Regardless of your church’s denomination most members of any congregation love to see their own families and their friends families smiling faces in their church’s annual directory. Similar to your high school’s year book the church directory is a long standing church tradition, and because of the advent of self-publishing software and technology there are many ways to economically and effeciently get your church directory published.
There are several types of church directory software out there, just do a quick Google search and you can find all the different companies with all their different offerings. Some on the high-end and there of course there are several free alternatives out there.
Here are some of the considerations to think about when you’re looking to publish your church director:
- Binding: Most church directories use a simple coil type of bindings; below are some of the more fancy(and not so fancy) types of bindings.
Spiral Binding: The book is punched with a series of small holes on the left. A coil binding then is screwed into those holes from one end of the book to the other. The binding may be made of either plastic or wire and allow the printed document to lie flat and to double over. Spiral wire coils range from 1/4 inch to 2 inches in diameter and can bind books of up to 24 inches in length.
Plastic Binding: One of the cheapest options of bindings, however, they are usually inserted by hand which can be costly for large quantities. They are made of lightweight plastic that can be used for books up to 3 inches thick. The style allows the pages to lie flat when open, and you can easily add or subtract pages. These bindings are the most susceptible to damage.
Saddle Stitch Binding: The pages are folded and inserted into a folded cover, then stapled through the fold along the spine. This style is suitable for both self-covered books (where the cover stock, or paper, is the same as the text), and books with separate covers. Generally the maximum number of pages is 96 (depending on weight and bulk of the paper used, this number may vary).
Side Stitch Bindings: The pages are cut all the same size and stacked, then staples are inserted down the side of one edge of the book’s front, 2 to 3 times depending on thickness and paper weight. The result is a sturdy binding, however the book will not lie flat when opened. This binding style is generally less expressive than other styles.
Case Bound (Section Sewing): This binding style is typically used for books of more than 80 pages, which require a strong, high-quality finish. The pages of the book are collated, and then sewn together with thread. The cover is then glued to the spine of the page block. Case Bound is generally the most expensive style, so are usually only used for books that must withstand constant use.- Color: To color or not to color; most of your congregation is going to want the pictures of the actual members in color. Although printing in black and white is more economical printing in color may be an economical alternative now.
- Paper: As far as size is concerned there are some standard 8 1/2 inch sizes, but the quality and thickness of the actual paper varies with your budget.
- Other considerations: There are free church directory software</a> solutions out there on the web, try them out and try to build your own church directory!
Good luck and thanks for reading this article!
