An overview of glued pad binding

low-priced and simple binding method
for products with a short life
easy to stack
easy tear-out of pages
limited page count depending on the application
almost all standard paper sizes possible

Applications

Glued pad binding is commonly used in the manufacture of standard tear-off notepads. This binding technique employs cold glue to hold the single pages together and make them easy to remove as needed. This binding method works with nearly all standard paper sizes from small notepads to A4 writing pads or large desk pads. Other printed materials, such as prescription pads or memo pads, also use this type of adhesive binding. Uncoated paper stocks (e.g. offset paper or recycled paper) are normally used for tear-away products because they are easier to write on as they absorb ink readily. Moreover, glued notepads often have a hard cardboard backing to facilitate writing on the pages when no hard surface (e.g. a desk) is at hand.

This binding technique is also used to glue carbonless forms into a convenient tear-off pad. Non-carbon copy paper is still popular despite the advance of digital technologies – among others in the hospitality industry, retail sector and construction business. It can be used to quickly acknowledge deliveries and document business transactions. Carbonless copy paper is often numbered and punched for easy filing. To transfer information written on the front onto the sheets beneath, carbonless copy paper uses paper coated with micro-encapsulated ink that bursts when pressure is applied on the paper with a pen.

Glued pad binding is also popular to bind event tickets, vouchers and coupons into a pad. The benefits are obvious: This binding technique holds the individual pages together while allowing them to be removed quickly and easily.

An overview of glued pad binding

Production technique

Glued pad binding is a simple adhesive procedure which uses low-tack cold glue which is applied by nozzles or brushes in an industrial production process. The glue can also be brushed on manually. If the content pages are all the same, collating is not necessary. In this case, the required number of printed sheets is pressed together and glued at one edge to form a pad. The padding glue can be applied to all four edges of the product. Some printed tear-away products such as event tickets usually have the binding located on one of the short edges.

If different designs are printed on the sheets, the production process is a little different:

With offset printing, the individual interior pages are collated in the correct order, either in a special collating machine or manually, and the adhesive is applied subsequently.
Digital technology enables different designs to be printed on each sheet. The sheets of paper leave the machine in the correct sequence so that the individual content pads are already aligned correctly. Collating is not necessary here.

Next, the pads of paper are usually trimmed on all four sides. Or only the edge to be glued is trimmed – the other sides are trimmed after gluing in this case. Punched holes may be added to allow inserting the pages in a binder or lever arch file.

Tear-away products usually do not have a wraparound cover. A stabilising chipboard backing is optionally glued on the back for added stability. It is possible to include a custom-designed cover sheet for protection.

What to observe with glued pad binding

Use writeable paper stocks.

Offset paper or recycled stocks are particularly well suited because they guarantee top adhesion of the glue. Moreover, they are easy to write on with all standard pens. Using coated and/or very rigid paper will impair the durability and may cause premature falling out of pages.

To write on the pages, e.g. with a fountain pen, you have to opt for uncoated paper. The varnish seals the surface structure of the paper and prevents ink from penetrating, resulting in smudging.

Paper weight

Paper stocks with a higher paper weight may promote falling out of pages as they will put more stress on the binding edge. We therefore recommend a maximum paper weight of 120 gsm for desk pads, notepads and writing pads.
Too many content pages have the same effect and cause the sheets to fall out after a short time because the pad is too heavy and the glue may fail. We offer pad glued products comprising up to 100 pages. More pages are possible but should be of a lower paper weight then.
Pads of carbonless copy forms, for example, may contain 50 sets comprised of a top and two bottom sheets resulting in 150 pages per pad. Papers weighing between 60 and 90 gsm are possible in this case.

Product-specific information and special characteristics with respect to creating and submitting the artwork are described on the respective product page in our online shop. For more design tips and information, please visit our Support Centre, including:
• Bleed and safety margin

Alternatives to glue padding

Which binding technique to use depends on the requirements for your printed products. Glued pad binding is ideal for a variety of tear-away products, such as notepads, memo pads, carbonless copy paper or desk pads. Depending on the application and page count of the publication, other binding options may also be eligible. Here are some examples:

We recommend spiral-bound notepads if you are looking for more durable products. They open flat and allow pages to be removed easily. Wire-o binding is another option to bind frequently used training documents or manuals.

Perfect binding is very popular to create catalogues, magazines as well as thicker booklets and brochures because it is suitable for products with high page counts.

Glued fold binding is a good solution if you need long print runs of advertising leaflets or newspaper inserts with low page counts. Glue padding is a low-priced binding technique which is recommended for printed products where durability is not a main concern.