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Perfect binding is often used for paperback books. It is also used for magazines; National Geographic is one example of this type. Perfect-bound books usually consist of various sections with a cover made from heavier paper, glued together at the spine with a strong glue. The sections are milled in the back and notches are applied into the spine to allow hot glue to penetrate into the spine of the book. The other three sides are then face-trimmed. This is what allows the magazine or paperback book to be opened. Mass-market paperbacks (pulp paperbacks) are small (16mo size), cheaply made with each sheet fully cut and glued at the spine; these are likely to fall apart or lose sheets after much handling or several years. Trade paperbacks are more sturdily made, with traditional gatherings or sections of bifolios, usually larger, and more expensive. The difference between the two can usually easily be seen by looking for the sections in the top or bottom sides of the book.
Cost Effective. You are probably more familiar with the terminology softcover books. Any time you have bought a novel, you most likely noticed that the perfect bound book is less expensive than the hardcover option. This is the case for both retail and production. Lightweight. If you are planning on distributing your book or having a large quantity shipped to yourself this could be a great option for you! Variety of Uses. Perfect bound books have a wide variety of purposes. We have seen them used for magazines, portfolios, graphic novels, workbooks, catalogs and more! Hardcover books are really only used for novels. Excellent Form of Book Presentation. While a perfect bound book is less expensive, it is not necessarily a “cheaper” look. Perfect binding is still a neat, professional book presentation, it is simply a more economical alternative to hardcover. Spine Printing. When the book is thick enough (at least more than ¼”) you can add text to the spine. High Page Count. Since pages are stacked it allows for a larger amount of pages to be included. Through Printi a perfect bound book can include between 36 to 596 pages. Printed in Short Runs. New high tech, On Demand Printing technology allows for short runs, or low quantities, to be affordable! Through Printi, you can print as few as one book. We even provide first-time customers with a sample of their first book free (promo code: FREEBOOKSAMPLE).
Case binding is the most common type of hardcover binding for books. The pages are arranged in signatures and glued together into a "textblock." The textblock is then attached to the cover or "case" which is made of cardboard covered with paper, cloth, vinyl or leather. This is also known as cloth binding, or edition binding.
Double-fan adhesive binding starts off with two signatures of loose pages, which are run over a roller—"fanning" the pages—to apply a thin layer of glue to each page edge. Then the two signatures are perfectly aligned to form a text block, and glue edges of the text block are attached to a piece of cloth lining to form the spine. Double-fan adhesive bound books can open completely flat and have a wide margin. However, certain types of paper do not hold adhesive well, and, with wear and tear, the pages can come loose.
Saddle stitch, like perfect binding, is another common bookbinding option you can receive through a commercial printer. A saddle-stitched book is often referred to as a booklet or even sometimes a brochure (even though that is not correct printing terminology). While both can be used for some of the same types of projects, it is important to take note of the differences.
Staples vs. Glue. Staple-bound books tend not to be as durable as perfect bound books. Presentation. While a saddle stitch booklet is a more appropriate binding method for certain projects, a perfect bound book is an overall more professional presentation. Cost. Saddle stitch booklets are inexpensive to produce and are therefore used for projects that require higher order quantities such as periodicals, catalogs, booklets, Page Count. Binding also determines page count. While perfect bound books allow for about 40 to 400 pages, saddle stitch booklets only allow for about 5 to 80. Printing on the Spine. While you can add text and design to the spine of a perfect bound book, you cannot do so with a saddle stitch booklet. Opening Ability. A saddle stitch booklet can lie fairly flat when you open it, however, a perfect bound book does not have this capability. For this reason, saddles stitch is preferable for books in which hands-free reading is important like cookbooks or instructions. Page Creep. When a saddle stitch booklet is folded the innermost pages will stitch out further than the outermost pages. When the pages are trimmed the innermost pages will become shorter than the outermost pages. This is something to be aware of during the saddle stitch booklet design process that you don’t need to worry about with perfect binding. More Complicated File Setup. Saddle stitch booklets are formed from folded pages, it is more complicated to set up the pages within the file in correct order. Since this is the case, make sure you reference the file setup guide provided by your printer.
Another common binding method is spiral binding, also known as coil binding. Spiral bound books are fairly well known and self-explanatory. The binding is formed by a metal or plastic coil. There are unique benefits to coil binding that other binding types do not have. Read about the difference between spiral and perfect bound books to know which to use for your project.
Wire Spiral vs. Glue. Both binding methods are fairly durable in their own right. The only thing to be aware of with coil binding is wear Presentation. While a spiral is a more appropriate binding method for certain projects, a perfect bound book is an overall more professional presentation. Page Count. Binding also determines page count. While perfect bound books allow for about 40 to 400 pages, spiral bind books only allow for about 10 to 400. Printing on the Spine. While you can add text and design to the spine of a perfect bound book, you cannot do so with a spiral bound books. Opening Ability. A spiral bound booklet can lie completely flat when you open it and can even open 360 degrees. A perfect bound book does not have this capability. For this reason, spiral bound books are preferable for books in which hands-free reading is important like cookbooks or instructions.
Hardcover binding has a rigid protective cover making it the most durable and long lasting type of binding. Typical cover materials are binder’s board, leather, or heavy paperboard covered with buckram. The inside pages are typically sewn together in sections, then glued to paper which is in turn glued to the cover spine. Perfect binding is also referred to as a paperback, which is not as durable as a hardcover.
Paperback. Hardcover is encased in a board casing while perfect bound has a cover made of thicker card stock. Presentation. Hardcover presents a durable and long-lasting binding. You can add a matte or gloss lamination to the cover for a professional look. Perfect bound shows wear much more than hardcover. Cost. Perfect bound books are the more inexpensive option when it comes to hardcover vs. perfect bound.
Paper cutters vary in size, usually from about 30 centimetres (1 ft) in length on each side for office work to 841 millimetres (33.1 in) (an edge of A1 paper) in design workshops. The surface will usually have a grid either painted or inscribed on it, often in half-inch increments, and may have a ruler across the top. At the very least, it must have a flat edge against which the user may line up the paper at right-angles before passing it under the blade. It is usually relatively heavy, so that it will remain steady while in use. On the right-hand edge is a long, curved steel blade, often referred to as a knife, attached to the base at one corner. Larger versions have a strong compression coil spring as part of the attachment mechanism that pulls the knife against the stationary edge as the knife is drawn down to cut the paper. The other end of the knife unit is a handle. The stationary right edge of the base is also steel, with an exposed, finely-ground edge. When the knife is pulled down to cut paper, the action resembles that of a pair of scissors, only instead of two knives moving against each other, one is stationary. The combination of a blade mounted to a steady base produces clean and straight cuts, the likes of which would have otherwise required a ruler and razor blade to achieve on a single page. Paper cutters are also used for cutting thin sheet metal, cardboard, and plastic. The blade on a paper cutter is made of steel, which provides long-term durability. The steel blade can be resharpened as needed. A variant design uses a wheel-shaped blade mounted on a sliding shuttle attached to a rail. This type of paper cutter is known as a rotary paper cutter. Advantages of this design include being able to make wavy cuts, perforations or to simply to score the paper without cutting, merely by substituting various types of circular blades. With a rotary cutter, it is also almost impossible for the user to cut him/herself, except while changing the blade. This makes it safer for home use. Higher-end versions of rotary paper cutters are used for precision paper cutting and are popular for trimming photographs. An even simpler design uses double-edged blades which do not rotate, but cut like a penknife.[clarification needed] While cheaper, this design is not preferable for serious work due to its tendency to tear paper, and poor performance with thick media.
Most paper cutters come equipped with a finger guard to prevent users from accidentally cutting themselves or severing a digit while using the apparatus. However, injuries are still possible if the device is not used with proper care or attention.
There are different lamination processes, depending on the type of materials to be laminated. The materials used in laminates can be the same or different, depending on the processes and the object to be laminated. An example of the type of laminate using different materials would be the application of a layer of plastic film—the "laminate"—on either side of a sheet of glass—the laminated subject. Vehicle windshields are commonly made by laminating a tough plastic film between two layers of glass. This is to prevent shards of glass detaching from the windshield in case it breaks. Plywood is a common example of a laminate using the same material in each layer. Glued and laminated dimensioned timber is used in the construction industry to make wooden beams, Glulam, with sizes larger and stronger than can be obtained from single pieces of wood. Another reason to laminate wooden strips into beams is quality control, as with this method each and every strip can be inspected before it becomes part of a highly stressed component. Electrical equipment such as transformers and motors usually use steel laminations to form the core of coils used to produce magnetic fields. The thin laminations reduce the loss due to eddy currents.
A folding machine is a machine used primarily for the folding of paper. Paper can be folded with either a buckle or a knife; thus, there are generally. Folding machines exclusively used for folding paper are commonly referred to as paper folders. These machines are typically used for creating letter folds (C Folds) and accordion folds (Z Folds). Other commonly used folds include a half fold, fold-out, double parallel fold, gate (brochure) fold, and right angle fold. The fold type in a buckle folder is set by adjusting folding plates. Most paper folders allow for a wide range of fold types. Right angle folds require the paper to rotate 90 degrees also known as an 8-page or a right angle. More folds can be accomplished by the use of a 16-page and 32-page unit. Entry-level paper folders require that the folding plates be adjusted manually, with fold settings specified on the folding plates. Higher-end paper folders will electronically adjust the folding plates for added precision and convenience. Both usually have fine tuning knobs for precise adjustments. Most paper folders push paper into the machine by use of a friction wheel; this grabs paper using friction. Friction-feed paper folders do not work well with glossy paper as the friction wheel slips on the paper's surface. Pneumatic paper folders are preferable for folding glossy paper.
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