September 2010 - Have Otabind Questions? We Have Answers
If there's such a thing as the Golden Rule of Bookbinding, it's this: The end use dictates the best binding style. When customers come to us with soft-cover books that must stay flat when opened, we recommend Otabind™.
What is Otabind?
The Otabind process was created and patented in Europe in the early 1980s. In 1989, Muscle Bound Bindery was one of the first two binderies in North America to license the process.
As with perfect binding, signatures are collated and milled 1/8" at the spine to begin the Otabind process. A cold-setting or PUR glue and crepe cloth are applied to the spine to hold pages together. The cover is then attached to the first and last pages of the book block rather than to the glued spine. This free-floating cover design creates a flexible spine that allows books to lay completely flat when opened.
How Versatile is Otabind?
From a children's book destined for the classroom to an auto repair manual used in the garage, Otabind is suitable for any book that needs to stay flat when opened. As a form of adhesive binding, Otabind can incorporate a variety of layout and design features:
Foldout Covers - Incorporate 6- or 8-page gatefolds, tabs, foldout panels and other cover options
Digital Media - Include supplemental material by attaching CD or DVD discs
Multiple-Up Layouts - Otabind is suitable for multiple-up layouts, so several books can be bound and trimmed in one pass
Small-Format Projects - With its "floating" cover, Otabind is an ideal match for small-format adhesive-bound books
Does PUR Glue Work for Otabind?
YES! Muscle Bound can perform Otabind using PUR glue. This combination works best for books with heavy coating coverage on the text, or for lay-flat projects requiring the ultimate durability. While Otabind books bound with PUR won't lay quite as flat as those using cold glues, they will be significantly stronger in page-pull and flex tests.
The Muscle Bound Advantage
As one of the country's foremost producers of Otabind books, Muscle Bound Bindery offers a wide variety of trim size and book thickness possibilities. With additional high-quality binding styles such as perfect binding, PUR binding, thread-seal binding, side-sewn and adhesive case binding, we have you "covered" for every type of book application you have. Call us today to begin planning your next successful project.
