Perfect Binding is Perfect for Paperback Books

Perfect binding puts all the pages or signatures together, roughens and flattens the edge, then a flexible adhesive attaches the paper cover to the spine. Paperback novels are one example of perfect bound books. Booklets, telephone directories, and some magazines use perfect binding methods. Compared to other binding methods, perfect binding is quite durable and has a low to medium cost. It can be used with publications that are several inches thick.

A variation of traditional perfect binding is lay-flat or Eurobind binding where the cover is glued only to the sides of the spine so that a perfect bound book can lay flat when open. Also, some books may combine glue with sewn together signatures.