Customized Perfect Bound Book

Order Perfect Bound Book Printing and Binding

Perfect-bound, or softcover, books use a glue bind like most books you’d find in a store or library

This method can accommodate projects ranging from 30 to 200 pages—making it great for self-published books, catalogues, magazines, and more

Perfect binding offers a broad selection of paper types, coating, and sizing options to fit your needs

It continues to be an economical printing option, while offering a premium look and feel

Why Printivity

Perfect-bound booklets: A premium, professional reading experience

You don’t have to be a famous author for your work to feel like a masterpiece. Perfect-bound booklets elevate your project—whether it’s a report or a catalogue, a manual or a magazine—by using a professional glue binding. So no matter whether it lives on a library shelf or in a desk drawer, your piece will always command attention.

Design? Done.

You don’t have to be a Photoshop master to create a million-dollar perfect bound book design. At Mxinyi, we put our expertise to work for you—providing guidance on visuals to elevate your business.

Check, check, and check again

At Mxinyi, we never blindly press the “print” button. Instead, we take the time to review your files and create a digital proof that works for you. And if we think there’s another option that’s better for your order, we’ll let you know—without delaying final delivery.

Our service promise

Our policy is simple: we guarantee that your project will meet your expectations. If not, we’ll reprint it for free or give you a full refund. For more details, check out our terms and conditions.

Templates & specs

Helpful templates

Download a template, drop some artwork on it, and add some text.

Our templates have all the necessary information to make you a rockstar designer.

Quick specs

Familiar with document design? Here are the basic requirements:

Preferred File Format: PDF.

Accepted File Formats: DOC, JPEG, JPG, PNG, TIFF, AI, PSD, PUB, PPT.

Resolution: 300 DPI.

Color Space: We prefer CMYK (Cyan/Magenta/Yellow/blacK). If you use RGB, the colors on the print may turn out, in some cases, different than what you're expecting.

Fonts: Please flatten your documents before sending your file. If you use a special font which our system can not recognize, the document will replace your font with another font in our system.

Need help designing your file? Our design team is here to help! Get a graphic design quote now! .

FAQ

What is perfect binding?

Perfect binding uses glue to hold the pages of your book together. Perfect-bound books are more commonly known as softcover books.

What type of glue does perfect binding use?

We use two types of glue depending on the product you order. For our standard perfect-bound books, we use traditional EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) glue. For our PUR perfect-bound books, we use PUR (polyurethane reactive) glue—a stronger adhesive that can provide more durability, flexibility, and longevity, especially for books over 150 pages.

Which is better: perfect binding or hardcover binding?

The binding process you choose depends on many factors, including the number of pages in your book and how long you want it to last. However, perfect binding does offer a number of key advantages over its hardcover counterpart.

Perfect binding …

Is lighter in weight

Has a faster turnaround time

Enables users to lay the book flat without damaging it

Is less expensive

What are the most common uses for perfect binding?

Perfect binding is incredibly versatile and can be used across a wide range of products—from catalogues and magazines to self-published books, children’s books, and beyond.

How many pages are best for perfect binding?

Though it ultimately depends on the thickness of the paper, perfect-bound books can generally be as short as 30 or as long as 200 pages. For longer page counts order PUR perfect bound books: it's the same clean, crisp glue-binding binding but with a stronger, more durable glue.

Can I print on the spine of a perfect-bound book?

Yes. Perfect binding creates a flat spine, so it’s possible to print on this surface.

When will I receive my perfect-bound books?

Delivery dates vary depending on the quantity and page count of your order, but our standard turnaround time is typically 4 days.

For faster turnarounds, select a delivery date in your cart.

What is the difference between saddle stitch and perfect binding?

Saddle stitched booklets are bound with two staples, perfect binding bound using glue. Perfect bound books have a cleaner look and feel and is a great option for page counts above 64 pages.

More Resources

Designing For Spine

Perfect bound books are an affordable way to print your own books for any occasion. One of the best features of perfect bound booklet printing is its outward-facing spine. It immediately tells the reader that this book is worthy of their shelf.

Custom Spine

Perfect bound books, PUR perfect bound books, and hardcover books give creators additional space to advertise their books.

What should you add to the spine? Use this space to introduce yourself from a bookshelf! Below are some common suggestions that can be added to the spine.

Author name

Title

Volume number

Date of publication

Some publishers require to be listed on the spine, but not at Mxinyi. We never add our logo to any products that we produce. Your business should be the most memorable name on your product.

Book spines can be customizable when the spine thickness reaches a specific width. When the spine width is less than 0.16”, the area is too small for a custom spine. Instead, Mxinyi will usually wrap the front cover design to the spine. If you prefer the back cover design for the spine, just let us know!

Determine Spine Thickness

When printing bound books, you can submit a pre-designed spine with your book covers. You’ll need to calculate the thickness of the spine if you are submitting your own design. Spine thickness is based on two major factors: page count and paper type. It’s important not to design the spine until the interior content is 100% complete and the paper type has been decided on. Even the slightest change in either of those two factors will change the size of your spine.

Once you determine those factors, Mxinyi will calculate the spine width for you. We can quickly and closely calculate the estimated width.

Did you change the page count or paper type during the proofing process? Don’t worry about revising the spine; Printivity has you covered. We want to make the process as smooth as possible for you. Our Prepress team will automatically adjust the spine design to match the correct width.

Need help?

Designing the spine is simple, but there are best practices to follow for the best results. One of the most common mistakes that print shops see is spines with a different color than the front or back spine. Any slight registration issue is glaringly apparent when the spine is a different color than the covers. Printers hold themselves to a high standard, but unfortunately, machines are not always 100% accurate. This is why we recommend wrapping the front or back cover design to the spine.

Text placement is also very important. All spine content should be in the center of the design and not too close to any of the edges. More importantly, keep all text away from the top and bottom of the book. Perfect bound book covers and interior pages are first bound at the spine, then cut to the final dimension for a clean finish. This final cut trims a minimum of ¼” from the three edges. However, we recommend moving important content a minimum of ¼” from the final dimension for the safety margin.

When designing your printing bound books spine, there are two ways of submitting the files. The first way is to design the front cover, spine, and back cover as a connected image. If you choose this route, please contact Printivity before designing, and we will calculate the spine width. The second way is to submit the three sections of the cover separately. Our team can easily work with whichever option you choose.

Can’t design the spine? Printivity has you covered. Our design team will create the exact spine you need for your perfect bound booklet printing. Please provide us with the following details:

Fonts

Text Content (book title, author, etc.)

Content Placement

Content Direction ( UK vs US style*)

*US style text direction on the spine refers to the text running down the spine. Where UK style text direction runs up the spine.

Every order at Mxinyi is important to us. This is why we will not print your order until you have fully approved the provided digital proof. The digital proof will include a separate file for the spine proof. This file will showcase the covers connected to the spine in the way it will be printed.

If you have an upcoming perfect bound booklet printing project, call our team at 86 - 19145485756. We’re here to help you with design best practices, placing orders, and any print and design questions. No questions? Our website makes it easy to receive an instant quote for all products. Enter all custom specifics for your order for pricing. Prices will instantly update with every change for you to compare spec variations to receive the perfect product.