top-bound book

[Stuart Rogers]

On 2014-Jun-04 4:54 PM, Carol J. Elkins wrote:
> Framers,
>
> I'm ready to print a wire-bound pocket-sized booklet that will be 
> top-bound (coil binding along the top of the book) so as to fit nicely 
> in one's pocket. In all my 18 years of doing this, this is the first 
> time I've run across having to publish a top-bound book, so I have no 
> experience to guide me. Thus I'm emailing you.
>
> I've printed the Framemaker file to PDF and had the printer make a 
> demo copy for me. When the booklet is held open to a two-page spread, 
> the top page is upside down. In order to view it, one has to turn the 
> booklet over or upside-down. I have some questions:
>
> 1. Is this the customary way to print a top-bound book? Or should both 
> pages be visibly oriented the same direction? (That would put the page 
> number of the top (even-numbered) pages on the bound edge.)
>
> 2. If not, what is the easiest way to get the even-numbered pages 
> turned upside down? 1) By changing the Framemaker template; 2) By 
> doing something in Acrobat; or 3) by telling the printer to do 
> something on his end.
>
> 3. Is there a word that describes this kind of layout? I work with 
> imposition in booklet printing a lot but it doesn't seem to apply to 
> top-bound books.
>
> I've asked my client to do a bit of usability testing to determine if 
> it will make a difference to his users. Will they want to view two 
> pages at once? Will they be inconvenienced by having to flip the book 
> over every time they advance to the next page? This is a field test 
> manual and they will definitely progress through the book one page at 
> a time. While he's checking that out, I thought I'd check with you for 
> input.
>
> Carol
>
> _______________________________________________

I think the word "imposition" still applies, and if a change is 
required, I would definitely expect the commercial printer to be able to 
handle it.

I print my books in-house and bind them with top-binding. My readers 
need to see more than one page at a time, so both pages are oriented to 
be readable simultaneously.  It sounds like that's not the case with 
your readers. On the other hand, if they would be flipping through the 
book to find a specific task in a series (not necessarily in sequence), 
they'd probably find it annoying to have to turn & flip, turn & flip, 
over and over. Being able to turn pages and quickly see the content, and 
only having to fold the binder once (binding at top or bottom) when the 
required page is located, would seem to be more efficient.

But I would definitely rely on your usability testing results to decide 
what's best.

HTH,

-- 
Stuart Rogers
Technical Communicator
Phoenix Geophysics Limited
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 3
Toronto, ON, Canada  M1W 3K5
+1 (416) 491-7340 x 325

http://www.phoenix-geophysics.com