19Bound to impress

Finding the perfect finish for every job...

You’ve seen your idea come to life. You’ve worked with us to develop a company brochure from your initial ideas into interesting copy, great images and an eye-catching design. Now you need to think about how you want the finished publication to look.

And of course, how that finished brochure looks and feel can make al the difference when it’s in the hands of a potential new customer...

THE ICING ON THE CAKE

Sadly it isn’t as simple as just pressing a big button marked ‘print’, there are still decisions to be made – from the type of paper through to embossing, die cutting (paper shapes, holes and tabs), varnishing, lamination… the choices are seemingly endless. Every little extra could be the icing on the cake… or a disaster waiting to happen.

But, with so many choices available, it’s impossible to list them all here – at least not in one article – so we’ll tackle just one area to begin with – binding.

At the most simple end of the market is ‘Wire O’ binding. This is most commonly seen on calendars, reference guides and journals – any situation where it is useful to have the page laying completely flat on a surface.

This certainly can be a useful method of binding, but it doesn’t always work in every situation. It is great for a diary or instruction manual – anything practical. However, it doesn’t convey the right sort of image for a magazine or a brochure. For those, you will need something a little more subtle.

INSPIRE THE RIGHT REACTION

The most common binding solution – and certainly one of the most cost-effective – is saddle stitching. This approach is usually seen as stapling, with two wire staples pinning together the whole document through the centre pages.

This method is ideal for a broad range of documents – from 8pp to about 80 – and is great for magazines, brochures and guidebooks. It can even include a ‘loop’, helping people to keep the document safe in ring binders.

However, its ability to be used in a variety of situations means that a simple saddle stitched document can get lost in the crowd and, if quality or luxury is of particular importance, it might not inspire the right reaction in the reader.

And, aside from the aesthetics there are can be other limitations too. If a document is too big – well over 80 pages – it might be time to think about another option. Something that will keep your document together, as well as adding a touch of luxury… perfect binding.

A SLICK, PROFESSIONAL FINISH

If you’ve ever read a glossy magazine, you’ll have come across perfect binding. It gives your document a ‘spine’ that will help to keep all its pages together, as well giving you the added feel of quality that you will have noticed when you’ve read ‘Vogue’ or ‘Wallpaper’… as opposed to ‘Heat’ or ‘Chat’!

The pages are trimmed and glued together, with the cover – often of a thicker paper stock or laminated to give it more perceived worth – added on at the end to get a slick, professional finish.

Best of all, this allows your brochure, magazine or annual report to be much longer. In fact you can perfect bind documents up to 4cm thick… that’s plenty of pages and lots of information!

INVEST IN A PUBLICATION

The downside? Well, it can be expensive and you will need to work with us to discuss your options and see if it’s worth the investment. As a general rule of thumb, if your brochure is aiming to sell people a top-of-the-line piece of kit, then you will want to invest in a publication that truly reflects your values.

As with anything, the right decision is the one that gives you a great product that works. And, of course, you know that by using a full-service agency like STORM you will be guided every step of the way, ensuring you not only get great results, but you get the end product that maximises its impact with its intended audience.