• Printing – Double-sided setting on 8.5 x 11 inch paper.  I use acid-free 32 lb paper.
  • Cut the page in half horizontally, as indicated by the red line.
  • Create textblock (the pages inside a book)
    • Imposition – the process of arranging a book’s pages so that once the printed sheets are folded, the pages will appear in the correct order.  I use imposition software for this process.  The diagram below shows the order of pages for a single signature of the book.
      • A signature is a group of sheets folded in half which is worked into the binding as a unit.
    • Print and cut signatures, fold and press
    • Punch holes in each signature using a punching cradle
    • Press for several hours
    • Sew signatures together
    • Glue on endpapers – The first and last pages of a book, glued to both the textblock and the cover.  I use a variety of specialty papers for this process.  
    • Press for several hours
    • Place textblock in finishing press and spread glue on the spine
    • Glue on mull – a strip of cloth that is attached to the back of the textblock and glued to the cover boards.
      • Glue ribbon placemarker
      • Glue on headbands – the decorative roll of cord or thread found at the head and tail of the spine of the text block.
  • Making the cover (case) – The exterior covering of a book made from binder’s board and cloth.
    • Create book cloth – I apply an iron-on adhesive to the back of a piece of cloth.  I then iron tissue paper to the opposite side of the adhesive.  This strengthens the cloth and also prevents glue from leaking through and staining the cover.
    • Cut out binder’s board (a form of pressed or chipboard) for the two covers
    • Glue board to book cloth
    • Glue the edges of cover to board
    • Press for several hours
  • Casing
    • Place textblock in case
    • Glue mull and end paper to boards
    • Press

For more detailed information about bookbinding I recommend the following sites: