01 - Perfect Binding + French Fold
This type of binding is a really useful binding as it can be made without any professional equipment. It is special as it is not used through machine bound books. What makes it unique is the technique called double fan binding : when the spine is glued you fan the spine to reveal a tiny slither of each page to glue allowing a larger and more effective surface area than just gluing the spine edge of the spine.
The advantage of the french fold page, is that you can print single sided so you don’t have to wory so much about the printing registration that can become difficult when printing at home on inkjet printers.
For this binding I have used:
1 set square
1 steel ruler
1 bone-folder (can buy from falkiners)
Fray-not
Size 4 Scapel
Fresh Size 10A Blades
Roller + tray
PVA
2 mini g-clamps (preferably a work-bench or vice)
Paper - for french fold be careful not to use too thick paper as it can become quite bulky when doubled up.
Cover - 180gm card, I htink this is just trial and error have a play.
1. Determining grain direction
Grain originates in the way the paper is formed. Paper is made up of many small fibers which are considerably longer than they are wide. Because of movements used in forming a handmade sheet in the traditional Western manner--dipping into and pulling out of a vat--the fibers are naturally oriented in a direction parallel to this motion. The "papermaker's shake" which is done right after the mould is lifted from the vat is intended to aid the distribution of pulp evenly across the surface of the mould. It also, however, helps compensate for the common alignment of fibers and provides strength to the sheet. Nonetheless, there is still a marked grain in most handmade sheets made in this manner.
It is really important to determine the paper grain and to work with it. The grain must always run parallel to the spine, otherwise the paper wil wrinkle, buckle and curl because water in the adhesives causes paper to expand and contract at different rates in different directions. This is alos important for when you open and flick through your book, if the grain direction is not parallel with the spine the book when open will feel strange and flicking through will be slightly difficult.
You can determine the grain from a number of tests:
a) cut a thin strip from both the horizontal and verticals of the page, mark them both then hold them up against each other, then the other way round the one that falls has the grain going along it ie in the picture below the one falling was from the horizontal strip indicating the grain is horizontal from this piece of paper.
b) bend the paper horizontally and then vertically, the direction that has the least resistance is with the grain, the most resistance is against the grain.
c) cutting another section from the horizontal and the verical of page dab both with some water (or spit if you prefer) the one that curls has the grain going from top to bottom vertically.
2. Cut all paper to exactly the same size – it will be cut down again later, so don’t trim exactly to your printed material or exact desired book size yet.
3. Fold all paper in half using a bone folder preferably or the back of your thumb nail or ruler, when scoring, folding or gluing remember to apply pressure in the middle first and move outwards. This avoids any unwanted bubbles and dodgy creases.
4. Make sure all the folds are facing the same way. The edge at which the folded pages open will be the spine. Knock up the book to the fore-edge and holding it tightly, use a set-square to cut the spine down to ensure all the pages are exactly at a right angle to the head and tail of the book.
5. When cutting lots of pages together use a steel ruler. Apply pressure to the ruler and using a fresh scapel - the trick is to do lots and lots of light cuts. The more pressure you put on the paper trying to force the scapel down will bend the paper leaving you with a messy edge. It takes quite a lot of time to cut through a thick book, focus on keeping the scapel at the same angle. Billy mention he angles it in towards the ruler ever so slightly and he has found this ends up giving a flatter edge but really slight like 10 degress.
6. Next make some waste pages and glue them (just about 4mm to each side of the book right onto the spine) so as not to get glue on the actual book when binding the spine.
7. Cut two pieces of grey board down so they are exactly the same height as the book but about a third of the width. Knock the book up to the fore-edge and place the grey boards rather side of the fore edge. Then place the book in a vice – you can use either a work-bench or I’ve improvised with some Mini G-clamps.
8. Push the spine away from you to create a fan and glue along the exposed paper, then do it the other way. Next pinch the head of the pine and waggle to and fro along the whole spine. Pinch again, then if there are any gaps fill them in with PVA. Leave until its still a bit tacky.
This beginning of this video shows how this step should be done, don't follow it all the way to the end unless you want to make a hard back book.
9. Put book on table, place a bit of tissue over the book then a piece of wood or anything quite heavy and flat – clamp down and leave to dry or an hour.
10. Once dry take the book, and take off the waste pages. Do not open the book as the spine will still be quite fragile.
11. Add end pages, by glueing 4mm and adding them onto the spine. Billy mentioned opening a book can be compared to watching a film. The end pages could be likened to the opening credits. Depending on the content of the book you don’t want to be opening straight up onto the first page, therefore a couple of end pages at the beginning and end of the book creates a more finished feel.
12. Cut down a piece of fray-not which is a material that binds the spine together. Allow for 4mm on each side of the spine. Mask off the spine then glue adding the fray-not and pressing it down using a bone folder or the back of your nail.
13. Cut down a piece of card that is approxiamtely 2mm thinner than the spine yet the same length or longer (it doesn't matter if it or the fray-not is longer as it will be trimmed later) PVA the strip of card and rub it on to the fray not on the spine. This card gives the spine rigidity making it sit square with the rest of the book when placed down.
14. For your cover it is best to use something that is sturdy but will also fold well, I have used 180gm and this works well for a soft copy book. Cut the cover down so it is the same height as your book, check it has enough length to cover both sides of the book and more if you want tabs. Draw a line using a set square and score using a bone folder or the back of a scapel blade. Then measure the spine and score another line for the spine to sit into, it is better to have a smaller gap here than a bigger one as you can mould your cover to the book. To score the lines I have used a piece of wood that has grooves, you can make one of these really easily in the wood work shop, it just creates a really exact score. Once those two lines have been scored, turn the piece of paper over and measure 1cm exactly from the spine on eith side head and tail, score these lines - these will create a flap to open the book without opening it all the way to the spine.
15. Fold each of these lines up aginst a ruler using a bone folder or back of your nail on the other side.
16. With the cover ready mask off the fray-not and PVA over the spine and 4mm into each cover, pasting the fray-not. Then slot your book into the cover and bonefold each side, making sure your book is snug inside the cover.
17. Now decide on the length of your tab and cut both down to exactly the same width from the fore-edge.
18. Bonefold down the for-edge of each tab and bend the tab inside folding if down hard.
19. Trim the head and tail off the book using a set square and steel ruler to the height size you want. Remember to keep pressure on the steel ruler the whole time whilst doing lots of light cuts aginst the ruler, don't press too hard on the scapel as it will cause the paper to bend or tear.
Check out youtube for some more techniques.
Billy mentioned that book binding is very hard to learn from following books as alot of the tehnique comes from watching the movement of doing something. It is quite hard to describe each action but I hope this blog helps. I am really happy to put on a work shop (although I am by no means an expert) to show you the bindings we learnt. If you could send me an email if you want to attend I could work out where we could do it and supplies etc.
The advantage of the french fold page, is that you can print single sided so you don’t have to wory so much about the printing registration that can become difficult when printing at home on inkjet printers.
For this binding I have used:
1 set square
1 steel ruler
1 bone-folder (can buy from falkiners)
Fray-not
Size 4 Scapel
Fresh Size 10A Blades
Roller + tray
PVA
2 mini g-clamps (preferably a work-bench or vice)
Paper - for french fold be careful not to use too thick paper as it can become quite bulky when doubled up.
Cover - 180gm card, I htink this is just trial and error have a play.
1. Determining grain direction
Grain originates in the way the paper is formed. Paper is made up of many small fibers which are considerably longer than they are wide. Because of movements used in forming a handmade sheet in the traditional Western manner--dipping into and pulling out of a vat--the fibers are naturally oriented in a direction parallel to this motion. The "papermaker's shake" which is done right after the mould is lifted from the vat is intended to aid the distribution of pulp evenly across the surface of the mould. It also, however, helps compensate for the common alignment of fibers and provides strength to the sheet. Nonetheless, there is still a marked grain in most handmade sheets made in this manner.
It is really important to determine the paper grain and to work with it. The grain must always run parallel to the spine, otherwise the paper wil wrinkle, buckle and curl because water in the adhesives causes paper to expand and contract at different rates in different directions. This is alos important for when you open and flick through your book, if the grain direction is not parallel with the spine the book when open will feel strange and flicking through will be slightly difficult.
You can determine the grain from a number of tests:
a) cut a thin strip from both the horizontal and verticals of the page, mark them both then hold them up against each other, then the other way round the one that falls has the grain going along it ie in the picture below the one falling was from the horizontal strip indicating the grain is horizontal from this piece of paper.
b) bend the paper horizontally and then vertically, the direction that has the least resistance is with the grain, the most resistance is against the grain.
c) cutting another section from the horizontal and the verical of page dab both with some water (or spit if you prefer) the one that curls has the grain going from top to bottom vertically.
2. Cut all paper to exactly the same size – it will be cut down again later, so don’t trim exactly to your printed material or exact desired book size yet.
3. Fold all paper in half using a bone folder preferably or the back of your thumb nail or ruler, when scoring, folding or gluing remember to apply pressure in the middle first and move outwards. This avoids any unwanted bubbles and dodgy creases.
4. Make sure all the folds are facing the same way. The edge at which the folded pages open will be the spine. Knock up the book to the fore-edge and holding it tightly, use a set-square to cut the spine down to ensure all the pages are exactly at a right angle to the head and tail of the book.
5. When cutting lots of pages together use a steel ruler. Apply pressure to the ruler and using a fresh scapel - the trick is to do lots and lots of light cuts. The more pressure you put on the paper trying to force the scapel down will bend the paper leaving you with a messy edge. It takes quite a lot of time to cut through a thick book, focus on keeping the scapel at the same angle. Billy mention he angles it in towards the ruler ever so slightly and he has found this ends up giving a flatter edge but really slight like 10 degress.
6. Next make some waste pages and glue them (just about 4mm to each side of the book right onto the spine) so as not to get glue on the actual book when binding the spine.
7. Cut two pieces of grey board down so they are exactly the same height as the book but about a third of the width. Knock the book up to the fore-edge and place the grey boards rather side of the fore edge. Then place the book in a vice – you can use either a work-bench or I’ve improvised with some Mini G-clamps.
8. Push the spine away from you to create a fan and glue along the exposed paper, then do it the other way. Next pinch the head of the pine and waggle to and fro along the whole spine. Pinch again, then if there are any gaps fill them in with PVA. Leave until its still a bit tacky.
This beginning of this video shows how this step should be done, don't follow it all the way to the end unless you want to make a hard back book.
9. Put book on table, place a bit of tissue over the book then a piece of wood or anything quite heavy and flat – clamp down and leave to dry or an hour.
10. Once dry take the book, and take off the waste pages. Do not open the book as the spine will still be quite fragile.
11. Add end pages, by glueing 4mm and adding them onto the spine. Billy mentioned opening a book can be compared to watching a film. The end pages could be likened to the opening credits. Depending on the content of the book you don’t want to be opening straight up onto the first page, therefore a couple of end pages at the beginning and end of the book creates a more finished feel.
12. Cut down a piece of fray-not which is a material that binds the spine together. Allow for 4mm on each side of the spine. Mask off the spine then glue adding the fray-not and pressing it down using a bone folder or the back of your nail.
13. Cut down a piece of card that is approxiamtely 2mm thinner than the spine yet the same length or longer (it doesn't matter if it or the fray-not is longer as it will be trimmed later) PVA the strip of card and rub it on to the fray not on the spine. This card gives the spine rigidity making it sit square with the rest of the book when placed down.
14. For your cover it is best to use something that is sturdy but will also fold well, I have used 180gm and this works well for a soft copy book. Cut the cover down so it is the same height as your book, check it has enough length to cover both sides of the book and more if you want tabs. Draw a line using a set square and score using a bone folder or the back of a scapel blade. Then measure the spine and score another line for the spine to sit into, it is better to have a smaller gap here than a bigger one as you can mould your cover to the book. To score the lines I have used a piece of wood that has grooves, you can make one of these really easily in the wood work shop, it just creates a really exact score. Once those two lines have been scored, turn the piece of paper over and measure 1cm exactly from the spine on eith side head and tail, score these lines - these will create a flap to open the book without opening it all the way to the spine.
15. Fold each of these lines up aginst a ruler using a bone folder or back of your nail on the other side.
16. With the cover ready mask off the fray-not and PVA over the spine and 4mm into each cover, pasting the fray-not. Then slot your book into the cover and bonefold each side, making sure your book is snug inside the cover.
17. Now decide on the length of your tab and cut both down to exactly the same width from the fore-edge.
18. Bonefold down the for-edge of each tab and bend the tab inside folding if down hard.
19. Trim the head and tail off the book using a set square and steel ruler to the height size you want. Remember to keep pressure on the steel ruler the whole time whilst doing lots of light cuts aginst the ruler, don't press too hard on the scapel as it will cause the paper to bend or tear.
Check out youtube for some more techniques.
Billy mentioned that book binding is very hard to learn from following books as alot of the tehnique comes from watching the movement of doing something. It is quite hard to describe each action but I hope this blog helps. I am really happy to put on a work shop (although I am by no means an expert) to show you the bindings we learnt. If you could send me an email if you want to attend I could work out where we could do it and supplies etc.
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