#bookbinding tips

In my soon-to-be ongoing series of "components of bookbinding", here are some options for thread and a discussion of why different options might work better or worse for your book.

Thread is used to sew signatures together. The thread used for bookbinding needs to do several things:

Be small enough to thread into a needle to poke through the signature holes

Be large enough so that it doesn't slice through the paper after repeated page turnings

Be strong enough so that it doesn't break when subjected to wear from the paper after repeated page turnings. If you are using a binding that leaves the threads exposed (such as Coptic binding), this goes double

Let's start off with S-tier bookbinding thread, and then discuss what's possible to skimp on. (note: None of the links are affiliate links. I am not making money on these recommendations. Links are provided merely for illustration purposes.)

A notebook I made a year ago and still haven't used! Long stitch binding done with embroidery floss. The video below is the best explanation of the technique I could find, and you can expand it to as many pairs of signatures as you want, and play with the placement of the holes. I hope the diagrams are vaguely helpful in showing the order to sew them in!

To make a thick, smooth paste, measure 1 1/2 cups of cold water into a saucepan. Measure 4 tablespoons of plain white wheat flour into a separate container. Add the flour to the cold water a little at a time, beating it in thoroughly with an egg beater. Put the saucepan over medium heat and stir the mixture constantly while the water is brought to a boil ... When it reaches the boil, remove it from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. This paste can be thinned to any desired consistency by adding water that has been boiled and cooled.

This tutorial is for @inferiorvibes who asked me how I did my Manacled set (pictured below) with art going over three book spines. I won't be covering how to use the design programs, so if you have any questions, or would like a boarder tutorial, please let me know.

This tutorial also works for dustjackets.

Tools:

Ruler or measuring tape

The hardcovers of the books you're going to be binding on

InDesign, Photoshop or Photopea (free online version of photoshop) -- I've never used Canva

STEP ONE: MEASURE THE SPINES / YOUR CANVAS

It's important to know what space you're working with, so put all your books side by side and measure the width of ALL the books next to one another + the height.

Yes, I do measure the little space between the spine and the front/back covers.

STEP TWO: CREATE YOUR CANVAS

In the program of your choice, open a document with the measurements you took above. Keep your books and rulers close though! You also do not need bleed, columns or margins for this step.

STEP THREE: OUTLINE EACH SPINE

Time to get your rulers out both physically and in your program. Start by measuring each spine. Then, using the rulers, drag them onto your screen. A little math is going to come into play, but bear with me!

It's important to also change your rulers in your design program to centimeters. I feel like it's a more precise measurement than inches, but feel free to do it however you're comfortable.

Here's how to access your rulers & change their measurement. To change the measurement, make sure to RIGHT-CLICK on the ruler.

The first spine is the easiest to mark-out, as you just drag and drop your ruler to the exact measurement. For the second spine, you'll have to do the measurement of your first + the second. So, I dragged my second ruler to 6.3cm (2.5cm + 3.8 cm) in the program. After this, the remaining space will be your third spine!

You should end up with something that looks like your books when they're placed next to each other!

STEP FOUR: INSERT YOUR ART!

Now, you can add your image to the canvas. I like to "Place" image and resize it! Ignore the purple line, what you're focusing on is the canvas outline and the blue rulers you've added.

You can also put your program in preview mode if you find the lines confusing. Now, you can see the whole image of your spines when they'll be placed together.

TIP: It's better to have an image that has "excess" that goes outside of the canvas. When you create your hardcover design or jacket, you'll want the art to "bleed" so that when you look over the top edge of your book, the art won't suddenly cut to white, but rather, extend far enough that it gets folded away and covered by your headband/book.

STEP FIVE-ISH: EYEBALL YOUR ART

I actually eyeball my art when I insert it to the final file. Yes, I'm saying it out loud, and yes, I do have to do tester prints to make sure they'd correct. One trick I have is to see what art markers there are for where/how I place the art.

For example, I know that the middle spine barely has his thumb. The side spines need to end one edge where his thumbs are.

STEP SIX: INSERT YOUR ART INTO YOUR COVER

Using the same measuring techniques, I build my hardcover. Then, I insert the spine art and adjust depending on which volume of the book it is.

I hope this made sense! I didn't really look up tutorials, I just cooked on InDesign and it worked in my favour.

Let me learn you a thing! Tip #1 Always mark your signatures when you cut or pierce your signatures. A “top” locator line and a diagonal “order” line.

This is useful when you are doing batch work. Because of possible errors, your holes will not be exact for 100% of your signatures - especially if you don’t have a piercing jig. This is also a must if you have content on your pages and you absolutely cannot have an error in their order. Why is this useful?

I knocked this book’s worth of signatures off the stack and onto the floor. Some of the signatures are upside down and most of them are completely out of order.

First locate the top of the signatures. When making my holes I usually mark the top with a straight line of a separate colour.