Binding & Finishing

To take your print from flat sheets to the finished article requires trained people, skilled in using specialist machinery to create consistently excellent ouput from the first article to the last.

Our extensive range of in-house finishing skills is complemented by more specialist finishing outsourced to trusted partners. Many of the services we provide our clients will be easily understood however, as with all disciplines, explaining the jargon is crucial to communication between client and provider.

Here is a list of finshing services that we provide with a brief explanation of what they mean:

Book and Booklet Binding

Wireo / Comb
Pages are held together using a coiled wire (see above) or plastic comb.

Saddle Stitch
Stapled at the spine and folded, by their nature the number of pages must be divisible by four.

Side stich
Flat sheets stapled at the left side.

Paperback / Perfect Binding
Pages glued to a wrap around cover like a paperback book or magazine.

Case Binding
Hardback binding where sturdy sheets of board are coated with leather or cloth (or plastic) and the pages are sewn in and glued to the case.

Other Finishing Options

Fold
Sheets are folded in half, thirds (roll fold or z fold) or even more conmplex arrangements.

Collate
Sheets are put into their reading order, often this is done at the print stage in digital printing.

Drill
A large drill is used to punch holes in many sheets for insertion ot a ring binder.

Perforate
The paper in intermitently cut for easy tear-off return slips.

Crease
Sheets are scored so that when folded the paper and ink do not crack.

Laminate
Sheets are coated in matt or gloss plastic and then cut to size.

Encapsulate
Sheets are encased in plastic after cutting to waterproof them leaving a short plastic edge.

Mount
Where a material is glued to a thicker, more rigid backing.

Die Cut
To cut into irregular shapes using a specially made cutting die.

Emboss / Deboss
A die is used to impress the media with an image either raised or sunk into the sheet.

Crash Numbering
Sheets are numbered sequentially for use as invoice pads, records pages, tickets and so on. This can be replaced by data merge in digital printing.