Customized cultural art paperback book printing

Smyth bound /softcover book is a customized paperback book, which is widely applied by magazine publishers, textbook schools, bookshops, photographic galleries, etc.

Features of this customized paperback book:

Matt coated white paper for cover and inside pages;

Spot UV and gold stamping on the cover of paperback book;

Text printed on the spine of paperback book.

Cover of paperback book:

Inside pages of paperback book:

Spot UV coating on paperback book cover:

Gold stamping on paperback book cover:

FAQ:

1. What is Smyth sewn binding?

In Smyth sewn binding (also known as glue sewn binding), pages are folded, gathered, sewn, and glued into a cover to form a squared-off spine.  Smyth sewn binding is the preferred binding method for graphic novels, trade paperbacks, softcover children's books, catalogs, literary journals, and quarterly magazines.

2. How is it made?

In traditional Smyth sewn binding, sheets are printed, folded, and assembled into their proper page order.  From there, the side of the book block is cut off, and the pages are glued into a cover to form a squared-off spine.

However, this methodology leads to Smyth bound books that don't open flat, and with pages that can fall out over time.

We use a more sophisticated method, where instead of cutting the book block, the pages are smyth sewn together before being glued into the cover.  This methodology provides a far more durable finished product, since the pages are both sewn and glued, and the books can open much flatter, so much less content is lost in the gutter between pages.

3. What are its design considerations?

It's important to note that because the book block is glued into the cover, perfect bound books have 10 millimeters of area on their inside covers that will be glued to the first (and last) inside page.

This means that all artwork on the inside covers, as well as the first and last inside page, should be kept at least 10mm away from the spine.

Cover Design: Because Smyth bound projects have a spine width that varies based on number of pages and paper weight, every perfect bound cover has different size requirements.  You can use our perfect binding cover layout guide to design your cover.

4. How long does their production time need?

After being sent to press, Smyth bound projects take 7-10 days to manufacture, after which they are shipped out to you via your chosen shipping method. The final delivery time is determined by your proofing and shipping options