Book Binding

I love binding my own books. Here are some ways I can bind books. I have lots of methods because there is no single perfect way to bind all books. I choose a binding method for a book based on which features I want: spine, lay-flat, durable, changing pages, and number of pages.

Comb Binding
Simple, quick, easy. The pages lay flat. However, the spine can't be printed, and the pages don't fold back on themselves. This sample book is what I used for teaching Chinese to Sparkle. I chose this binding because I'll be adding pages to the back, but not editing existing pages, and I wanted something that would lay flat.


Sewn Binding
This binding is the closest to a regular book. It takes a while to put together and the pages don't lay flat. However, it is very durable, and it has a spine. This sample book is the reader that Sparkle uses for school. I chose this binding because I wanted the book to be durable enough for daily use for the whole school year.


Pro-Click Binding
This binding is quick and easy and allows for very easy edits. The pages lay flat and can also completely fold back on themselves. This sample book is one I used last semester to study Chinese myself. (I no longer use this book.) I chose this binding because I was swapping out different pages in the middle of the book every week.


Stable Binding
This binding is done with a long-arm stapler. It is quick and easy and fairly durable unless there are a lot of pages. There is no spine. This sample book is just a bunch of pages I stapled so I could get a picture.