Saddle Stitch or Stapled Binding

Saddle Stitch Binding Overview

Saddle stitched or stapled booklets have thousands of uses and are the most frequently used commercial binding method. It can accommodate books of various sizes. For books that might have short-term use (or those with a small number of pages), saddle stitch binding is an excellent alternative.Stitching can be done with or without a book cover.

Saddle Stitch Binding Book Types

Softcover booklets, direct mailers, annual reports, commercial and technical brochures, programs and prospectuses, manuals, catalogs, newsletters, and less permanent materials.

Saddle Stitch Binding Process

Printed and folded signatures are stacked onto a gathering device. The gathering device begins transferring the pages to a saddle bar – how they are loaded onto the conveyor makes the books look like saddles – to complete the stitching and trimming process. The assembled publication is carried to the stitching heads where staples are driven through the spine and thereafter the bound publications are trimmed.

Saddle Stitch Binding Characteristics

Example of stapled binding method.

Note on Loop Stitching

Loop stitching is a variation of stapled binding where a loop extends a staple wire beyond the spine to form a loop that can be placed onto rings without punching holes into the paper. Loop stitching is ideal for reference materials and training manuals. This type of binding allows the stitched material to lay flat. However, this technique is considered a dated form of binding and not used widely anymore.