Perfect vs. Crown Binding

For my final book, I am debating between using perfect vs. crown binding.

According to http://blog.ironmarkusa.com/4-types-book-binding, perfect binding is when the cover and pages are glued together with a super strong glue. The cover is usually made from a heavy weight cardstock paper that is often coated or laminated to protect the book. Often the cover is longer than the pages, so the cover is trimmed to give it that “perfect” look.

The pros of this type of binding are that it looks professional and high quality, while still being a better economical alternative to hardcover binding, and it is an easier type of binding since it’s simply individual pages glued to the inside spine of the cover.

The cons of perfect binding are that the book won’t lay flat when opened due to gluing of the cover to the spine of the book block (which is an important element of a cookbook), and the book will not last as long as, say, sewn binding in books.

Crown binding is a unique process that I was introduced to in my book arts class. It is a type of binding where there is no adhesive or sewing involved, just paper folding. The pages can be individual pieces or one entire pages connecting on the sides and folded into the binding. An example of crown binding is below:

The tabs can be made as big or small as wanted, and if the pages are individually printed, they can be taken out if the tab is pulled away, so it gives the opportunity to move pages around, or share recipes.

The pros for this type of binding are the ability to include individual spreads that could then be taken out of the book for easier readability during cooking, or to share a recipe with a friend. It is also a unique look for a book, and would help it stand out from other cookbooks on a shelf.

The cons for crown binding are that it would be handmade, so it might not look as professional and clean as perfect binding would be. It also might be a problem, if being sold in stores, that the pages can be removed.

Right now, I’m leaning more towards the perfect binding style, just to keep the book looking professional and easy to transport. But I might make a crown bound version for myself/my book arts class. I also found this interesting file book that has a similar style to the crown binding that might be an option as a case for all of the books as a collection: