Commercial Printing
Saddle stitch booklet printing at Renjie covers 8 to 64 pages on 2 to 3 wire stitches, plus folded leaflets and gatefold or roll-fold brochures. Offset printed on colour-managed Roland presses, from 500 copies, typically 10–15 working days after proof approval.
Standard Specifications
Saddle stitching folds printed sheets over a saddle and drives wire through the fold. The limit is not the machine but the paper: at 64 pages on 130 gsm the spine starts to look swollen and the outer pages creep outward. Keep the extent under 64 pages and the stock under about 170 gsm, and saddle stitching is the cheapest, fastest, best-opening binding available.
| Component | Typical options |
|---|---|
| Extent | 8–64 pages (2–16 folded sheets), multiples of 4 |
| Stitching | 2 or 3 wire stitches; loop stitching for ring-binder filing |
| Fold styles | Single fold, gatefold, roll fold, Z-fold, double parallel |
| Stock | 128–200 gsm silk, matt art or uncoated; 250–300 gsm for the cover only |
| Trim sizes | A4 210 × 297 · A5 148 × 210 · DL 99 × 210 · square 210 × 210 mm (typical) |
| Minimum order | 500 copies per title |
Creep
Saddle-stitched sections nest rather than stack, so the inner sheets push outward at the fore-edge — printers call it creep or shingling. At 16 pages the shift is invisible; at 64 pages on thick stock it can reach 3–4 mm, enough for a trimmed page to lose part of a margin. Two fixes exist: reduce the extent, or trim progressively in a stair-step. Both are handled at planning, which is why page count should be decided before the design is finalised, not after.
FAQ
About 64 pages on 130 gsm, less if the paper is heavier. Above that, move to perfect binding — the pages stop nesting and the spine carries the thickness properly.
Saddle stitch. At 48 pages it opens flat, costs less per copy and ships lighter. Perfect binding earns its premium only once the extent passes roughly 64 pages, or when the brochure needs a printed spine for a shelf.
Yes, with a score line first. Folding heavy stock without scoring cracks the coating along the fold — visible as a white line on dark solids. Scoring is part of the die and fold setup, not an extra you have to remember to ask for.
