Binding Race Heats Up

That's because start-up costs are relatively low, and the books it produces are worthy of placement in retail shelves, Alexander says. The quality compares favorably to more costly hot-melt perfect binding systems, designed to work with offset printed books.

"[Hot melt systems] are efficient when doing several hundred identical books, but not so efficient for one-off production," Alexander says. "The investment is also much greater. Prices start at $8,000, and rise quickly."

Powis Parker's Fastback 15 starts at around $4,200. The company can be reached at Powis.com.

- Esther Schindler

Esther Schindler is a freelance writer based in , Ariz.