Hours of research and days of hard work are put into your thesis. It demands a perfect binding reflecting its value while you submit. But, which would be the best way to print and bind the thesis is a common question for most students.
I understand your concern. Hence, in this article, I am discussing things you need to pay attention to while binding and printing your dissertation. It will work as a complete guide to dissertation printing and binding for your help.
Detailed and Insightful Guide to Dissertation Printing and Binding
Your dissertation is incomplete until you bind it in a book. It's as important as you have put your effort into research and writing. After completing proofreading, editing and referencing, it's time to put them together with top-quality printing and binding. While doing so, here are a few things you must consider.
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Should it be colourful or black and white
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How would it look after printing
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What type of binding would be suitable for your thesis
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Should you rely on online printing services or print from a store
Well! To answer these queries, here I am discussing them in sections.
Paper type
There are various kinds of papers to print any document. The quality of the paper is expressed in g/m2. Generally, the thesis and dissertation are printed on 80 g/m2 paper due to budget-friendliness. However, this paper is very thin and transparent. I would recommend printing the thesis on 100 g/m2 paper.
Colour consideration
You can definitely print your thesis in colour or choose black and white. Here, first of all, remember that coloured print is more expensive than the other. It may look exciting to you. However, some readers may not take your research seriously. Hence, you can print in colour if your thesis contains a graph, chart or any picture for better understanding. Otherwise, black and white prints always look professional.
Types of binding
There are several ways you can bind your thesis. Depending on the type, the appearance of the thesis will differ. The options for binding the thesis are leather book binding, thermal binding, soft cover binding, and spiral binding.
Leather binding - The leather binding is the most qualityful one. Not only does it look lavish, but it also makes the binding strong and sturdy. To make it look more sophisticated, you can print the title and details embossed on the cover and corner protectors. It's a suitable binding technique for research papers, thesis, dissertation, etc.
Thermal Binding - It's suitable for small research projects. When you have a few pages of a thesis or research project to submit, you can choose thermal binding. Similar to leather binding, there is a leather-like back cover. However, you will get a variety of colour options in thermal binding.
Softcover binding - Do you want to go creative with binding? Then, you can choose soft cover binding. In this binding, you have the full freedom to design as you wish. You can add images and text in any colour you want on the cover. While doing so, I suggest you keep it simple and stay professional. This kind of binding is great for final projects or research papers.
Spiral Binding - For the most budget-friendly option for the mid-term paper of the final project, spiral binding is an option. It's simple and sleek. Though it's similar to thermal binding, the spiral binding comes with a transparent cover. The spiral in this binding is made of plastic or metal.
Price
The cost of printing and binding a thesis depends mostly on the paperweight, number of papers and printing colour. To get the best price, you can visit several shops and compare. If you want to order online, then you can ask for quotations and read through the reviews. Another way to stay on budget is by getting free shipping.
What are the steps to follow for dissertation printing
Before you decide on the binding, you need to make sure the printing quality is top-notch. To ensure the thesis is printed perfectly, here are the steps you need to follow.
Save the thesis in PDF
Saving files in PDF is a lifesaver. As you save the file in this format, it will be constant no matter which computer you open it. It keeps all the papers in the right font, size, organization and page setup. But, before you save the file in this format, make sure to proofread and check grammatical, punctuation and language errors.
Keep the table of contents page updated
As you save the dissertation file in PDF, don't forget to update the table of contents page. To keep track, you can save the table of contents in pdf separately.
Print setting:
Now that you are completely ready to go for binding, think about how the interior of the thesis would look after binding. If your thesis contains data or images, then you can print the document in colour or keep it simple in black and white. Too much colour can make it look less professional.
Single or double-sided print:
If you are printing the thesis on single-sided paper, then 80 g/m2 quality would be suitable. However, if you are printing on both sides, then I suggest you choose 100 g/m2 to avoid seeing through from the opposite side. Here, refer to the instructor's instructions.
Thesis printing:
For printing a thesis, you can either rely on online services or printing stores. No matter where you go, check their quality and review. If possible, get a draft print first. There are a lot of printing services where you can print your thesis at a student budget price.
Final thought
To sum up, the dissertation printing and binding depends mostly on the thesis volume and printing instructions. Before you make any decision, always refer to the instructor's details. It's always better to plan ahead of time.
If the thesis is thick and it's your bachelor's or master's thesis, then leather binding is the best option. For term papers and projects, there are a lot of options for you to choose from. No matter what the paper is, this complete guide to dissertation printing and binding would be helpful for you.
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