Types of Book Binding: Perfect Bound, Case Bound and Saddle Stitch for Self-Publishers

Most authors pick a binding without knowing they've picked one. You click "paperback" on KDP, and that's it: your book is perfect bound. That's fine for most novels. But if you're making a picture book, a workbook, a poetry collection or a gift hardback, the binding changes what your book can be, how much it costs and where it can sell. Here's a plain guide to the main types of book binding, and what the big print-on-demand platforms actually offer, checked against their own pages on 27 October 2026.

Key takeaways#

• Most self-published books use one of three bindings: perfect bound (a glued paperback), case bound (a hardcover) or saddle stitch (a stapled booklet).
• Amazon KDP prints two bindings: a perfect bound paperback from 24 pages and a case laminate hardcover from 75 to 550 pages. It doesn't offer saddle stitch or coil.
• IngramSpark offers perfect bound paperbacks and several case bound hardcovers, including jacketed and cloth options. It stopped offering saddle stitch in 2021.
• Saddle stitch suits short books such as picture books, poetry chapbooks and workbooks, but it has no printed spine and few retail routes.
• Choose the binding before you format, because it changes your page count limits, margins and cover file.

What does binding mean?#

Binding is how the pages are held together and attached to the cover. Three questions decide which one suits your book:

• How many pages is it? Every binding has a minimum and a maximum.
• Does it need to lie flat? Cookbooks, music books and workbooks often do.
• Where will it sell? Some bindings can go to Amazon and bookshops. Others can't.

Perfect bound: the standard paperback#

Perfect binding is what you picture when you think of a paperback. The pages are stacked, roughed up along the spine edge and glued into a soft cover that wraps around them. The result is a neat, square spine with room for your title and name.

It's the cheapest way to print a proper-looking book, and it's what both KDP and IngramSpark use for paperbacks. On KDP, a paperback can run from 24 pages up to 828 pages for most black-ink options, though the maximum drops for some paper types and larger trims. IngramSpark quotes an 18-page minimum for its perfect bound books.

One catch for short books: KDP only prints spine text on books with more than 79 pages. A slim book still has a spine, but it has to stay blank. Our guide on how to calculate spine width shows how page count and paper decide how wide that spine will be.

The downside of perfect binding is that it won't lie flat. Open it wide and the pages spring back, and text close to the inside edge disappears into the fold. That's why the inside margin matters so much. Our post on KDP margins and gutter explains how to set it.

Case bound: the hardcover#

A case bound book has its pages fixed inside a rigid case made of boards. It's sturdier, it lasts longer and it feels more like a gift.

There are a few kinds:

• Case laminate. The cover art is printed on paper, laminated and wrapped around the boards. This is what KDP prints. Amazon says its hardcovers have no dust jacket, come in five trim sizes and must be between 75 and 550 pages.
• Jacketed case laminate. The same printed case with a loose dust jacket over the top. IngramSpark offers this.
• Cloth bound. The boards are covered in cloth, sometimes with the title stamped on the spine. IngramSpark's version is called Digital Cloth, with or without a jacket. Lulu offers a linen wrap hardcover.

A hardcover is a separate edition, so it needs its own ISBN, and it needs its own cover file, because a case wraps around the boards rather than sitting flush. If you're still deciding whether a hardback is worth it, read our comparison of hardcover vs paperback.

Saddle stitch: the stapled booklet#

Saddle stitching is the simplest binding there is. Large sheets are printed, folded in half, nested inside each other and stapled through the fold. Think of a magazine, a school programme or a thin children's activity book.

Because every sheet folds into four pages, the page count has to be a multiple of four. Saddle stitch also suits short books only, as too many sheets make the book bulge at the fold. It opens almost flat, which is lovely for illustrated spreads, but there's no square spine, so nothing can be printed on it.

Here's the part many guides miss. KDP doesn't offer saddle stitch, and IngramSpark retired it on 1 March 2021. Ingram said the equipment had become obsolete and pointed authors to perfect bound books instead. Lulu still lists saddle stitch, and local printers do it cheaply in short runs. If you go that way, check where the book can actually be sold, as a stapled booklet often can't reach Amazon or bookshop catalogues.

For most self-published picture books, the practical answer today is a short perfect bound paperback or a hardcover. Our children's book formatting service starts from £97 ($127), and we lay the pages out spread by spread for the binding you choose.

Coil, spiral and other lay-flat options#

Coil and spiral binding punch holes along the edge and thread a plastic or wire coil through them. The book lies completely flat and can fold back on itself, which is why it's used for cookbooks, planners, journals and manuals.

Neither KDP nor IngramSpark offers coil binding. Lulu lists coil bound books, and many local printers offer it too. Like saddle stitch, it has no printed spine, so it's built for use rather than for a bookshop shelf.

Which binding should you choose?#

Here's the short version:

• A novel, memoir or most non-fiction: perfect bound paperback, plus a case bound hardcover if you want a gift or library edition.
• A picture book: a short perfect bound paperback or a hardcover through KDP or IngramSpark. Saddle stitch only if you're printing locally and selling direct.
• A workbook or journal that must lie flat: coil binding from a printer that offers it, or a perfect bound paperback with generous inside margins.
• A poetry chapbook or zine: saddle stitch for events and direct sales, perfect bound if you want it on Amazon.

If you want the wider picture of how print-on-demand works, start with our guide to Amazon printing books on demand.

Get the files right for your binding#

Your binding decides the trim size, the page count limits, the inside margin and the cover template. Change it late and you'll be redoing the interior and the cover. So choose first, then format.

Our book formatting service starts from £197 ($249). We set up print-ready PDFs for KDP and IngramSpark by hand in InDesign, and we'll format your first chapter free so you can see the result before you pay. If you need a cover that fits a hardcover case or a paperback spine, our Print Ready book cover design package is £297 ($377) and includes the full wrap with spine and back. And for a closer look at what makes the pages themselves look professional, read our guide to interior book design.