Perfect Binding Machines

Perfect binding is one of the hottest forms of bookletmaking in the market right now, no pun intended. Perfect for all kinds of applications that need a higher quality look than a saddle stitched booklet but don't require a case-bound hard cover. Perfect bound books have a square spine, typically with 4 creases along the spine. One at each corner of the spine and then two hinge scores about 1cm away from the corner. A quality book requires a milling process be done on the book block to roughen the spine for better glue adhesion.

Perfect binding falls mainly into two glue categories, EVA and PUR. Both glue types have distinct advantages and disadvantages and it's important to weigh your options before decided on hardware. Some machines are capable of accepting both types of glues, usually with swappable glue tanks. Typically machines are made for either EVA or PUR but not both.

Perfect bound books are almost ways trimmed on three sides to create a high quality finished look. Trimmers also come in a wide variety. Some use a single knife that cycles three times while others have three knives for quicker cut cycles and faster production. Contact our sales team if you have any questions.

Cover Feeding

Larger perfect binders will incorporate a cover feeding station. High end machines will also include corner and hinge scoring that happens as the cover is being fed into the machine. Commonly these scoring positions are automatically positioned based on the book measurements

Spine Preparation for Perfect Binding

Preparing the book spine is a very important phase of perfect binding. There are different styles and philosophy regarding spine preparation but you should always consider the paper type and glue formula to determine what kind of spine prep you need. Milling and scoring is the act of roughening the book spine, the roughened spine will expose paper fibers that can work with the adhesive to form a strong bond. EVA and PUR formula glues have entirely different milling methods.

Nipping

Nipping is the action of squeezing the spine of the book with a large amount of pressure. Nipping takes place immediately after the cover is applied to the book spine. The spine will have already been milled and have glue applied. The nipping action is critical to overall quality of the book. A proper nip station will apply heavy but even pressure to the spine for a calculated amount of time, leaving it perfectly square.