Have you ever printed and saddle stitched a brochure that was to become part of a master binder? You need to have the brochure three-hole drilled to allow it to be added to a ring or post binder, only to discover that you did not plan correctly for the drill holes to avoid important text such as part numbers or pricing. Now what? Reprint? Or, hope that your customer doesn’t complain? There is a better way!
The incorporation of a loop stitch design into a saddle stitch product effectively expands the functionality of a saddle stitch catalog, parts list, price list or marketing brochure. A loop stitched product may be used as a free standing piece, however, the true concept of the loop design is to allow the finished piece to be incorporated into a ring or post binder. The use of loop stitches allows the booklet to be added to a master binder without the requirement of drilling any holes, thus eliminating any potential for drilling through the text.
The creation of a loop stitch requires a specialized stitching head. A standard loop stitch head will create a six millimeter loop (approximately ¼” wide). An eight millimeter loop stitch head can also be purchased. Generally, a six millimeter loop is used when the finished piece will be included in a ring binder. The eight millimeter loop option is primarily used when the finished piece will be included in a post binder.
When considering or planning for a loop stitch project, it is important to realize that book thickness must not exceed ¼”. This is the maximum book thickness that can be accommodated and still allow for a tight closure of the stitch “legs” onto the spine. Attempting to produce a book thicker than ¼” will result in the “legs” of the stitches closing further apart, resulting in less wire actually holding the pages together in the book and generating a high risk potential that pages will come loose from the spine.
It is important for the printer to communicate the required dimension from the head of the book to the placement of the first loop stitch. When the finished loop stitch piece is included in a master binder with other products, this specific dimension requirement must be achieved in order that the finished piece aligns with other pieces in the master binder.