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Bookbinding

Instructions on How to Bind a Book

When I began searching for instructions on how to bind a book I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find a reliable and useful information. I only wanted to create a simple paperback book (I later learned that paperbacks are called ‘perfect bound’ books) but found a huge number of websites that were just republished copies of old public domain books on the subject. It was interesting to learn about the fine craft of hand made sewn books, but nobody was making trade paperbacks in 1912.

I did come across a few helpful websites like NoMediaKings and Brian Sawyer’s Blog. But, they still required tools I didn’t have. I also found images and videos of bookbinding machines which were inspiring, but more complex and expensive than I could ever hope to afford.

The very first set of practical instructions I found for making a book was from Brad Issac’s blog. He was doing exactly the same thing that I wanted to do, printing out PDF ebooks and turning them into paperbacks. He turned that original blog post into a really simple tutorial that he now sells in a low cost report called Store Quality Paperbacks in 5 Minutes or Less.

From those instructions, I worked out the simple method that I used to make my first book. That book is the focus of my first bookbinding tutorial on this website.

I was happy with my results, but wanted to learn more and improve my bookbinding skills so that I could create books that would be indistinguishable from a store-bought trade paperback. Using Gorilla Glue and plain covers was not going to cut it. So I kept searching until a found a really excellent and thorough guide called (ironically enough) “Easy Bookbinding“.

There is a complete review of the “Easy Bookbinding” course on this site, so I won’t repeat myself here. But, my knowledge lept forward after reading these bookbinding instructions. This was also the course that helped me to design the bookbinding jig that I wrote about in this article. The quality and speed of my bookbinding projects were so radically improved that I made a short video demonstration to show off my new ‘bookbinding machine’.

My skills binding books has now advanced to the level where I feel I can produce a finished book that is every bit as good as any book you can find on Amazon.com.

The search for quality instructions for binding a paperback or hardcover book use a glue binding is ongoing. There is always a new technique to use, a new glue to try, or a new jig to build. But you have found the right place to begin your journey.

Make sure to check out each of these resources on the DIY Bookbinding website:

Happy Bookbinding and Self-Publishing!

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8 Comments

  1. Kevin
    January 20, 2009 @ 12:28 pm

    Your page tells nothing about how to bind a book, and everything about advertising other sites.

  2. admin
    January 20, 2009 @ 3:15 pm

    Kevin,

    I have to assume you did not visit any of the links to specific pages on this website that are listed in the body of this article and at the end of this article.

    Either you didn’t bother to look around before making your judgments about this website, or step-by-step tutorials with detailed photos and explanations and tutorial videos don’t qualify as information “about how to bind a book.”

    I’m sorry you did not appreciate me mentioning several sites I found that helped me as I was learning to bind my books or the ebooks I purchased and found helpful.

    I’m sure that there is another website out there that will provide the information you want, in the format you prefer, and with the appropriate level of commerce for your tastes.

    Best of luck in your bookbinding endeavors,

    Andrew

  3. booker
    August 5, 2009 @ 12:23 pm

    Hi Andrew,

    I’m with the last commenter on this one. Your site is called diy bookbinding. the title of this page is ‘instructions on how to bind a book.’

    so a visitor can be forgiven for expecting some detailed instructions, maybe some pictures too. but instead you offer some links to websites that want my money. and even your internal links are as informative as a dictionary.

    sorry you’re touchy about it, but this is not a DIY site. this is e-commerce. you can quit being defensive about it now.

  4. admin
    August 5, 2009 @ 1:37 pm

    Booker,

    I make no excuses for attempting to earn some income from this site. I’m not touchy about that at all.

    But, the article ends with 5 links (2 of which are also mentioned further up in the text as well) to some very detailed bookbinding tutorials on this site which were completely dismissed.

    It probably would have been easier to just delete the comment in the first place, but I like to let people have their say.

    Thanks for leaving a comment,

    Andrew

  5. razor
    March 18, 2011 @ 7:13 pm

    Are you going to have a tutorial for hard cover book binding?

  6. Juliana
    November 13, 2011 @ 11:01 pm

    This website definitely helped me to learn about book binding. I’m going to try it out this week!
    Thanks

  7. Anna C Wood
    March 12, 2017 @ 10:56 pm

    Hi there,

    Your site did answer some of my questions, but you very kindly pointed me to a number of places where I could learn much more. Thank you very much for your help.

    • admin
      March 19, 2017 @ 1:26 am

      Happy I could help. If there is something specific you’d like to see covered, please let me know. I’m working on new content for the site.

      Andrew