July 2008 - Judge These Books by the Cover

Beyond the standard perfect bound 4 page cover there are different options for cover choices. Swiss brochure, commonly known as Euro binding, as well as a 6 or 8 page cover, are choices to consider. Swiss brochure is an appealing application for desk calendars, product catalogs and more.

Production Tips for Swiss Brochure
Swiss brochure products feature a spine that’s bound with decorative reinforcement. The cover is completely detached from the spine and adhered with side glue on the back cover. This allows the cover to open and lay flat.

The standard cover option for Swiss brochure would be a 4 page cover glued to the back while the front remains free. The text is bound with a decorative cloth that holds the pages together. It is available in different colors to coordinate with the book's theme.

6 page gatefold covers for perfect bound books

Similar to a standard perfect bound, this cover option has an additional flap on the front or back cover to accommodate additions, such as maps or crossover images.

• Typically, 6-page covers run 1/8” short of face trim which allows them to be made in a single pass on the binder/trimmer.

8 page gatefold covers for perfect bound books

Much like the 6 page cover option, 8 page covers are used when design includes material that needs to be folded out.

• The 8-page cover has a flap on the front and back covers that provides additional value and elegance as opposed to printing directly on the cover. An 8-page cover can also fold out as needed.

• Since 8-page covers often run flush to face, this requires them to be produced in two stages: text is gathered without the cover and a final face trim is taken. The book is then bound on the second pass with the cover running flush to the previously trimmed face edge of the text and the final head and foot trim are taken at this point as well.

NOTE-On both 6 and 8 page projects the covers are scored and folded prior to feeding into the binder. It is important to ensure the flaps are folded flat. If a resilient stock is being used spot glue glue may be necessary to hold the flaps down flat. On perfect bound books the flap should be at least 1/2" away from the spine edge of the book and at least 3/4" on Otabind, to ensure the cover flap isn't glued into the spine.

The Muscle Bound Advantage
Muscle Bound offers a wide range of binding solutions including layflat Otabind, case binding, library binding, Swiss brochure adhesive binding and perfect binding. We also provide folding, shrink wrapping, laminating and much more. With a binding style for every application, we are poised to meet your needs. Call us to discuss your next binding project.