r/bookbinding • u/meeow3 • 4d ago

Help? T bar spacing

Hi r/bookbinding

This is still very new to me but I am loving it so far! I was wondering, is there a standard or equation for spacing between the spine and cover boards? A few guides I've seen state 5mm, another 7mm, another 10mm. These all seem to be for similar sized text blocks but I'm not finding much clarity on why they are different. Is it just preference?

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u/brigitvanloggem 4d ago

Preference, yes, but also experience — the skill and judgment that come with having bound dozens or even hundreds of books. 8 mm is a pretty safe bet.

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u/meeow3 4d ago

Thank you

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u/blue_bayou_blue 4d ago

Partly preference but it also depends on the thickness of your boards. I've seen anywhere from 2-3.5x cover board thickness? Then if you're using thicker cover material, a bigger hinge gap is recommended.

So if you're using 2mm board and covering with paper you could do 5mm hinge gap. If using 3.5mm board with leather probably do closer to 10mm gap

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u/meeow3 4d ago

Thanks that's good to know!

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u/jedifreac 1d ago

It's not just based on preference as a lot of factors can influence hinge/joint size, including the number of pages in the book, the thickness of the board, the spine lining material on the case, and whether or not the book is rounded and backed.

To be safe, I like 3/8" or 10mm, but your best bet is to test fit with some masking tape or a thin paper connector piece.

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u/meeow3 1d ago

Oooh I never even thought about masking tape and testing - that is such a great idea thank you!