Perfect Bound vs. Coils: What’s the Best Option for Booklet Printing?

Summary:

• Perfect bound booklets offer a professional and sleek appearance with a printable spine but may wear over time and have limitations on spine thickness.
• Coiled booklets provide flexibility, durability, and design variety but may appear less professional and are usually bulkier.
• Consider the expected handling, usage frequency, and shelf-life of the booklet when choosing a binding method. Perfect bound booklets are often preferred for aesthetically driven projects and promotional materials, while coils are more casual and generally less expensive.
• Little Rock Printing™ offers both perfect bound and coiled booklets. We can accommodate custom orders with no minimums or maximums, and print all booklets on-site in our Calgary store to maximize quality control.

Perfect bound booklets provide a smooth and seamless look, while coil bindings are simple and practical. But the best type of binding for any booklet depends on what you plan to do with it and why.

Little Rock Printing™ has spent years providing perfect bound books and coil-bound documents, so we know all about the best uses for each. In this article, we explore the detailed pros and cons of these two popular binding methods so that you can choose between them.

Perfect Bound Booklets Explained

Perfect bound booklets use a popular softcover binding method where the pages and cover are glued together at the spine.

Pros

• Professional Appearance: Offers a clean, sleek, and unobtrusive binding that aligns with various design aesthetics.
• Printable Spine: The spine can be printed upon, offering additional design and informational space.
• Affordability: Typically more expensive than coil-bound booklets but cost-effective for larger print runs.

Cons

• Limitation on Thickness: There’s a maximum and minimum limit for the thickness of the book spine.
• Durability: The spine may become fragile and wear over time, especially with frequent use.

Coiled Booklets Explained

Coil binding is a method where plastic or metal coils are spiraled through holes punched along the edge of the pages of the booklet.

Pros

• Flexibility: Enables the booklet to lay open or be folded back upon itself without damaging the binding.
• Durability: Coil bindings tend to withstand wear and tear, maintaining their shape and function over time.
• Variety: Available in numerous colors and sizes to align with design needs.

Cons

• More Casual: May not provide as sleek or professional an appearance as perfect bound.
• Bulkiness: Can be slightly bulkier and may not stack as neatly.

Choosing the Right Type of Booklet for Your Print Project

There’s no “right answer” when it comes to choosing a booklet type—perfect bound and coiled versions are both useful in specific situations. If you’re stuck choosing between the two, here’s what we recommend considering:

• Purpose: What will your booklets be used for? Consider factors like the expected shelf-life, usage frequency, and handling. The bindings on perfect-bound booklets can crack over time, but pages can sometimes be pulled from coil booklets more easily—so it depends on how you expect your booklets to be handled.
• Budget: While perfect bound books typically cost more, it also depends on the customization options for your booklets—for example, coil booklets with black wire-o binding will be more expensive than simple plastic coils.
• Design Aesthetics: Choose a binding that complements and enhances the visual appeal of the booklet. Most people prefer the look of perfect bound booklets for promotional materials or more decorative projects, whereas coil bindings are seen as a more casual option.

Comparison Chart: Perfect Bound vs. Coil Booklets At a Glance

Printing Your Booklets with Little Rock Printing™

Selecting the right binding method is ultimately a decision you’ll have to make for yourself—but whether you choose the sleek presentation of perfect bound booklets or the simplicity of a coil binding, Little Rock Printing™ can help! We offer custom order sizes with no minimums (or maximums), attractive rates for large-volume runs, and print nearly everything we sell by hand in our Calgary shop to maximize quality control on all orders.

Learn more about getting the booklets you need by contacting Little Rock Printing™ and speaking with a member of our team, or browse the FAQ below to learn more about the differences between these options! Your perfect print is only a few clicks away.

Frequently Asked Questions about Perfect Bound vs. Coiled Booklets

What type of booklet costs more to print?

Booklets with coil bindings cost less than perfect bound booklets unless you’re adding lots of custom requests that drive up the price. However, it’s still worth investing in perfect bound booklets if what you’re creating needs a professional, public-facing look.

What type of booklet lasts longer?

Coil binding allows the pages of your booklets to be spread all the way out, since there’s no spine to crack—you can even fold the cover of the booklet backward, which would damage the binding on a perfect bound booklet. However, pages can be torn out of coil bindings more easily, so it depends on how you expect your booklets to be handled.

What kind of booklets should I use for a catalogue or magazine?

Perfect bound booklets are best for promotional materials like magazines and catalogues, since they provide more space on which to advertise and can be stacked more neatly than booklets with coil bindings.

Can I preview what my design will look like on a perfect bound or coil booklet?

Absolutely! Just place an order for a single copy of your design on the booklet type of your choice and enter the code “FREEPROOF” at checkout. Little Rock Printing™ will send you a single proof of the final product so that you can see how it will look when you order in volume.