We’re championing Lay-Flat binding at WowBooks, and in this blog, we’ll explain why.
If your aim is to give your customers the best possible user experience, Lay-Flat binding is by far the best option
Lay-Flat binding is an alternative to perfect binding.
It has three clear advantages over perfect binding:
1. Lay-Flat books open completely flat across the centre fold. This means that images can be run across both halves of the spread, interrupted by only a subtle fold line down the middle. This gives some exciting design options, including landscape formats that open to display panoramas.
2. The pages are double thickness, creating a premium product.
3. Lay-Flat books are much easier to use – they lay flat on each page rather than trying to spring back closed as perfect bound books have a tendency to do.
It starts with single-sided printed pages that are folded in half with the print inside. Then one blank side is glued to the opposing blank side of the next spread in the sequence. And so on until all the spreads are attached to form a block.
Until now, producers have been reluctant to recommend Lay-Flat binding as a finishing option because it is a slower process than standard perfect binding. They’ve also been wary of the additional complications of gluing pages together throughout a book. And of course, you also need to invest in specialist equipment. A standard Lay-Flat machine costs over £100,000
By having plenty of capacity, and by getting very good at it. By offering a 48-hour production time from receipt of artwork to dispatch of books we’re matching lead times for standard perfect bound books.
There is a perception that the additional cost of Lay-flat binding makes it unfeasible for everyday photobooks and storybooks. Not true! Whilst Lay-Flat binding is more expensive than perfect binding, it is only marginally so.
For example:
Booklet 130x150mm 24 pages + cover:
Perfect bound: £3 per book
Lay-Flat bound: £4 per book
We’re always amazed and delighted by the response we get from customers when they see a Lay-Flat book . Seeing is believing – go and check out for yourself what a Lay-Flat book looks like, or ask us for some samples.
Drop us a message on the chat box or email us at info@wowbooks.com