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Saddle-Stitching

Saddle-stitching is the least expensive and simplest binding method available. In the saddle-stitching process, parent sheets are cut, scored, folded, and stapled together to form a finished booklet. This type of binding is used for single issue comic books, workbooks, shorter catalogs, cookbooks, and booklets of all kinds.

Saddle Stitching Example Stitched Booklet Comic Book Single Issue Staples

How Saddle-Stitched Binding is Made

To create a saddle-stitched piece, printed parent sheets are first cut and folded using a folding machine. Then the folded pages are fed through a special machine, which inserts two staples into the spine of the booklet.

At our domestic facility, printed parent sheets are cut and covers are scored to provide the best fold possible. We then feed book covers and interior pages into a machine called a “booklet maker” which takes the collated sheets and cover, organizes them into one book, jogs the sheets to make sure everything is aligned correctly, and applies the staples. For thick cover stocks, we may also use a device called a stitcher. It’s a manual process, but necessary to ensure books come out at peak quality.

Design Considerations

Unlike most other binding methods, saddle-stitching doesn’t come with any design-specific restrictions.  Since the pages open completely flat, images can extend across two pages (known as a double-page spread) without the chance that any content will be lost in the gutter.

Cover Design
Covers for saddle-stitched projects are the exact same size as the inside pages of the project.

Production Time

After being sent to press, saddle-stitched projects take one to two weeks to manufacture, after which they are shipped out to you via your chosen shipping method. Be sure to check our turnaround time page to see how much time your project will take based on your proofing and shipping options. For domestic orders, production time should only take approximately 1 week

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