kota's “memex”

https://momijizukamori.github.io/bookbinder-js/

Good tool for imposition: formatting your PDF for printing into signatures.

Tools

Needle

Ideally a medium sized needle (in the 14 to 18 range) with a similar thickness at the eye as the rest of the shank. A dull tip is also good if you're using an awl to pre-punch your holes.

Utility knife

One of the ones with replaceable blades that can be easily snapped off when they become dull.

Ruler

Ideally made of metal, with etched markings, and with the measurements starting at the very end.

Folder

A long narrow tool with smooth edges used to fold paper with crisp clean creases. In an absolute pinch a sharpie or similar round barrel shaped object can be used.

Awl

Basically just a sharp needle with a handle used to pierce sewing holes much more easily than a simple needle.

Materials

Paper

Grain

Commercial paper, like wood, has a grain direction and is easier to bend and fold with the grain than against it.

Books should generally have the grain parallel to the binding. Perpendicular would result in your pages turning in a janky unnatural way, being difficult to fold into signatures, and more importantly will cause big issues as you introduce glue since wet paper will curl with the grain.

Paper is usually sold "long-grained" in which the grain stretches longways over the paper rather than shortways. This is a bit of an issue because for a normal book you're folding the paper in half to create signatures which will be sewn into a book. If you start with long-grain A4 and fold it in into A5 you will have short-grained A5 which means the grain would be perpendicular to the binding instead of parallel.

This is usually solved by purchasing paper 2 sizes up from your book size, so long-grained A3, and cutting it in half to get short-grained A4 which is finally folded into long-grained A5 signatures. Quite a process.

Weight

Generally 70 to 90 GSM is a good choice for the text block of your book.

For cardstock / coverstock you're usually looking in the 150 to 250 GSM range.

Thread

Traditionally linen thread is used.

Project Ideas

Small notebooks

Mothership

Mausritter

Cookbook

Rebinding guidebooks?