how to make books
Here are a selection of printable pages that you can use to learn some basic bookbinding techniques. Feel free to use them personally, or to use them for your own bookbinding classes.
Please do not sell them to others, nor charge anyone for their use. These instructions are created as free guides.
However, I would love to hear from you if you have had success using these guides. Please do get in touch with me.
All instructions are provided at your own risk, so mind your fingers when use sharp+pointy things and watch out for papercuts. It's probably a good idea not to cross the road whilst bookbinding, too.
teaching a class at Spike Print Studios in 2008
how-to pages
As you can see I've made these guides available in several formats for your convenience. The .jpgs come out of the compression better than the other formats, so I recommend printing from .jpg rather than the other formats, unless you have a good reason not to. Contact me if you need anything cleared up that's not clear on the handouts.
The guides below were produced for use with my classes, so they're intended to be used alongside practical instruction (and under supervision- please be careful with sharp things).
pamphlet stitch:
japanese-style 4-hole stab binding:
3-section sewing:
(The dog's in there just because there was a dog-shaped gap in the design. so...)
circular book with piano-hinge fastening:
multi-section unsupported sewing:
(With notes showing how to adapt for a supported sewing)
coptic stitch with board covers
single-sheet pamphlet (NEW September 2010. A super-simple way to make a little pamphlet from a single-sided piece of paper.
- .jpg image file
- .pdf acrobat file (Coming Soon)
- .doc word file (Coming Soon)
More soon!
Materials to help you make books are available from the suppliers listed in the links directory, under section 5.
home→resources→how-to pages
“I have decided to speak from the book, the place of my making”