Perfect Bound Books
- Perfect bound book printing is a great option for brochures, reports or any document from 28 up to 700* printed pages. No wonder they're so popular!
- If your cover is a solid colour or has a high ink coverage, please opt to laminate your cover during the quote process - we recommend 300gsm silk with matt lamination on one side.
- Use our recommended specifications for great results.
- Custom Sizes Available - choose your own size in the quote process.
Elevate Your Publication with Professional Perfect Bound Books in the UK
Are you searching for high-quality perfect bound book printing services in the UK? Look no further! Our expert team specialises in creating sleek, professional-looking books that will make your publication stand out from the crowd.
What Are Perfect Bound Books?
Perfect binding is a sophisticated finishing method that creates polished, square-edged books. This technique involves gluing the pages and cover together at the spine, resulting in a flat book that lays perfectly when closed. Perfect bound books are ideal if your document is too thick to be saddle-stitched or stapled and are the preferred choice for many UK publishers, businesses, and individuals seeking a refined final product.
Ideal Applications for Perfect Bound Books in the UK
- Glossy magazines and quarterly publications
- Product catalogues and mail-order booklets
- Corporate annual reports and financial summaries
- Softcover Novels
- Educational textbooks for all academic levels
- Instructional manuals and reference guides
- Artist and designer portfolio books
The Perfect Binding Process: Crafting Excellence
- Collating: Gathering pages in the correct order
- Spine Preparation: Roughening the spine edge to improve adhesion
- Gluing: Applying a strong, flexible PUR adhesive to the spine
- Cover Attachment: Wrapping and adhering the cover to the text block
- Trimming: Cutting edges for a clean, professional finish
Design Considerations for Your UK Perfect Bound Book Project
- Spine Width: Allow for a 12mm safe area at the spine edge of first and last pages
- Cover Design: Include a 7mm spine crease for improved durability
- Bleed: Extend background colours or images 3mm beyond the trim line
- Margins: Keep important content at least 5mm from the edge of the page
Why Choose Perfect Binding for Your UK Publication?
- Professional Appearance: Clean, modern look suitable for various publications
- Cost-Effective: Economical for both small and large print runs
- Versatility: Accommodates a wide range of page counts (28-700* pages)
- Customisation: Various paper types, cover finishes, and size options available
- Durability: PUR glue ensures long-lasting, flexible binding
*This does not apply to A4 Landscape books where the maximum spine thickness is 26mm (approx 436 printed pages on 130gsm silk).
Our Advanced Perfect Binding Technique for UK Customers
We use state-of-the-art PUR (Polyurethane Reactive) adhesive for all our perfect bound books. This advanced binding method offers several benefits over traditional hot-melt glues:
- Superior Strength: Creates a more durable bond between pages and cover
- Temperature Resistance: Maintains integrity in both hot and cold UK weather conditions
- Flexibility: Allows books to lay flat without cracking the spine
- Long-lasting: Resists deterioration over time, extending the life of your publication
Premium Paper Options for Your Perfect Bound Book
Elegance in Silk: Refined Touch for UK Publications
Experience the sophisticated feel of our silk-coated paper. Its velvety surface boasts a delicate lustre, elevating your prints with unparalleled colour definition and crisp detail. Perfect for projects that demand sophistication and visual impact.
- Cover options: 250gsm – 350gsm
- Inner options: 130gsm – 150gsm
Brilliance in Gloss: Vibrant Hues for Eye-Catching UK Prints
Unleash vibrant colours with our gloss-coated paper. Its mirror-like finish amplifies colour intensity and ensures swift ink setting, reducing the need for additional protective layers. Ideal for designs that crave attention and durability.
- Cover options: 250gsm – 350gsm
- Inner options: 130gsm – 200gsm
Authenticity in Uncoated: Natural Charm for Timeless UK Publications
Embrace the natural appeal of our premium uncoated paper. Its porous nature yields a pleasingly tactile finish, perfect for projects that value organic texture and timeless appeal.
- Cover options: 250gsm – 300gsm
- Inner options: 100gsm – 120gsm
Customisation Options for Your UK Perfect Bound Book
- Sizes: Standard (A4, A5, 1/3 A4) and custom sizes available
- Orientation: Portrait, landscape, or square formats
- Cover Materials: Choose from silk, gloss, or uncoated stocks (250-350gsm)
- Interior Pages: Various paper types and weights (100-200gsm)
- Finishes: Matt or gloss lamination for added protection and visual appeal
Whether you’re publishing your first novel in London, creating a company yearbook in Manchester, or producing a high-end product catalogue in Edinburgh, our perfect binding service offers the ideal solution for a wide range of UK printing projects. Our team is ready to guide you through the options and help you create a stunning perfect bound book that meets your exact specifications and exceeds your expectations.
Get an instant quote for your perfect bound book project and experience the difference of professional UK book printing services!
Silk
Silk coated paper has a smooth feel with a discreet surface sheen. It offers excellent ink to paper contrast, and printed colours appear distinct and clear. A recycled option is available. (Cover 250gsm – 350gsm; inner text 130gsm – 150gsm)
Gloss
Gloss coated paper has a shiny surface and very smooth finish. Colour is sharp and stands out well. Ink dries quickly and the need for lamination is reduced. (Cover 250gsm – 350gsm; inner text 130gsm – 200gsm)
Premium uncoated
Our premium uncoated paper is absorbent. Printed inks appear flatter due to this absorbency, and the paper has a soft finish. A recycled option is available. (Cover 250gsm – 300gsm; inner text 100gsm – 120gsm)
Finishes
Matt lamination gives a soft, contemporary effect. Gloss lamination gives a higher quality shine finish than gloss card. Lamination is most useful with solid colours or images to enhance their vibrancy or where you want to protect your printed documents. The most popular option is to matt laminate your cover.
Have a look at our range of options for PUR binding and remember, we also offer a full selection of delivery options from free delivery to next day express so order your PUR perfect bound book online today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What are perfect bound books?
A. Perfect bound books are created by glueing the pages to the spine of the book. Perfect bound books get their name from the process that they undergo: the pages and the cover of the book are all cut to be the exact same size and therefore they line up together perfectly.
Q. Where would you use perfect bound books?
A. Perfect bound printing is commonly used for magazines, portfolios, graphic novels, workbooks, catalogues, brochures and reports. This method binds your document together with adhesive along the spine to provide a smooth and stylish finish.
Q. What are the benefits of perfect binding?
A. Perfect bound books are professional in appearance, cost-effective even for low quantities and a great option for documents from 40 up to 700 printed pages. The binding glue is flexible and non-brittle, meaning that the books open flatter without cracking the spine or pages falling out.
Q. What is the difference between perfect bound and saddle-stitched?
A. Perfect bound and saddle-stitched are the two most common methods of booklet binding. Saddle-stitching involves binding multiple pages together along a fold (also known as the spine) with two staples. On the other hand, perfect bound books have a flat spine. The sheets of paper are gathered together and glue is applied to the binding edge, then the cover of the book is placed on the glue.
Q. What is the process for binding perfect bound books?
A. With perfect binding, all the printed pages are stacked in a block and squared off. Then the pages are glued together along the spine with extremely strong PUR adhesive. The printed cover is then wrapped around and glued on to the spine as well. The remaining three edges are then trimmed so that the edges of the block are perfectly neat.
Q. Can a perfect-bound book have printing on its spine?
A. In most cases, yes…but the book’s spine has to be wide enough to properly display the printing. We recommend that you don’t add text to your spine if it is thinner than 3mm. When you place your order you will be shown your spine thickness based on your selection.
Q. What glue do you use for your perfect bound books?
A. We only use PUR glue to perfect bind our books as it is much stronger than hot melt glue. PUR binding is more tolerant to higher and lower temperatures as is very flexible and non-brittle.
Q. What paper options do you offer with perfect bound books?
A. Choose from silk, gloss or uncoated for your cover from 215gsm to 350gsm. Your inner (text) pages can be uncoated, silk or gloss, in weights ranging from 100gsm to 200gsm.
Q. Can any book be perfect bound?
A. No. The thickness of your inner paper type determines how many pages you can select. This is because the minimum spine thickness is 2mm. If you choose 100gsm uncoated then 28 pages will be the minimum page count. If you choose 170gsm uncoated then 20 pages will be the minimum page count. If your book contains less pages than the minimum page count then saddle-stitched or wiro-binding would be a more suitable option.
Q. What sizes are available for my perfect bound books?
A. Our perfect bound books are available in A4 portrait, 1/3 A4 portrait, A5 portrait or landscape or 210 x 210mm square.
Q. What finishes do you offer for perfect bound books?
A. Our perfect bound books are available in a number of finishes from single or double-sided lamination in gloss or matt finish or opt for no lamination. Matt lamination gives a soft, contemporary effect. Adding a gloss lamination gives a higher quality shine finish than printing on gloss paper alone. Lamination is most useful with solid colours or images to enhance their vibrancy or where you want to protect your printed documents. The most popular option is to matt laminate your cover.
Q. Do you have any templates that I could download?
A. We have a fantastic selection of design templates for perfect-bound book printing available in Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and PDF formats. View our Design Templates which are located on the product page.
Q. How do I supply my artwork?
A. Please supply perfect bound books as two multi-page PDFs consisting of a cover file and inners file. The cover PDF should be supplied as a spread including the spine. The inner PDF should contain only the inner pages in correct running order.
Q. Do I need bleed and crop marks on my artwork?
A. Yes, this is very important when providing artwork for perfect-bound books. When an image or colour on the page extends past the crop marks, it is regarded as bleed. As there is a degree of movement when printing on any press, you should always create at least 3mm bleed on all edges.
Q. Do I need to supply fonts?
A. If you supply us with a Print Ready PDF then fonts are embedded or converted to outlines. However, we may request the fonts if files are supplied in other formats.
Q. Do I need to adhere to certain margins when designing my perfect bound book?
A. The cover is fixed to the spine 7mm on the side of the perfect-bound book. With this in mind, we recommend that you use a margin of 12mm minimum from the bound edge of each page.
Design Templates
We provide templates in Adobe Illustrator, InDesigns and PDF formats.- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Indesign
Product Reviews
“It's an excellent service. I've used it a number of times now. Easy to use. Fast turnaround. Great quality.”
“Perfect Bound books when printed are real books which feel just like a book. Digital Printing UK with their expertise in this field, coupled with Customer Sevice staff who are very attentive to their customers ensure that their products are of the highest quality. On this occasion my order of 200 books arrived two days after my order was confirmed, despite the Saint Patrick's holiday in Ireland. The perception that book orders take a long time to be fulfilled certainly does not apply to this company.”
“Great service.”
“Great service. Helpful staff and, most importantly, a really good quality product completed and delivered very quickly.”
“I had a couple of technical manuals printed. I was quite stunned by the service, speed and quality. Uploaded a pdf, with 40 pages at A4 and received two books back within a couple of days. The quality is incredible and they were £17 each. Great website with plenty of explanation and recommendation. Will definitely use this service again. Amazing.”