Preparing Your Thesis for Binding: A Checklist
Binding day is usually the last hurdle between you and submission. Here is the checklist we give every student who comes through the door — follow it and the whole process takes minutes.
Margins
Allow at least 30–40mm on the bound edge (the left, for a standard portrait thesis). We trim and sew into this margin, and text set too close to the edge can disappear into the gutter. Double-sided printing needs generous margins on both sides.
Paper
Use 100gsm white bond for the text block. Very thin papers tear at the spine; heavy coated papers do not take adhesive well. If your department specifies a paper, use it.
Printing
- Most universities want deposited copies printed single-sided — check your faculty’s current rules.
- Print at 100% scale. Scaling down to fit margins produces pages that no longer match your specified size.
- Check every page for blank sides, smudges and missing figures before you leave the printer.
Collation
Bring the thesis complete and in final order: title page, abstract, acknowledgements, table of contents, body, appendices, plates. We bind what we are given — a missing page discovered after binding means rebinding.
Oversized material
Fold-outs, maps and A3 plates should be neatly folded before you arrive, or ask us to advise. Non-standard formats (landscape, square, A3) need a conversation about paper grain before you print — see our note on grain direction, and ring us on (09) 6206 747 if in doubt.