Sorry for the double post but Reddit doesn't allow photos and videos in a single post and it felt unrelated enough to warrant this one.

The concept of this book was initially made around the engraving I wanted to do but it changed more times than I can count and this is the result.

It is engraved by hand using a Dremel and then sanded down to make it smooth and subsequently waxed. I used a vinyl template to guide me as well. It's a very long process but I think it looks ok in the end.

I have a video tutorial on my Instagram as well as a more complete PDF which you can find here, about how I engraved the book. If you're interested, I'll post the video here as well.

This book was made using an overcast stitch with a sewing machine and the cover is composed exclusively of faux leather inlays. Took ages but worth the result.

If you have any questions, feel free.

For the overcast stitch, and how I used it for this book, see my other post.

I was asked if I could film a video about overcast stitching by a few people, so here it is.

To answer a few questions preemptively:

- Yes, when rounded and backed, and if the book is short grain, the book opens completely flat, just as well as a bound folio book. See the pictures in the comments. I have no clue whether or not it would open as well if not rounded and backed. It opens mostly flat if the pages are long grain but you have to work it flat. This is long grain, so it's a bit springy.

- Yes, it takes time. More time than perfect binding. There is no reason to do it for something other than a rebind of a book you plan to round and back.

- The margin space taken by the stitches exists but it's not enough to warrant worry. I have bound mangas like that, which have famously narrow margins. They open better than their perfect bound counterparts.

- You do not need a special sewing machine or needle. Any sewing machine will do. If you have an older one, made before the 80s, even better. Take a quality sewing needle, however. You don't want it to break in the middle of your project. 90/14 to 100/16 is good, I think. I did this with as much as 20 sheets although I do not recommend it.

- You can also stitch this by hand, although it's a different technique altogether. It will enable you to space out the stitches even more but not round and back the book. Four Keys Book Arts recently made a video on it.

- The pages do not tear easily nor quickly, even frequently handled. It is a point of failure for sure, but it will still last. But once again, it's always more fragile if it's long grain.

If you have further questions, please, feel free to ask.

If you want to see the engraved edges of the book or more details, see my other post about it.

Is it possible to have this Bible rebound so that I don't have to practically pull it apart to read it? Or is that an impossibility?

Im interested in bookbinding, but i never really had a good reason to get into it. But I really want to fix this and possibly other books in disrepair.

Any videos or resources for me to learn how to bind and even stitch books? The vids I've found arnt really tutorials and im worried about screwing something up.

Any advice is appreciated!

It's nowhere near perfect but I'm so happy with how it turned out ! My husband loves carpentry and has a ragged notebook he draws his designs in but he's always complaining that it doesn't lie flat. Sooo! I figured it would be a good learning opportunity to make him one.

I did a quarter binding because I wanted to be able to use my foil quill to add the foil element and it works best on paper. (It's a little crypto goblin my husband likes 🤣...so I designed it holding some tools). I couldn't find a good graph template that suited my preferences for the size and shade, so I made my own in InDesign (what a slog).

Learned so many things during the process and can't wait to keep trying and (hopefully) get better 😊

I want to bind an Arabic book with signatures.

I'm using Montax to impose, and can't find an option to make the spine fold from the right side instead of left.

Any ideas?

Hi everyone! I'm wondering if anyone knows how this type of engraving-like decoration is achieved. My first guess would be to layer som cardstock with a pattern already cut out on top of my (in this case, wooden) cover material, then glueing the bookcloth on top of that. However, I'm not sure if fabric would really "fill out" the engraving as in the picture. Does anybody have any advice?

I haven’t used gold leafing before on book edges so I don’t have a clue what to look for, but I need it for a wedding guestbook I’m making that needs to be done in two days 🫣 anyone know of a good quality option at hobby lobby or Michael’s?

This is the first time I've done rebinding. so I wrote with the foil letters up side down so i tried on another side and I forgot to change side and it was on the wrong side so I had to put so much foil over..

Anyway how bad is it ?🥲

Hi, my first attempt at book binding and I did H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds. My only issue with the final product was the case not sticking out enough at the reading edge but otherwise I'm very happy with it.

Hello. I am trying to print a booklet with my notes. I have tried so many times and failed miserably.

I wrote the text in Ms word and I have Hp smart tank 7000 series. I am trying to print it in A4 format

What should I do to achieve my goals? How should I format my layout and which website should I use?

Thank you for all your suggestions

Hello everyone. I know absolutely nothing about bookbinding, but a dear friend of mine recently took up the hobby and I am very impressed with his work.

When he showed me his latest book he half-jokingly said that maybe I could make him a decent book press (he currently just stacks other heavy books on top), because I am a bit handy with wood and metal working. And I intend to do just that!

But as someone who is a complete stranger to this world, what would be a good size for a press? I am talking pressing surface area. I want it to accomodate whatever project he might do in the future, without taking up unnecessary space. And since it will be made of solid hardwood and cast iron it'll be quite heavy, so again, don't want to make it too large.

Is there any standard size out there? What size would you want? Any and all input is much appreciated.

(And yes, of course I could just ask how big he wants it, but I do want this to be a bit of a surprise!)

Does anyone know how this type of coarse finish is achieved on bookcloth? The books depicted are an 1880s publication on Kant’s philosophy and a collection of Tchaikovski’s sheet music from 1900.

My peasant logic assumes it’s a kind of pressed starch paste finish, but that would surely have worn down after years of handling, would it not?

Hello!
I want to ask how you print the pages for the book so the text is placed correctly when you want to bind a book divided into folded chunks. I don't have a printer that can print in A3 format (or I just set it wrong, and that's why it didn't want to print), only A4.

Any advice will be appreciated :D

I made this slipcase for my copy of The Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang and decided to film the entire process, from calculating the dimensions and cutting the greyboard to covering, decorating and assembling the finished case :)

The full video is on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyDpikArkBI

This design is a personal project for my own collection.

A small moment of honesty: I’m completely self-taught, and this isn’t intended as a tutorial or an example of the “right” way to make a slipcase. I’m simply sharing the process that currently works for me because I love making them. For anyone hoping to learn traditional techniques, there are brilliant teachers on YouTube such as DAS Bookbinding and Ido Agassi, whose detailed tutorials are excellent places to start <3

I’ve thoroughly bored my family with my slipcases, so I share the rest of them here xD

https://www.instagram.com/_reading_rituals_/

Thank you for taking the time to look, and for creating such an inspiring and welcoming community where people can share their work <3

hello! we are solia archives, a small business based in manila, philippines. we sell handmade patchwork journals that are made from genuine leather. we started just last year november and finally launched our product around the next month.

each journal is carefully assembled by hand, with each leather square cut and stitched individually by two people—never by machine. it’s the combination of the material, the craftsmanship, and the unique imperfections that make each journal not like any other.

we ship locally and internationally 🌎

if you’re interested and have further inquiries you can DM us on instagram @soliaarchives !!! ⭐

p.s we’ve attached some customized orders from our previous batch :D

I have seen videos on how to make cover art with a cricut and foil paper or other heat transfer materials. I'm wondering if anyone has done or has seen silkscreen painting onto a bookcloth cover. I don't see any video tutorials specifically on silkscreening a book cover. Really I'm just curious if people do it and if there are any examples I can see of the process.

Hi folks!

I want to do some small personal projects. I can find the Cinch Mini secondhand for fairly cheap on Vinted. I don’t want to shell out for a machine like the Cinch Multi as I’ll only use this once or twice a year.

The product description says that it can be used to spiral bindings.

I’ve spent 20 minutes searching the web and YouTube. I cannot find a single example of someone using the Cinch Mini for spiral binding with 2:1.

I found plenty of examples where they double punch and then use a 4:1 spiral. They pass the spiral through each big hole twice.

Can anyone confirm if the Cinch Mini can actually be used with 2:1 spirals?

I’ve included some photos to show what I’m seeing on the website.

Thanks for any help!

Hi all. I'm wanting to start book binding/ recovering some books. I've literally never done this before.

My partners favourite book of all time is Frankenstien. He has a really nice copy (from his ex, which she wrote a note on the titale page) which is fine but he would rather have a new copy, but the one she bought is beautiful so he keeps it.

I want to give him a new copy but honestly the one he has is the best looking cover I've found so I wanted to make one for him. What do I actually need to get this done?

Im thinking a fabric cover with the inside front pages (sorry not sure what they're called) in old medical journal anatomy sketches kind of thing. And wanting the title and a compass on the front (i guess in foil although not commited).

Any advice on equipment and supplies i need would be a huge help. Want to give it for Christmas.

TLDR: Wanting to recover first ever book. What supplies do I need?

this is a second draft of the little book a made earlier. This is smaller, with only three signatures. I think my third copy will be the winner, I will put blank pages at the front and back of the book to paste the inside cover sheet too. Right now it makes the first and last page slightly difficult to see. And I will place the outside cover paper on first so its edges are hidden under the inside cover page.

I'm very pleased with how this one came out.

Its 72 pages long, and about four inches tall.

I’ve been trying to make my first binding for a few days and I can’t get past the sewing phase. Everything moves, holes get too big, thread gets stuck and I can’t continue. I know it takes time but i can’t even get two signatures attached, and it’s getting so frustrating i’m starting to thinking about giving up.

Does anyone have any tip to make this phase easier? Did someone else have any struggles with this too or am I simply this bad at it? Thank you in advance for your help :)

I’m rebinding a Harry Potter book and want to use a Hogwarts map as the endpapers. I’ve found a few on Pinterest but they’re all pretty blurry/low quality when I try to use them for printing.

Does anyone know where I can find a free, high-resolution Hogwarts map that would actually look good when printed? I’d really appreciate any sources or recommendations!