Bookbinding is a Game of Inches

(And 1/4 inches, 1/16′s, 1/32′s, centimeters, millimeters, points, picas, microns, etc….)

Bookbinding is truly a game of inches and less. Communication of specifications can often get twisted when 2 parties (such as a printer and a bookbinder) have never worked with each other before. Being 100% accurate requires careful listening on both sides of the equation. Finding a good and willing bookbinder to partner with can be worth his or her weight in gold!

Here’s a few things to keep in mind:
1) Page Counts: The bindery counts a page as 1 side of a sheet of paper. For example, if you are holding an 8.5 x 11″ sheet of paper in your hand, you are holding 2 pages. Please refer to sheets (or leaves) in the same way the bindery calculates this and it helps everyone.

2) Supplied Size vs Final Size: The bindery often must perform some trimming or possible grinding on the spine edge (if perfect binding), so please ask the bindery what book block size you need to supply in order to achieve the correct FINAL SIZE. For example, if you supply a book block to the bindery as 6 x 9″, it will most likely need to be trimmed down on either 3 or 4 sides after binding, so don’t expect to receive a 6 x 9″ book if you supply a 6 x 9″ book.

3) Plan Margins and Gutter Allowances: Each of the different binding methods will have a different possible margin allowance. The bindery should be able to tell you what is a typical “safe area” to follow. The “safe area” being the distance you want to keep copy and images away from the gutter area to avoid being cut off or lost. The outer margin allowances are also suggestions on what will make for a nice looking final product, but the decisions of margins and how close to keep copy away from the borders is always the customer or book designers’ ultimate decision.

A nicely designed book that fits perfectly into all parameters of it’s manufacturing method is truly something to behold. The communication that takes place to make all this happen is often overlooked, and neglected. The unsung heroes day in and day out are the production people, customer service reps and pre-press department types. Let’s not forget company receptionists, accounting office managers, shipping departments and delivery drivers. Make sure you give praise to those people along the path who make your books look good. It was a team effort!

(C) Copyright 2012 Martin Pugh All Rights Reserved.
Bookbinding is a Game of Inches

Tweet