There are a number of binding options available depending on the intended use of the item and/or budget. Some of the most common are listed below.

Saddle stitched (stapled): This is the most commonly used type of binding and is often mistakenly referred to as stapled. The phrase comes from the triangular shaped ‘saddle’ that holds the booklet as a mechanical needle stitches wire from a reel into the spine, not dissimilar to a sewing machine.

Loop stitched: An extension of the saddle stitching process above, a loop is left in each stitch, allowing the booklet to be easily inserted into a ring binder.

Perfect bound (flat edge binding and box bound): This process is ideally suitable for a publication with a high number of pages. To prevent the cover being pulled tight over too many pages (which can cause stitches to fail), the inner pages are split into sections that are then glued within a cover which has a capacity spine. You can recognise perfect binding because the spine will have a flat edge. This is the process used for many books as well as larger magazines and brochures.

Wiro bound (spiral bound): This neat and sturdy form of binding is especially handy for items with a large number of pages as it allows the book to rest open on any page without it naturally wanting to close, as would be the case with a perfect bound booklet. This makes wiro binding ideal for notebooks.

Comb bound: This inexpensive plastic binding option is ideal for office documents such as training manuals as it allows pages to be added and removed as required. An acetate or Perspex cover can be added for extra protection.

Glue bound: This is the standard choice of binding for cheap note/scribble pads and NCR pads. The pages are supported by a thick card back and then glued along one edge, allowing them to be pulled off individually- a bit like a pad of post-it notes.