Deadlines make everything harder
Most students think about binding last, usually when a submission deadline is a day or two away. That is exactly when small problems turn into big ones: a file that prints differently from how it looked on screen, a page count that doesn't suit the binding you wanted, or a department that wanted something slightly different.
Check your department's requirements first
Binding requirements differ between universities, departments and even individual courses. Some want a specific binding style, a particular cover or a set margin. Before you order, check your own course handbook or ask your department. It's a five-minute check that can save a reprint.
Choosing a style
Spiral, comb, perfect and hardback binding each suit different documents. A dissertation for marking is often fine with a simple, practical binding, while a final submission copy that will be kept may call for something more permanent. Our guide to dissertation and thesis binding sets out the options.
Portfolios and project work
For design, art and architecture portfolios, the quality of the print matters as much as the binding. Look at paper stock, how images reproduce and whether pages will lie flat when opened. If you can, bring a sample page to check how it prints before running the full set.
Prepare your file properly
Export to PDF, check page order and margins, and look at the document at actual size before you send it. Leave a bigger margin on the binding edge, since the binding takes up some of the page. Our print-ready artwork guide covers the basics.
Allow time to travel
From Kingston, our Tooting shop is around 7.1 miles away by car, usually 36 minutes, and the quickest public transport takes around 35 minutes. It's worth sending your file ahead and calling to confirm timing before you set off, rather than turning up on deadline day hoping for the best.
Getting your binding done
See our Kingston printing page, our spiral, perfect and hardback binding pages, or contact us with your page count and deadline.