Saddle-Stitch

Saddle stitch booklets can be bound using one of two options: wire (staples) or thread-sewn.

Wire binding is the most common binding style for saddle stitch booklets, and is both economical and functional.

Thread-sewn binding can add an eye-catching, high-end quality to your project.

• Stock thread colors currently available include black, white, red, natural, orange, green, or yellow.
• Custom colors may be available as well, contact us if you are looking for a color not listed on our site.

Since saddle stitch booklets are sheets of paper folded in half and bound at the spine, they must have page counts in multiples of 4.

Each sheet of paper adds 4 pages to the book. You can add blank pages as needed in order to meet this requirement.

Binding with wire (staples) is the most common option for saddle stitch booklets.

Wire binding is both economical and functional. If you're looking for an efficient and durable binding for your saddle stitch booklet project, this would be a great option.

The minimum quantity for a saddle stitch book order is 25 books.

Endpapers do not apply to saddle stitch booklets—they are structural components of hardcover books only.

The function of endpapers is to attach the bound book block to the hardcover case, whereas saddle stitch booklets are held together at the spine fold with either wire (staples) or thread.

You can echo the general concept of endpapers by printing a design on the inside cover and first/last pages of the contents. Note that precisely aligning a print across the spread is difficult, so we recommend a forgiving design. Your layout will need to account for the 7mm softcover hinge area, contact us for more details.

Another option is to insert a colored sheet of paper between the cover and first/last pages of the book. This is sometimes called a fly sheet.

Contact us for a quote for this custom insert option.

If you don't see the the thread color you're looking for, custom thread may be available for your saddle stitch booklet project.

‍Contact us directly to find out what is currently available.

We can print on both front and back covers of our saddle stitch booklets. This is included in the base book price.

It is also possible to print on the inside cover, for an additional fee.

There are several factors that affect the price of saddle stitch booklets, including trim size, page count, number of color pages, order quantity, and custom finishing options.

Use our price calculator to generate an accurate quote for your booklet.

If you want to see prices for different features or specifications, you can change those in the calculator and compare the price results.

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We offer a selection of high-quality interior papers for saddle stitch booklets.

Our paper options include super smooth uncoated, matte-coated, smooth uncoated, natural tone uncoated, and vellum uncoated.

Contact us if you'd like sample swatches of any of our papers or materials.

Depending on your design, booklet covers can use our standard softcover stock or one of the classic softcover stocks.

Full-bleed, full-color designs should use our standard cover stock and a laminate to protect the print. Simpler designs that don't extend to the edge of the cover have the option of using a classic softcover stock.

For thread-sewn saddle stitch booklet projects, you must select the thread color you want for the binding.

We currently stock: black, white, red, natural, orange, green, and yellow thread.

Custom colors may be available as well, contact us directly if you are looking for a thread color we do not currently carry.

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Our saddle stitch booklets can have a minimum of 8 pages and a maximum of 80 pages.

The final page count must be a multiple of 4.

Foil stamping is a finishing option you can choose for your saddle stitch booklet project.

Foil stamping can be done on the front or back cover of the booklet.

You can view available foil colors here.

We offer three finishing options for saddle stitch booklets: cover laminate, inside cover printing, and foil stamping.

We recommend a cover laminate for all full-bleed cover design.

A laminate provides a beautiful finished look while also protecting the print from damage and wear.

We offer gloss, semi-matte, and soft touch matte laminate options.

If you want to include printing on the inside cover of your booklet, that is an available option. If you plan to have an image or design that crosses the spread from the inside cover to the first (or last) interior page of the booklet, please contact us.

There are production realities that must be taken into account when designing such a spread.

Foil stamping is a traditional cover decoration that can be added to the front or back covers of saddle stitch booklets. We stock an array of foil colors, which you can view here.