Practical Bookbinding

Preparat

ched. This folding and stitching is, of course, part of the binder's work, so we will begin with the sh

e front side is called the first side, the other side the perfecting impression. Both sides are marked by a number or (more rarely) a letter. This mark stands at the right-hand side at foot of first page and is called the first signature; the second signature takes the same position on the second side of

or

first secon

still another reason for the s

ugh want of care in looking over them, or in the knocking-up in the printing office a few sheets or a whole batch are thrown out of order. According as we are dealing with folio, 4to, or 8vo format we must order the gathering of the sheets and, of course

permost at the foot of the outside right page and all the first signatures at the left on the under side of the

printed columns or the page numbers. The novice finds this by holding the sheet against the light,

3-Holding wh

The right hand holds the paper-folder and creases down the folds,

iddle, brings it over to the left, when it is taken by the left hand and pr

o top (the folder is held slanting

ger sides, nip together, make a short turn so that the left hand brings the sheet with its fore-edge to the folder's body, the l

nd creases from

e, both hands take hold as before, nip tog

om, laying aside sheet to

only to be thoroughly learned by example and imitation; but

d already been folded in quires, as is usually the case with school and hymn books, th

sheets are folded in exactly the same manner, but before the last crease the sheet is turned, creased from bottom to top, and put aside in such a way

k and the single page, is called the head, the bottom the t

last fold is omitted; the second signature lies face upwards at top

éditions de luxe, Bibles, and missals; they are simply fo

the sheet may be folded without regard to the one-sided elongation; after folding the part is cut off with a knife or machine at the proper place and the detached portion inserted in the middle of

nd cut off in the machine, or they may be folded in sections of six-eight sheets and cut open in the fold. For cutting open such sections a v

s. The compositor made a point on both sides between main sheet and inset in the furniture where the division had to b

y be cut with knife and rule or machine exactly throug

slip upon which are four pages or columns side

the left, registered, and creased in the middle, and the d

in sheet in such a way that thumb, middle, and index finger open the sheet about the middle of the upper fold, and raise it so that the right hand can easily slip in the insertion. Whilst doing this, the left hand slips to the back, where the for

to page numbers immediately after printing as before mentioned, strict attention must be given to see tha

ld can only be obtained by pressing the sheets. For this purpose the sheets must first be "knocked up," that is, they must first be adjusted at head and back by knocki

ets at one time, say from 20 to 25: these are moved to and fro between the palms of the hands so that

thus levelled are brought together and they in turn knocked up in the same way. Care must be

ermost, when the sheets will fan out at the back and thus make the counting an easy matter. The left hand counts-pardon, the head counts, but the left hand tells off the sheets in such a way that the middle and index fingers are alternately inserted in 4, 8, 12, 16, &c., whilst c

ting into

re is demanded. Each lot is placed between pressing-boards; these are about 1-1/2 cm. thick and vary in length and width according to the sheets or books to be pressed. According to the grain of the wood we speak of long and cross boards. On top of the upper and un

the front touches the table edge. The pile is drawn on to the front edge of the table, the left hand slips underneath, and the chin presses on top. Whilst raising the upper cheek of the press with the right hand, the pile is inserted between the opened cheeks

he bindery: this is the so-called gathering before folding. This work, as we have already mentioned,

eets laid out

le of sheets in exactly the same position as the others and just as they would be placed for folding; that is to say, for 8vos

ches of 5-6 sheets. The sheets in que

the table or another table standing behind. They are there received by another worker, knocked up, and folded in the middle. If only one worker can be spared for the job, the gathered sections are placed to one side, but each is laid crosswise over the other so that they are easily picked up afterwards for knocking up and fold

ned, the crease well pressed out, and the whole smoothed down quite flat, care being taken that

done. The title, for instance, is seldom printed with the first sheet, but is usually made up

best to cut the sheet in the middle and fold each half separately. It is even worth while cutting the sheet into quarters if the sheets can be pinned

dle, fanned out with a paper folder so that each sheet stands back about 1/2-1 cm. be

s fanned out f

left hand, and with the right draw off the sheets from the top

the back with the pasting side uppermost, that is to say, the sheets are fanned out with the folder in the same way as described for "pulling out," until they lie l

Each leaf has thus a narrow pasted edge by which it is secured to the main sheet. So that the pasted edges do not stick together whilst each sheet is being fixed in its pla

ns fanned out

s slip gently backwards if the right hand bends the batch lightly upwards so that the sheets are pushed to B, the left

ch the parts are to be pasted lies to the left, also with the back edge away from him. Leaf after leaf is taken up, carefully adjusted to back and upper

ge which escaped notice and correction at the proper time, a revised page is printed, and this must be inserted by the binder in the place of the faulty o

er about 1 cm. in width and this is pasted and fixed in the back. If several plates have to be inserted at the same place, or to be fixed at the end of the book, they are joined together in sections of suitable thickness. For this, thin paper is hinged in the back of the book, that is, the two plates are

number left the full size. When all have been properly cut, the edges are fanned out and pasted. Then as many as make up a section are taken up and fanned out a little further, the pasted edge of No

. In case the plates are extra thick, the guard is made four-fold. The width of the guard must be measured to correspond. If a guard of double thickness only is required for filling up, it is cut twice the width of the guard and 3 mm. added for pasting on the plate. This gives 2

in the back on the following plan according to

ions for mount

f the book. Besides, two, three, or more plates can easily be made

oughly dried sections are therefore taken in batches of four or five, knocked u

t 1 cm. in width and same length as the height of the work, cutting a strip for each plate of course. Besides these strips, cut some soft white calico into strips 3 cm. in width. These are pasted, laid quite straight upon a clean board, two strips of paper are placed in the centre side by side on top of the paste

lf; they must be brought to the right size by folding, but in such a way

required with the smallest possible number of creases. Plates which are slightly wider and longer than the size of the book are easily made to fit

tions for folding

the long side must be similarly folded. Larger plates must take more folds, always working on the principle that the length of

f clearness we give illustrations showing the most general methods of folding. The part marked A is secured in its place in the book by mounting

thickness of the folded plates should be equal

d at top and bottom alternately; now they are placed so that they are all trimmed at the top edge: this is much better, because it

section, where they would be caught into the back and injured if the following precaution were not observed. Such illustrations

ss-that is if they have not been gathered in open sheets in the printer

side by side; but as these take up so much less room than the ope

ered sheets and also, if possible, for knocking up and collating, that is, checking the sequence of the sheets. The gatherer begins with the last sheet on the left, draws the top sheet with the right hand on to the left hand held flat to receive it, and so goes along the row, drawing from each pile one sheet, which drops into its place on top of the preceding one in the left hand. This work can be carried on simultaneously by several persons followin

4-Coll

o that the whole pack of sheets springs upwards and spreads out at the back like a fan, and the controlling left hand lets them go one at a time, whilst checking the sequence of the signatures, that is to say,

tion have been misplaced. In such cases the book is laid flat upon the table, the head lying to the top, and, beginning at the title, leaf by leaf is lifted with the point of a knife after the way some ignorant persons have of using a moistened finger. The knife point is not inserted under the leaf lying uppermost but is lightly placed at the top of

he younger generation of masters and men show less and less inclination to learn it. For beating, a stone about the height of a low table, and a surface about the size of a sheet may be used, or a cast-iron plate about 6 cm. in thickness embedded in a block of wood the same height as the stone. Upon this firm base-which, of course, must stand on the ground floor or in the cellar-the b

ze is laid upon the beating stone. The right hand wields the hammer, which must strike the sections (or book) fairly and squarely with the full face. The beating is begun at the edge, and blow after blow is given in gradually lessening c

rk, is that the book should be again pressed for some time-for a night at the least. The beaten volumes are divided into several lots or sections about a

Rolling

ge and wholly imperfect acquaintance with the requirements of our craft. A machine-rolled or unbeaten book is always much better than one imperfectly beaten, for here nothing is demanded but sheer force, and that is always exercised with better results by a machine. As already pointed out, our modern printed books do not require an

same size and passed through the rollers obliquely, the upper back corner being first inserted. It is well to introduce the second lot before the first has quite passed through the rollers; this not only saves the rollers but avoids the extra pressure on the lower

k form. Before we take up this work there is incidental work to be mentioned which comes before the work of binding

thing more than the gathered sheets of a work in a temporary

he event of their being cut open, they

lt to say. Perhaps books stitched in this

sewing work, the sewing frame, is here made use of. A base or bed has on each front corner a perpendicular screw, upon which is placed a movable cross-bar with a slit. This bar is regulated by two screws; lay cords are fas

-Sewing

m. in width are fastened so that at the top they are attached to the hooks and at the bottom are held with a pin. The lot to be sewn is placed rathe

gement on the

to the left and face upwards as shown in the illustration; zinc strips are stretched at the points x. The left hand is introduced into the opened sheets from behind to take

wing frame are divided betwee

The thread is drawn out, except for a short end, the second sheet taken and laid open, and the needle is now introduced to the left of the left strip and brought out to the left of the right strip; and so on, e

ong eye-is used by the bookbinder. A special thread is made

m the sewing frame. Every sheet is now independent of the other, and has a thread in the middle, of which a little may be seen at each needle-hole. These ends are afterwards pasted up in the work to fol

ding, another may begin to holl?nder. It is not till afterwards that the sheets are gathered. Gathered sheets are sewn in the same way, and are more easily knock

ment of threads

apling machine f

od when the finest possible staple closing from the outside is used. For this work a small machine is used, simil

me time with the forefinger, and inserts it in the groove of the machine, which is at the same moment set in motion. With each different sheet

shows the arrangement of

ement of stapl

ces to bring them to their former state for binding they are sure to be more or le

rt or wire-sewn sheets is dealt w

re they were sewn. It is absolutely necessary that they should be made into loose single sheets. This work is called "pulling to pieces." The outer cover is torn off, the thread or wire inside the sheet removed, and the sheets very car

must be well pushed into the back again. The sheet is lightly held half-open in th

must be repaired. A special chapter ought really to be devoted to this, for repairing

to each other, a piece of paper laid over and under, and then well rubbed down. If the tear has not slanting edges, but is clean cut, it is always best to paste the edges likewise and to join the p

nd rubbed down, so that any paste exuding cannot do harm, and besides, it will serve to strengthen a weak pl

and tint. To make the mend less noticeable, the paper should be torn beforehand, that is to say, by tearing one si

traight-edge if a very narrow strip suffices, but if the tear is here also sideways a piece of torn paper must be pasted on. If there are backs, torn off corners, or the like to be put in, a suitable paper is selected, a piece a little larger than the missing p

heets again in proper order, the book

special value as not worth the labour, still it does happen that cheap books-mostly school boo

trips of the required width are cut, laid down in their place, and cut to length with the shears, and wel

must be laid between

(so-called dogs' ears) must be turned up, and two-page illustrations must be pasted away from the back. There are generally single or double leaves at the end of each copy or sheet-these must be pasted on. This work is not done singly, but the whole volume is at once laid open from back to front for pasting. A

re firmly glued to the outside of the back, the latter has first to be softened by smearing it very thickly with paste, and after leaving it some little time the glue may be scraped

wire staples. Great care must be used in removing these and in separating the sheets, so that the bookbinder

s are then made up into sections of 6 to 8, levelled at the back, and overcast with a fine needle and fine

f thin single sheets a