How to Do Saddle Stitch Binding for Books

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Two popular methods for binding notebooks, pamphlets, & more
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If you’ve ever felt that you couldn’t find a notebook that suited your specific purpose or needed a quick and easy way to put together a book or magazine, binding it yourself is an excellent option. This allows you to customize and make changes however you desire. Plus, you get to enjoy the relaxing process and satisfaction of creating your own book. Come along with us to learn two easy, popular saddle stitch binding methods: sewing with thread and stapling .

Saddle Stitch Bookbinding: Quick Tips

Fold the cover and pages of your book in half lengthwise. Stack the pages inside each other (with the cover on the bottom) and punch holes through the creases every 0.5–1 in (1.3–2.5 cm) with an awl or a needle. Then stitch the holes with linen thread. Alternatively, staple the pages with a standard or saddle stapler.

Section 1 of 3:

How to Sew a Saddle Stitch Book

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  1. Folding each sheet of paper one at a time ensures all your pages have the cleanest, sharpest fold. But it's also okay to fold a few pieces of paper at a time to speed up the process, as long as you don't mind that the crease won't be as tight. [1]
    • Keep in mind that each folded piece of paper counts as 4 pages in your notebook. The more pages you put in, the harder it will be for the book to stay closed after it's bound.
    • Use whatever size of paper you desire, but remember that the pages and cover of your book will actually be half the paper's unfolded length.
  2. Hold the folded paper down and run the bone folder along the crease to get an even sharper edge. This step will also help the pages of the book close more easily after you bind it. If you don't have this special tool, the barrel of a Sharpie marker or the edge of a ruler works just as well! [2]
    • Sand the barrel of the Sharpie with fine-grit sandpaper , so that the black ink printed on it doesn't rub off onto your paper.
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  3. Secure the cover and the pages together with small binder clips, so they'll stay aligned. Next, use a ruler and a pencil to mark a hole every 0.5–1 in (1.3–2.5 cm) along the length of the crease. Then, using an awl or a sewing needle , poke through the marks to make holes in the folds of all your paper. [3]
  4. The height is the dimension parallel to the crease. Cut the linen thread longer if you worry you'll run out of thread or want extra thread at the end to make tying a knot easier. But in most cases, twice the length is enough to work with. [4]
  5. 5
    Thread the needle and pull it through the center hole, inside to outside. Leave a short tail at the end and hold it in place with the hand that isn't grasping the needle. Don't knot it or pull it all the way through at this time. [5]
  6. To make the first stitch, pass the threaded needle down from the outside of the book to the inside through the hole closest to the center. Remember to keep a tight hold on the tail at the end of the thread! Then, pass the needle up through the next hole, down through the next, and so on until you come to the end of the book spine. Then stitch back the other way. [6]
  7. After you finish sewing alternating stitches through all the holes, stitch your way back to the center hole where you started. Pass the needle through the center hole to the cover of the book, then knot the thread. To do that, thread the needle underneath a stitch next to the center hole, leaving a little loop of thread open underneath it. Then pass the needle up through the loop and pull it tight.
  8. Pass your needle through the center hole once again, this time from the outside in. Tug on it gently until the knot you tied in the previous step passes through the hole, as well. Use your needle to prod the knot if it doesn't enter and exit easily. Then, remove the needle from the thread and tie the two ends of the thread together to finish securing the knot. [7]
  9. Thread the needle through one of the loose ends of thread and tuck it underneath a stitch to the left or right of the center. Next, cut the thread end off close to the knot with scissors. Repeat this process with the other thread end. [8]
  10. 10
    Bend the front and back cover in the opposite direction from the inside pages. This step may sound counterintuitive, but it helps the book stay closed when you're not using it. After bending it, fold the cover back the right way over the pages in the book. [9]
  11. 11
    Close the book and place it in a book press or weigh it down with weights. A book press is a device with two panels (usually made of wood) connected by bolts that presses books down so they stay closed. Place the book between the panels and adjust the nuts on the bolts, so the panels sandwich the book. [10] If you don't have a book press, weigh the book down with a 10 lb (4.5 kg) weight or even a couple of bricks. Let it sit overnight to close as tightly as possible.
    • The next day, check how well the book closes. If it doesn't close tightly enough for your liking, put it back in the book press or under the weights for another night. Repeat this process until it's as flat and creased as you prefer.
  12. 12
    Trim the edges of your book if they look uneven. Place the book on a cutting mat and trim off any excess paper with an Xacto knife . This step will help your book look as neat as possible from every angle. [11]
    • The more pages you have in your book, the more likely it is that they'll look uneven after binding.
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Section 2 of 3:

How to Staple a Saddle Stitch Book

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  1. 1
    Fold the pages and cover of your book in half and crease them. This step is easier if you fold one piece of paper at a time. Make tight creases by running over the folds with a bone folder or the barrel of a Sharpie marker. [12]
    • To decide how many pieces of paper you want to fold into pages for your book, lay them on top of one another and compare the thickness of the spine to the height of a staple. It should be no more than half the height of the staple to ensure the staples close properly.
  2. 2
    Stack the folded pieces of paper, line them up, and staple them closed. Clip the pages together with binder clips, so they don't move while you're stapling them. [13] If you have a saddle stapler , place the pages facedown over the saddle with the cover facing up. Add a staple to the center of the book spine, parallel with the crease. Add a second staple to the left of the center, about 1.5 inches from the end of the spine. [14] Repeat for the third staple on the right end of the spine. If you don't have a saddle stapler, you can use a standard-sized stapler . If it's too short and the head doesn't reach the spine of the book, here's how to insert the staples manually: [15]
    • Engage the stapler 3 times so it drops out 3 fresh staples.
    • Unfold the staples and use a ruler to measure the distance between the two ends.
    • Mark two holes for each staple on the spine of the book wherever you want to secure them with a pencil.
    • Punch through the holes you marked with an an awl or a sewing needle .
    • Push the unfolded staples through the holes from the outside of the spine.
    • Flip the book over and press down on the staple ends with the eraser tip of a pencil to flatten them.
  3. 3
    Press the book closed and trim excess paper off the edges. Leave the book in a book press or under a weight overnight to create a crisp spine that stays closed on its own. After you're satisfied with how tightly it closes, check that the edges of the book pages line up evenly. Trim it with an Xacto knife if necessary. [16]
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Section 3 of 3:

Frequently Asked Questions

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  1. 1
    What is saddle stitch binding? Saddle stitch binding is a type of bookbinding in which the pages are folded and stacked inside one another, then bound together at the spine with staples or stitches.
  2. 2
    What is the difference between saddle stitch binding and perfect binding? Saddle stitching uses staples or thread to bind the pages of a book together, which creates a rounded spine. Perfect binding involves gluing the pages together. The spine this method creates is square instead of rounded. This means the spine of the cover can be printed on once it's glued onto the pages. [17]
  3. 3
    How many pages can you fit in a saddle-stitched book? The ideal page count for a saddle stitch book is 60 pages. That's 15 sheets of paper folded in half. [18]
  4. 4
    What types of books does saddle stitch binding work best for? Saddle stitch bookbinding works best for making notebooks , pamphlets, magazines, catalogues, and comic books.
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      Tips

      • Wax the thread with beeswax or candle wax before sewing to avoid tangling.
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      • Use a needle and thread of similar thickness so a knot in the thread won’t get pulled through the hole.
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      Warnings

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      Things You'll Need

      Sewing a Saddle Stitch Book

      Stapling a Saddle Stitch Book

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      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/BysUiyjB0jY?t=63
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/YdQ-eeCrZrc?si=ccPr3isIUtPNmViz&t=148
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/aWHkY5jOoqM?si=RT1aS0K0NH3gM9Pa&t=29
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/YdQ-eeCrZrc?si=DAUdw0aKVg3eXr6O&t=343
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/aWHkY5jOoqM?si=lUhuhEfotf4ql3uw&t=48
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/aWHkY5jOoqM?si=OAh1jcnuDuNa5zF0&t=47
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/aWHkY5jOoqM?si=2Td6UyPE7Ykq7lw7&t=156
      8. ↑ https://youtu.be/aWHkY5jOoqM?si=kJFRmmHGshWWy5kp&t=184
      9. ↑ https://youtu.be/aWHkY5jOoqM?si=ODyn7-Um3WYjG_T3&t=204
      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/aWHkY5jOoqM?si=h_WEOol3Mz1UX3A7&t=226
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/BysUiyjB0jY?si=kH3cC-E93kzfAvhx&t=183
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/BysUiyjB0jY?si=R1gqY39yhOtJAC0v&t=63
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/BysUiyjB0jY?si=9wGaAay4pFrmG_jK&t=88
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/BysUiyjB0jY?si=FP9OyrTIEQl7O0kT&t=119
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/BysUiyjB0jY?si=QMbal97r6xFV_8u5&t=101
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/BysUiyjB0jY?si=kH3cC-E93kzfAvhx&t=183
      8. ↑ https://blog.papercraftpanda.com/overview-how-to-create-a-book-using-the-perfect-binding-method-technique/
      9. ↑ https://www.colorvisionprinting.com/blog/what-is-the-best-page-count-for-saddle-stitch-binding

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