First decide: folded or stacked?
There are two families of home binding. In folded bindings, each sheet is printed as a booklet spread, folded in half and nested, so the binding goes through the fold. In stacked bindings, single sheets are stacked and held along one edge. Folded bindings need booklet printing (see how to print a booklet); stacked bindings need a wider margin on the bound edge.
| Method | Holds about | Lies flat | Tools | Add pages later |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saddle stapling | up to 12 sheets (48 pages) | fairly | long-arm stapler | no |
| Pamphlet stitch | one folded signature; sew several for more | fairly | needle, thread, awl | no |
| Japanese stab binding | a few sheets to a thick sketchbook | no | needle, thread, awl, clips | no |
| Disc binding | depends on disc size | yes | disc punch, discs | yes |
| Comb binding | 20 sheets (1/4 in comb) to 55 (3/8 in) and beyond | yes | comb machine | with effort |
| Coil (spiral) | about 54 sheets on an 8 mm coil | yes, folds back | coil punch, coils, crimpers | no |
Comb and coil capacities are the makers’ figures for 20 lb (75 gsm) copy paper; heavier paper fits fewer sheets.
How thick will it be?
Count sheets, not pages. A notebook printed double-sided has half as many sheets as pages, and a 500-sheet ream of 80 gsm paper is about 5 cm thick, so each sheet adds about 0.1 mm. A 100-page notebook is 50 sheets, about 5 mm: a 3/8 inch comb (rated 41 to 55 sheets) or an 8 mm coil (about 54 sheets) holds it, with room for card covers. A 200-page notebook is 100 sheets and 1 cm thick, past what you can staple or sew in one fold, so use a stab binding, discs, a bigger comb or several sewn signatures.
Saddle stapling
The fastest method for thin booklets. Print the pages as a booklet, fold and nest them, then staple through the fold with a long-arm stapler, two staples for A5 and three for Letter-size booklets. Works well up to about 12 sheets (48 pages) of 80 gsm paper.
Pamphlet stitch
A three- or five-hole sewn binding through the fold, using strong thread such as waxed linen or doubled cotton. Mark holes along the fold (one at the centre, the others 2–3 cm from each end), pierce them with an awl or a thick needle, and sew in a figure-of-eight path that ends with a knot on the inside around the long centre stitch. It looks neat, costs almost nothing, and several pamphlets can be sewn together into a thicker book.
Japanese stab binding
Stack single sheets with a cover on each side, clamp them with bulldog clips, and punch or drill a row of holes about 10–15 mm from the spine edge. Sew around the spine and through each hole in turn. The visible stitching is decorative, and the method handles anything from a few sheets to a thick sketchbook. It does not open flat, so leave a generous binding margin, 15 mm or more, so writing never disappears into the gutter.
Disc binding
Pages are punched with a row of mushroom-shaped slots along the edge and pushed onto plastic or metal discs. Pages can be removed and rearranged at any time, which suits planners and work notebooks. The punch is a one-off purchase; discs are cheap and reusable. Keep 12 mm or more on the punched edge.
Comb and coil binding
Both are what print shops use. A comb binder punches rectangular holes and opens a plastic comb to hold them; a coil is spun through round holes and the ends are crimped. Coil-bound notebooks fold back on themselves, ideal for writing on a lap. If you do not own a machine, a copy shop will bind a stack of your printed pages for a small fee.
Margins and printing tips
- Page 1 (right-hand page)wide margin on the left, at the spine
- Page 2 (its back)the wide margin moves to the right, still at the spine
- Binding margins. For stacked bindings, use the generator’s alternate margins for binding option: odd pages get the wide margin on the left and even pages on the right, so it is always on the spine side when printed double-sided.
- Page numbers. Put them in the outer corner, where you can see them while flipping, using the page-number position option.
- Double-sided printing. For portrait stacked pages, flip on the long edge. Print a two-sheet test first.
- Grain. Paper folds more cleanly along its grain. Most copy paper is long-grain, which suits stacked bindings; for folded booklets on A4, a slightly stiffer fold is normal.
The notebooks and packs page builds a ready-made notebook PDF, with a cover, inside pages, numbering and binding margins, in a single download.
