Perfect Bound Booklet Printing by U.S. Press
Here at U.S. Press, we want to make sure your books speak volumes for you with
our high-quality, professional book printing. Well-designed and expertly
printed, our bound books are ideal for a variety of projects: price booklets,
product catalogs, magazines, self-published books, employee manuals, school manuals, cookbooks, company
handbooks, yearbooks, and annual reports. For over 40 years, our team has had the privilege to produce thousands
of bound books for customers all across the U.S. We take great pride in producing high quality perfect bound
books that are beautiful, durable, affordable, and delivered on time. Given the many steps that are involved in
producing a book, we strive to provide world class service by assigning a dedicated print representative to
your project. Whether you're printing 100 booklets or 10,000 booklets, each customer is given a dedicated
account representative who oversees your project from start to finish and is there to answer any questions you
have.
Prior to printing your booklets, it's important to determine if perfect binding is the best binding method
for your particular design. Perfect binding is a popular binding method for booklets larger than 40 pages.
Unlike
saddle-stitch booklets
that require staples in the spine, perfect bound books are created by gluing
the pages and cover at the spine with a flexible and durable thermal glue.
While they tend to be more expensive than saddle-stitched booklets, perfect
binding will give your books and catalogs a highly professional, upscale
design without the costs of hardcover or case bound books. The finished product will be a softcover book
that's both beautiful and durable.
Perfect binding begins with individual sheets of paper that are collated together and then inserted into a
perfect binding finisher that applies a glue to hold the pages together and create a finished spine. Each
individual sheet of paper has a front side and a back side, which creates two pages. Unlike saddle stitch
binding which requires page counts in increments of 4, perfect bound books can be bound in 2 page increments,
which allows you great flexibility in creating the content of your book. Each side of paper constitutes a page,
so the front cover of your booklet will count as page 1, the front inside cover of your booklet will be page 2,
and so on.
Perfect Bound Booklets FAQ
What does perfect bound mean?
When you think of perfect binding, think of softcover books. "Perfect bound" is simply printing
terminology for how a booklet and its pages are attached to each other.
Perfect binding is the bindery method of gluing pages together at the spine with a
flexible thermal glue. Perfect bound books have a square spine.
Do I need to save my artwork as spreads or individual pages?
You will need to save your artwork as a single PDF that contains individual pages, not spreads. Page 1 of your
file should be the front cover, page 2 of your file should
be the front inside cover, etc. The last page in your document will be your back cover page.
What are some common uses for these booklets?
Perfect bound books serve a wide variety of purposes and are often used for magazines, product catalogs,
instructional manuals, company handbooks, as well as look-books for new lines of products. While
saddle-stitching can easily accommodate lower page count booklets, perfect binding can be utilized for page
counts over 40 and is the best method for page counts higher than 72.
How long does it take to print perfect bound books?
Given the nature of this binding method, perfect binding typically takes between 7-10 business days depending on
the quantity of books you order. If you have a
critical due date for a project, please let us know as we always strive to accomodate customer deadlines.
Can you mail perfect bound booklets?
Yes, we can. Booklets can be mailed as self-mailers, meaning they do not need to be enclosed inside an envelope.
While 5.5" x 8.5" books require wafer seals to meet USPS regulations, 8.5" x 11" books can
be mailed without tabs/wafer seals. If you'd like for U.S. Press to mail your books, simply select the
mailing option on our instant pricing calculator. For booklet mailing, the postage cost is largely dependent on
the size and weight of your particular piece and thus will be invoiced as a second charge once we process your
mail list. Note: you will be asked to upload your mail list after you place your initial print order
online.
What’s the difference between each paper stock? What's the best to choose?
We offer uncoated, gloss, and matte paper stocks. To determine the best stock for your project, it's best to
look at the design of your book. Each book we print is unique and thus deserves the perfect combination of paper
stocks suited to the particular project.
If your artwork contains mostly images, we recommend choosing either a matte or gloss coated stock to make your
photographs "pop." If you're looking for a shiny appearance, choose one of our gloss stocks.
However, if you prefer your artwork to have more of a flat, modern appearance with less shine, a matte stock
would be the best fit for you.
For both our gloss and matte stocks, you will have the option to select a paper weight that best fits your needs.
70# text paper is very lightweight and cost-effective. 80# text paper is a lightweight option and is great for a
wide
variety of publications including newsletters and booklets that mail. 100# text paper is a thicker, more premium
option. If your book has a lower page count, 100# text weight can be a great option; however, with higher page
counts, either the 70# or 80# option can still give you a beautiful book for less cost.
Alternatively, if your artwork is mostly text with few images or if you need a paper stock that can be easily
written on, 60# uncoated text might be the best option for your project. Uncoated paper has a texture similar to
copy paper and lends itself to easy hand-writing, which makes it a fantastic option for manuals, handbooks,
workbooks, and other publications that require readers to write in. Additionally, 60# uncoated text is less
expensive than our other coated papers, which can help your book project remain affordable, particularly if your
book contains a high page count.
How should I select my cover stock?
Both 80# and 100# cover are premium cover stock options that will give your perfect bound book a durable,
luxurious feel. 80# cover is the lighter cover stock between the two options; 100# cover is thicker/heavier.
Often, customers must weigh the advantages of going with a thicker cover stock with what their budget will
allow.
Can I order a perfect bound book less than 40 pages?
Perfect bound books are intended for larger publications such as
catalogs, annual books, and magazines. If you're looking to print a smaller
catalog or booklet with less pages, we recommend checking out our
saddle-stitched booklets
as this will be a more feasible and cost-effective option.
Can I order a perfect bound book with more than 120 pages?
Yes! While our instant pricing calculator offers page counts up to 120 pages, we have the ability to print
higher page counts. Please request a custom quote for books over 120 pages.