3 things to consider for binding a printed brochure or catalogue

There are many options on binding a brochure or catalogue and very often it can be the last thing to give much consideration to: Always ask yourself 3 questions:

1. What binding will work best?
2. Will it look good?
3. How much will cost?

Lets look at 2 examples selling the same type of product - property

The first one is wiro bound.

As you can see, the product lays flat beautifully, allowing the reader to comfortably work their way through the brochure without having to fight with the spine or lose their page.
In addition, although subjective, wiro can look smart, contemporary and exclusive.
Last but not least, wiro can be expensive on longer run lengths so with quantities of 5,000 and above the budget will hurt.

With this example, the perfect bound spine looks very neat, text and imagery can be visible and it is a cost effective method of binding. There is a minimum thickness required for this type of binding to work effectively though.
The main issue is that the contents is always wanting to "close" making a less enjoyable experience for the reader.

Like most things in life, compromises have to be made - just prioritise!

Perfect Binding and PUR Binding for brochures and catalogues

It is important when you have your brochures and catalogues printed that you choose the correct type of binding for the job. The following are factors to consider:

How many pages will the finished product have. The number of pages along with the weight of paper will determine the size of the spine. For most brochures and catalogues under 40 pages then stitching the document will be the ideal solution. Stitching with 2 wires is neat, durable and allows the document to lay flat on the table or desk.

Saddle-stitched programme for pantomime

If the catalogue is more substantial and you require a spine then there are a two options: Perfect binding or PUR binding. The main difference is the adhesive used in the binding process.  Perfect binding uses ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) adhesives whereas PUR uses polyurethane reactive (PUR) adhesives. PUR adhesive offers better adhesion over EVA and also the ability for the bound book to lay flat without compromising the binding strength. PUR binding is more expensive and also requires longer to 'cure' therefore taking longer to finish.

PUR Binding for Wine List

Wiro binding is ideal when you require a the brochure to lay completely flat on the desk - you lose a spine but wiro is fantastic for presentations where you need everyone to 'stay on the page'.

Wiro binding for Suzuki Document