Softcover book binding and spines

Softcover book binding and spines.

Softcover book binding have spines are square (flat). Star Print Brokers will usually Smyth sew the text block of soft cover as well as hardcover books. Sewing is never applicable to Wire-O bindings.

Smyth Sewn

This is the highest quality binding for a soft cover book. The signatures print for Smyth sewing just as with Star Print Brokers’ high-quality hardcover books. The text block then glues into the soft cover case. PUR glue may also add even more flexibility. The binding is very strong and offers the best near lay-flat performance for a soft cover book unless going to Wire-O for completely lay flat performance.

Perfect bound

The bindery will “rough up” and glue on the cover for a perfect bound book. A ‘perfect binding’ is the lowest cost option. It works well for novels with an average to small page count. If the book has a higher page count, we advise a more secure binding style, like a notch or burst binding.

Variations of Perfect Bindings:

PUR GLUE (POLYURETHANE REACTIVE)

Do you need extra strength and flexibility? Use PUR glue with a perfect binding. Many authors need the more lay-flat performance of a PUR glue perfect binding.

NOTCH BOUND

The spine has notches and glue. A soft cover book may be notch bound. Small notches are cut out of the spine side of the signatures. Glue fills in the notches and then the cover affixes to the text block.

BURST BOUND

The spine has perforations and then glues. It is more durable than a simple perfect binding. Notch and burst bound are just variations on a theme.

Softcover book binding for Wire-O

OPEN

This Wire-O book binding has no spine at all. The draw back for self-publishers is that there is no spine. Most bookstores will not carry it.

CONCEALED SPINE

The wire is conceals completely by a square spine. It is great for higher page count books that need to lay flat.

SEMI-CONCEALED ON SPINE

We rarely bind Wire-O books with wire on the spine. The reason is that the wire partially obstructs the spine making it unprintable. The semi-concealed Wire-O on the back cover next to the spine is more attractive and less conspicuous.

SEMI-CONCEALED ON BACK COVER

This binding is a great solution when you need the lay-flat performance of a Wire-O binding combined with the wire being out of the way as it attaches to the back cover. Another benefit is that bookstores will not reject the book because of the binding.

Softcover book binding and spines