What is flexibound? In a world of catch-all buzzwords, does this one have any meaning? If you are looking to publish a book, why should this word matter to you?
If you are thinking about, or in the process of publishing your book, you’ve probably come across numerous binding options for the perfect bound. And depending on what kind of book you are looking to publish, many types of binding could work. But for those unfamiliar or unsure of the world of book binding, flexibound binding isn’t just one of the many options an author may choose when printing their book, but an easy and economic way to get the best results.
Flexibound binding is a flexible book cover that wraps around a book’s pages securing them in a bind a bit thicker than that of a softcover bind. Think about it as an intermediary between perfect binding (softcover) and case binding (hardcover). It is commonly bound with Smyth sewn for layflat ability. Flexibound books offer readers and authors a professional and high quality book bound with extra protection and long lasting properties. It’s no wonder this book binding method is one of the most popular in the business, especially for self-publishers. The massive popularity of flexibound binding is due to it’s versatility and accessibility with new and tenured publishers. Flexibound binding provides authors with a professional looking book, without breaking the bank. Flexibound binding is usually one of the more affordable options in professional printing services and looks significantly better to consumers and readers, with a much higher perceived value than traditional paperbacks. Knowing all this, it’s no surprise flexibound binding has contributed to the massive boom in journal printing.
Traditionally, journals and magazines have used the saddle stitch bind to provide publications and individual authors a way to affordably and efficiently mass produce many volumes of journals. But the world is changing, and flexibound binding has helped reshape the industry. It can be challenging to excel in magazine publishing when so many journals and newsletters are being shared and published online, but with the emerging popularity of flexibound binding, there has been a resurgence in high quality journal printing. Saying goodbye to the flimsy and ink smeared pages of traditional magazines and journals, flexibound binding has allowed printed journals and magazines to become more permanent fixtures in homes, libraries, boutiques, and beyond, removing their disposable nature and making them more stylish and weighty.
Flexibound binding has also been integral to the surge in self-publishing and the success of custom books and custom book printing. Many authors choose flexibound binding for their cookbooks, children’s books, yearbooks and corporate printing, ensuring large quantities of quality books and journals can be printed while reducing the cost of printing them. The protection flexibound binding ensures is an added bonus to authors and writers who are looking for value when investing in their book and in the self-publishing process.
Written by Kaylin Baker Fields, Submitted Feburary 11 2021