side stitching
A method of securing the leaves or sections of a
book with wire staples, from front to back of the
entire thickness of the text block. Side stitching
is one of the strongest forms of construction and
is frequently used in binding textbooks; it is
also a common method of binding periodical issues
made up of leaves or more than one section, and
which, therefore, cannot be saddle stitched. The
stitching is done by means of a machine that cuts
the wire, forms it into a staple, drives it
through the paper, and clinches it from the other
side. Flat-wire staples of galvanized iron or
aluminized iron are usually employed. Flat staples
are used to provide flatter surface on the side of
the publication than could be obtained with round
staples.
The disadvantage of side stitching is that it
affords almost no openability in the book;
consequently the publication must be designed with
wider margins and more flexible paper in order to
compensate for the lack of flexibility. Also
called 'stab stitching." Cf: SIDE SEWING . (179 , 316 , 339 )
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