Brochures and catalogues: which binding for your project?

Published 5 July 2026 · Welye products

Binding is not a production detail: it decides the document's look, its lifespan and the way people leaf through it. Four families cover nearly every need — here's how to choose yours, jargon-free.

Saddle stitching: the all-rounder

Two staples on the fold: the binding of programmes, sales brochures, exhibition booklets and thin magazines. It opens flat, slips into an envelope and works beautifully from 8 to about sixty pages. Its constraint: page counts in multiples of 4 — an 18-page stitched document doesn't exist; it's 16 or 20. Discover the saddle-stitched brochure.

Perfect binding: the look of a book

Pages are glued into a wrap-around cover, forming a flat spine where the title can be printed — the instant "real book" effect. It's the binding of catalogues, annual reports, portfolios and corporate brochures from about forty pages. Modern PUR glue holds up beautifully over time. Page counts in multiples of 2. Everything is on the perfect binding page.

Sewn binding: the premium that lasts

Here, pages are gathered into sections sewn with thread, then glued into the cover. The result: near-flat opening and years of handling without complaint — the binding of art books, monographs and keepsake catalogues. Multiples of 4. The craft is told in detail on the sewn binding page.

Wire-o: the working tool

The double-loop metal spiral opens 360° and lies perfectly flat on a table: training manuals, notebooks, calendars, technical documents people write in. It takes high page counts and tabbed dividers. Our complete Wire-o guide covers it all.

The right reflex: start from the use

• ✓Widely distributed (trade show, mailing) → saddle stitching, light and economical.
• ✓Meant to impress and last (catalogue, portfolio, report) → perfect binding, or sewn for exceptional publishing.
• ✓Worked in daily (manual, notebook) → Wire-o, which stays open at the right page.
• ✓Torn between two → send the page count and use: we'll decide together.

Paper and cover: the duo that finishes the job

A well-chosen binding deserves a coherent paper: coated inside for photos, uncoated for text and a natural feel, a heavier laminated cover to protect the whole. Our guide which paper for your brochure details these choices — and for file preparation, the artwork guide is there.

The whole family lives on the brochures and catalogues pages. And if you'd rather talk it through: those are our favourite conversations.