Use this article when your shop runs softcover books on a perfect binder — PUR or EVA glue — and you need Estimator to price the bind step on every perfect-bound quote. After this you will have a perfect binder that prices correctly on quotes for softback books, with the bind step appearing on the price breakdown.
Steps
1. Configure the perfect binder
Open Estimate Setup → Binding Machines → Perfect Bind, then add or open the binder you want to configure. Fill in the fields below.
Identification
Name — recommended format is brand and model, plus the glue type if your shop runs both PUR and EVA on different lines (e.g., "EVA 1", "PUR 1").
Tags — link this binder to upstream presses and substrate groups it can run after. Estimator uses tags to pair the binder with compatible work.
Books this binder accepts
Sheet sizes — the press sheet sizes the signatures can arrive on. Select from the drop-down (e.g., SRA1, B1, SRA3). The options come from your configured substrates.
Book width (min/max) and book height (min/max) — finished book dimensions in millimetres or inches (e.g., 105–300 mm, or 4–12 in).
Book thickness (min/max) — bound thickness range in millimetres or inches (e.g., 3–60 mm, or 0.1–2.4 in). Set the max to the genuine glue-and-cure limit on your line, not a marketing spec.
Speed
Output per hour — books bound per hour (e.g., 300 books/hour for a small EVA line, 2900 for a high-volume one). The output type is fixed at books for perfect binders.
Books per hour adjustment — slow the line down on jobs that need different cover stocks or spine widths. Add range rules — for example, 1–10 mm spine → 300 books/hour, 11–30 mm spine → 200 books/hour.
Stations — the number of signature feeders on the gathering line (e.g., 13).
Multi-pass — particular to perfect binding
Multi-pass setup minutes — extra make-ready time when the signature count exceeds Stations and the job must run in two passes (e.g., 15 minutes).
Multi-pass speed reduction — fraction Output per hour drops by on the additional pass (e.g., 0.5 = half speed). Leave at 0 if your line does not re-feed.
Labor assistant — particular to perfect binding
Labor assistant required — number of helpers needed alongside the operator at different job sizes. Add range rules — for example, 1–5 signatures → 1 assistant, 6–10 signatures → 2, 11+ → 4. Estimator multiplies the labor rate by the assistant count plus one (operator).
Cost
Machine rate per hour — hourly running cost covering amortisation, electricity, and glue (e.g., €180/hour). PUR lines typically run higher than EVA because of the PUR glue cost.
Labor rate per hour — operator cost per hour (e.g., €30/hour). If the operator can do other work while the line runs, enter a fraction of their full rate (e.g., 50%).
Make-ready labor cost — fixed labor cost added once per perfect-bound section (e.g., €0.07).
Minimum charge — floor amount. If the calculated bind cost is below this, Estimator applies the minimum instead.
Make-ready and spoilage
Running spoils % — extra books spoiled as a percentage of the run quantity (e.g., 0–2%). PUR work typically runs lower spoilage than EVA when the glue is fresh.
Over copies — extra books produced on top of the ordered quantity (e.g., 100 for high-volume, 2 for short-run).
Open the card view on the machine row to set additional details:
Volume markup tiers — tier the markup by quantity.
Run speeds — override Output per hour for specific paper weights, coatings, or job conditions.
Save the change. The Pending Changes count increments by one in the sidebar.
2. Connect the perfect binder to the product category
Open Perfect Binding Categories under Binding Machines and add the product categories that may use this binder (e.g., PUR Softback Books). On the part row of the bound part, open Production Steps and add the perfect-bind operation so Estimator includes it on every quote that selects this category.
Save the change. Pending Changes increments again.
3. Apply the changes
Open the Pending Changes panel in the sidebar and review the staged edits to the perfect binder and the product category. Select Apply Changes to publish them to live setup.
The Pending Changes count returns to zero and the perfect binder is now part of the active configuration.
Things to know
PUR and EVA share the same editor, so the glue type does not change which fields appear. Differentiate the two on Name and Machine rate per hour (PUR's glue cost makes the hourly rate noticeably higher) so quote authors can pick the right line.
If a PUR book quote prices identically to an EVA quote on the same spec, check that both binders carry the correct Machine rate per hour — Estimator will route to whichever binder is cheaper if both are eligible.
The Book thickness (max) value gates whether the line is even offered for the spec. A thick casebound book that exceeds the max will route to a case-making binder instead — see Configure a case-making binder.