.
PUR is an adhesive system used in perfect binding and is particularly useful where the materials or construction require strong adhesion and good flexibility.
It can be suitable for a wide range of coated and uncoated papers and is frequently specified for demanding magazine, catalogue and book applications.
PUR is often discussed as though it is simply a premium version of all other perfect-binding adhesives.
In practice, the appropriate adhesive depends upon the papers, inks, coatings, construction, production equipment and intended use of the publication.
PUR can provide excellent binding performance, but it shouldn’t be specified simply because the acronym sounds superior.
The binding system should suit the job.
What Is EVA Perfect Binding?
EVA refers to ethylene-vinyl acetate, a family of hot-melt adhesives traditionally associated with perfect binding.
Modern adhesive-binding technology includes different adhesive formulations and production systems, so the old assumption that every non-PUR bound publication uses one identical inferior glue is misleading.
Depending upon the paper, production process and binder being used, an appropriate EVA or other hot-melt system can provide an effective solution.
For other specifications, PUR may offer important advantages.
This is another area where selecting the manufacturing route first and then using the appropriate binding system is preferable to prescribing an adhesive without considering the complete job.
Is PUR Better Than Conventional Perfect Binding?
Sometimes — but not automatically.
PUR can be particularly useful where the paper, coatings, ink coverage, construction or intended use place greater demands on the adhesive bond.
It can also provide good flexibility and strong page pull.
However, the correct question isn’t simply:
“Is PUR better?”
It is:
“Which binding system is appropriate for this magazine?”
A well-produced publication using an appropriate conventional adhesive can be entirely suitable, while another specification may clearly benefit from PUR.
We therefore assess the materials and production route rather than automatically adding PUR to every perfect-bound job.
Saddle Stitch or Perfect Binding — Which Should I Choose?
The decision usually comes down to the physical and commercial specification of the magazine.
Saddle stitching may be appropriate when:
- pagination is relatively low
- the publication isn’t excessively bulky
- economical binding is important
- good opening characteristics are desirable
- there is no requirement for a square printed spine
Perfect binding may be appropriate when:
- pagination or paper bulk makes stitching impractical
- a square spine is required
- the publication is intended to have a book-like appearance
- the spine needs to carry printed information
- the overall construction suits adhesive binding
But these aren’t rigid rules.
A magazine close to the practical crossover point should be assessed using the actual paper, pagination, format and production equipment available.
Does Paper Choice Affect Magazine Binding?
Yes — considerably.
Paper affects the thickness, flexibility, stiffness and overall construction of the magazine.
GSM alone does not tell us everything.
Two papers with the same grammage can have different bulk and therefore produce different spine thicknesses.
For saddle stitching, a bulky stock can make the publication physically thick at a relatively modest page count.
For perfect binding, paper thickness contributes directly to the finished spine width and can also influence the choice of adhesive and binding process.
This is why paper and binding should be specified together rather than independently.
What Is Magazine Spine Width?
Spine width is the physical thickness of the bound text block and cover at the spine of a perfect-bound publication.
It depends primarily upon:
- number of text pages
- actual thickness or bulk of the selected paper
- cover construction
- binding process
It should not be calculated simply from GSM.
Once the final paper and pagination are confirmed, the spine can be calculated for the production specification.
The cover artwork for a perfect-bound magazine should therefore not be finalised around a guessed spine width.
How Should I Supply Artwork for a Perfect-Bound Cover?
Unlike a saddle-stitched publication, a perfect-bound magazine normally requires a wraparound cover incorporating the front cover, spine and back cover.
The exact cover dimensions depend upon the confirmed finished size and calculated spine width.
Do not guess the spine.
Once the magazine specification has been established, we can provide the required cover dimensions for the selected production route.
Interior pages should still be supplied as individual pages in reading order rather than imposed printer’s spreads.
Does Perfect Binding Open as Flat as Saddle Stitching?
Generally, no.
A conventional perfect-bound magazine is adhesive-bound at the spine, so the pages do not normally open in exactly the same way as a saddle-stitched publication.
This should be considered during design.
Important text, faces, page numbers or other critical elements should not be positioned unnecessarily close to the binding edge.
Double-page images also need to be considered with the binding method in mind because some image content may visually disappear into the gutter.
If very flat opening is an important design requirement, tell us at the specification stage so that the available binding and production options can be considered.
Can Inserts Be Bound Into a Magazine?
Yes, depending upon the publication and binding process.
Magazines can incorporate additional elements such as inserts, tip-ins or other separately produced components.
The practical options depend upon:
- binding method
- position within the magazine
- insert size
- insert material
- pagination
- quantity
- production equipment
If an insert is required, include it in the original magazine specification rather than introducing it after the production route has been selected.
Does Binding Affect Postage and Distribution?
It can.
Binding itself is only one part of the finished magazine, but the choice of binding interacts with pagination, paper and cover specification — all of which affect the finished weight and thickness.
Those dimensions can matter when a publication is being mailed.
For regularly posted magazines, we therefore consider the physical construction and distribution requirements together rather than treating binding as an isolated finishing decision.
Does Binding Affect the Cost of Magazine Printing?
Yes.
Binding cost can depend upon:
- binding method
- quantity
- pagination
- format
- paper
- cover
- inserts
- production process
- required finishing
- manufacturing route
Saddle stitching is often an economical solution for suitable publications because the process is relatively straightforward.
Perfect binding introduces different production requirements, but it may be the appropriate and efficient solution for thicker publications or magazines requiring a square spine.
The lowest-cost binding process isn’t necessarily the lowest-cost magazine specification overall.
Small changes to pagination, paper or format can sometimes alter which manufacturing route is most efficient.
What Binding Is Best for My Magazine?
There is no single best magazine binding method.
The right choice depends upon the publication.
At Magazine Printing Company we normally consider:
- quantity
- finished size
- pagination
- paper grammage and bulk
- cover specification
- printing process
- spine width
- opening characteristics
- inserts
- finishing
- postage and distribution
- production schedule
- budget
We then select an appropriate manufacturing and binding route.
You don’t need to design the magazine around a particular binding machine.
Tell us what you want to produce and we’ll establish an appropriate way to manufacture it.
Need Advice About Magazine Binding?
Magazine Printing Company is the specialist magazine operation of Cliffe Enterprise Ltd, an independent UK print-management company established in 1991.
Because we aren’t tied to one printing plant or binding line, we can select the production route according to the requirements of the publication rather than according to the equipment one factory happens to own.
If you’re unsure whether your magazine should be saddle stitched, perfect bound or PUR bound, speak to us before finalising the specification or cover artwork.
Planning your next magazine? Get a magazine printing quote and we’ll advise on the binding, paper, pagination and appropriate production route.
