Book Formats And Binding Types

There are three main types of binding methods for comics. Print Ninja has a wonderful description on each and how they work so I’ll just link to those here.

Saddle stitching - AKA floppies

Primarily used for single issue comics. Floppies can vary in length but they’re designed for shorter works. According to KaBlam, the page range for saddle stitching is 4-64 pages.

Perfect Binding - AKA softcover binding

Used for longer projects like graphic novels or to collect a number of single issues (trade paperback). KaBlam’s page range for perfectly bound books is 24-550 pages. If you want to print anything on the spine of the book they require a minimum of 80 pages.

Case Binding - AKA hardcover binding

This is where it’s at. I don’t know about you but if I have the choice, I’ll always buy the hardcover copy of a book. They’re also the most profitable (per book sold) of the three binding styles. Case bound books can serve the same purpose as a softcover, though they are often used for deluxe editions due to their higher cost and general quality.