Toggle Nav
My Cart 0 $0.00
Search
menu
Menu
Account

Perfect Binding

A perfect bound book, (also called paperback, softcover, or softback) is a type of book binding that is characterized by a flexible, soft, wrap-around cover that is connected to a book block via specialized binding glue. Soft cover books are often seen as textbooks, novels, manuals, guides, and more. They are ideally suited for high-volume markets, such as the print sector, as the machines require a bit of an initial investment that makes it unrealistic for most offices or general businesses.

In this video, the Binding101 product expert, Mallory, walks you through how to case-in your hard cover books using the Fastbind Elite hot melt binding machine. She tells you the supplies you need, and how to use the machine to produce the highest quality professional hard bound books.
 

Some binding machines allow you to make hardcover books, stripe back books, softcover books, and staple back books, all from just one compact unit. With a wide variety of photobook binding equipment to choose from, we are certain you can find everything you need to improve your publishing processes. We also offer a selection of photobook supplies. Here, you can find tacking sheets, hardcover toolkits, chipboards, binding strips, binding glue, mounting sheets, and much more, all at great prices.

Perfect Binding Machines

With the right equipment and the supplies to match, binding paperback books with higher page counts will be consistent, faster, and more efficient overall. Perfect binding is a bookbinding method by which flexible adhesive attaches a paperback cover to the spine of assembled pages in a book or magazine. Once the adhesive binding machine collates all the signatures of reading material, it roughens and flattens the edge of the spine area and applies the flexible adhesive.

Standard Horizon BQ-P60 Perfect Binder Standard Horizon BQ-P60 Perfect Binder
Duplo DB-290 Perfect Binder Duplo DB-290 Perfect Binder
Fastbind Elite Hot Melt Perfect Binding Machine Fastbind Elite Hot Melt Perfect Binding Machine

When soft cover bookbinding is your business, then you need a quality perfect binding machine. Buy the Standard Horizon BQ-P60 perfect binder online and you will get just that. The three-step binding process is easy-to-follow and can produce soft cover perfect bound books up to about 1" thick at speeds up to 180 books per hour, depending on the book thickness. Used for more than just perfect binding, the BQ-P60 machine can also be used as a padding machine and tape binding machine when used with coordinating BQ-P60 supplies. The low-temp adhesive, adjustable adhesive levels, power-saving mode, fume extractor, compact size, versatility, and ease of use make this an ideal perfect binder for many industries.

Learn More

The Duplo DB-290 perfect binder is a new and improved version of the popular DB-280, offering improved spine roughening, clamping, glue tanks, and more features that help you achieve a professional softcover book. Even the Duplo binding glue has been improved for stronger adhesion with less mess. With the same great user-friendly control panel, it is easy to set-up and operates the DB-290. It is a popular choice for print shops, small publishers, and corporate offices with multiple users, as well as other businesses that need to produce medium to high volume workloads and on-demand jobs. The DB-290 and older DB-280 are often compared to the Sterling Digibinder, however, they offer better performance with higher-quality parts, all at a lower price point.

Learn More

The Fastbind Elite is a hot melt thermal binding machine that is capable of making perfect bound softcover books, hardcover books (hard cover tool kit required), strip back books, and pads of paper. This all-in-one machine is easy to use and produces professional-quality finished documents as fast as 180 books per hour, depending on the type of document you are binding and your operator. It will bind books up to 9.3" x 12.6" and up to 1.6" thick, which is about 440 sheets*. It will rough the binding edge of your book block, creating the ideal texture for a strong bind, and then apply EVA binding glue. Once glued, you can use the cover wrapping station to complete the bind and attach your cover to the book block. 

Learn More

Perfect Binding Supplies

Also sometimes called soft cover bookbinding supplies, we offer a selection of high-quality perfect binding glue and spine tape to make tape-bound books that will be seamlessly compatible with select machines. Let Binding101 be your perfect binding supplier; whether you are self-publishing books, or just creating unique softcover books for client presentations, we have everything you need to get the job done, and to get it done right.

Standard Horizon BQ-P60 Perfect Binder with Adhesive Pellets Standard Horizon BQ-P60 Perfect Binder with Adhesive Pellets
BQ-P60 Supplies
Duplo DB-290 Perfect Binding Machine with Binding Glue Duplo DB-290 Perfect Binding Machine with Binding Glue
DB-290 Supplies
Bag of Fastbind Hot Melt Binding Glue, ideal for durable bookbinding and professional print finishing. Bag of Fastbind Hot Melt Binding Glue, ideal for durable bookbinding and professional print finishing.
Elite Supplies

Why Choose Perfectback Softcover Binding

Perfect Binding is “Paper-Back” binding, just like major publishers use. The cover is one piece, printed with the information or graphics you choose. Perfect binding provides you with great flexibility – print in full color on the wrap-around cover, including text for your book’s spine.

A collection of perfect bound books showcasing colorful and varied cover designs, displayed both open and closed. A collection of perfect bound books showcasing colorful and varied cover designs, displayed both open and closed.
  • Paperback books are the most popular books in book stores.
  • Paperback binding provides a professional finish.
  • Softcover bound books are the standard for most novels.
  • Softback is a more cost-effective alternative to hardback.
  • Simple to bind.
  • Great for novels, textbooks, yearbooks, poetry collections, children's books, equipment manuals and guides, proposals, presentations, and more.

How to Make Your Own Paperback Books

If you were dissapointed to learn that perfect binding machines are for large volume operations requiring machines costing thousands of dollars, we understand your dismay. And so we are happy to share that, if you have the time and want to put in the effort, you can DIY your own softcover book with just a few tools and supplies. So give it a shot and see if this works for you!

You Will Need:

  • Bookbinder clamp (or several single clamps)
  • Printed pages
  • Printed wrap-around cover
  • Gorilla glue (or other desirable strong, flexible binding glue)
  • Cotton balls

How to Bind a Paperback Book:

  1. Place your printed book pages into the binding clamp with the binding spine edge exposed. If you are using several single clamps, place them along the binding edge while allowing access to the entire length of the book.
  2. Use a cotton ball to dampen the binding spine of your book block. It may be helpful to first roughen-up the edge by using coarse sandpaper.
  3. Use another cotton ball to apply the glue to the dampened edge.
  4. Allow the glue to dry completely.
  5. Remove the pages from the clamp.
  6. Pre-fold and crease your cover at both points of the spine.
  7. Dampen the spine gently again, and then apply more glue.
  8. Place your cover around your book pages and clamp them together to dry.

From our Blog: Binding University

Browse our industry-savvy blog for educational articles, FAQs, special insights, & more! These top comb binding posts can help educate you on all of the ins and outs of plastic comb binding, from making a calendar, to how to choose a comb diameter size, to calendar making, and more.

Request Code