fanbinding | Recent Entries

Woo, I haven't done any bookbinding since February, so here's a quick project to get back into the swing of things!

To start off, this is a binding of a cute original oneshot "to be idle and blessed" by whalebone, about a robot who falls in love with a bubbly human gardener. And, like I said last time, this is a Steifbroschure. In his article / dialogue about this binding, Peter Verheyen talks about how this style of binding was often made as a quick, cheaper alternative to a more luxury binding. I just have to say: this method really does take out a lot of the stress of a normal case binding! You build the case right onto the book block, like with the sewn-board binding, so you don't have to worry about accidentally attaching it crooked or anything like that, which is nice! This binding also retains the shoulders that you'd expect in a "normal" book, unlike the sewn-board binding.

( Onto the actual book! )

Overall, I think it turned out to be a very cute, successful project and I definitely want to use this binding again! ^^

sunshine304

This was a project I’d originally started as a Christmas gift but then it turned into a birthday gift instead because it became obvious that I would not be able to finish it in time, especially considering it still had to be shipped. But now I can finally post about it. :D

I’m really proud of how this turned out in the end! I think I mentioned a few times that I struggled some with the typesetting because at first, I’d used a .txt file and that one had a lot of weird mistakes in it – but I didn’t have the time to read the whole book! So I got the .epub which was much better. I went and compared it to the cheap Penguin Classics edition I have, just to check for italics etc. It looked all fine, so hopefully there aren’t any mistakes in there, after all. XD

( Many more pictures and description of the process )

eirenical

Thank you so much for the invitation! What a great idea for a DW community! :D I don't have many resources to share at the moment that haven't already been shared by someone else, but I can share a link to my work so far?

Here is the link to my tumblr tag.

It's a bit disorganized and there are a lot of blank journals in there, too (I've only done two full fic bindings, one of which I'd desperately like to redo), and one partial--still not finished, but there's a lot of me figuring out how everything works, especially further back in the tags, that you may find interesting. ^_^

It's a pleasure to meet you all and I look forward to talking with you! ^_^

thejennster

for all those here who are new to bookbinding, feel free to check out the many resources over at

renegadepublishing! we've got a tumblr full of amazing works created by others in the community, a discord server for talking about all things binding and sharing invaluable resources, and a great community all around!

wrennette

thanks for the invite to the comm! i figured i'd post my saved resources in case anyone finds them useful. my experience with binding is mostly limited to making myself little single-signature books of watercolour paper to paint fanart in, although i've been thinking about making myself larger sketchbooks as well, once i finish off the one i'm currently using (although that may take a while at this rate).

suppliers:

affordable binding equipment: homemade book presses etc. i haven't bought from this supplier but i have seen them recommended elsewhere
hollander metal edge: bookcloth, leather, decorative papers and general bookbinding supplies. i love looking through their papers.
talas: bookbinding and archival supplies. i'm more familiar with their archival materials, but they're of very good quality.
university products: mostly archival and conservation materials, but that does include some bookbinding tools and materials.
a lot of art supply shops will also have good materials and bookbinding tools, i think i got most of the tools i use from art supply shops for other purposes.

tutorials:

what is bookcloth and how to make your own, craftknights: what it says on the tin. i haven't tried it yet, but i saved it because it looked useful and wasn't a video - i find written directions easier to follow
another bookcloth tutorial, big jump press: another written tutorial on making bookcloth that i haven't tested, but saved because it looked useful. the author of this blog has an mfa in book arts, so there are quite a few posts that could be interesting to comm members. they also have a website for their press
sealemon diy youtube channel: sealemon's tutorials are my go to for stitching. i used her chain stitch tutorial to make my first diy watercolour sketchbook and have stuck with it ever since.

mod, if we could get some tags for resources / supplies?

goodbyebird

How to Print Sections or Signatures from a PDF File for Bookbinding by

DASBookbinding.
How to print sections or signatures from a PDF file for bookbinding. (inserting blank leafs to the PDF, uses Acrobat PRP). After formatting, uses Booklet Creator to set size, choosing pages per section and tweaking various printer settings. Then uses finder (on a MAC).

Preparing and Printing Signatures by

JayBooks.
Uses Gutenberg.org for a free book to bind, dl the TEXT file (epub or kindle is great too). Creating a template for book you'll be making in Word (fairly time consuming). Shows how his template looks like after he's set it up, few tips on formatting the book (paragraphs, drop caps, centering select sentences, indents, chapter headers, footers).

Current Music: Lady Gaga - 1000 Doves

goodbyebird

Watch on YouTube

Filmed between March and August 2014, “Men in Sheds – The Bookbinder” displays the art and craft of the Design Bookbinder, by following Glenn and his binding of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” by Truman Capote, which was the set book for the Designer Bookbinders 2014 Bookbinding Competition in the UK.

Whilst showing key aspects of the design and binding process, my primary intention for the film was to portray Glenn’s skill, experience and artistry as well as his dedication to, and passion for, his craft.

Great look into the process of Glenn Malkin, proprietor of Signature Bindings. Sure, lots of fancier equipment the hobbyist won't have, but a lot of details about the process, and Glenn talks throughout.

goodbyebird

One of TikTok and Twitter’s most popular fanfiction bookbinders started out by gifting a physical copy of her favorite work to the original author in March 2020. Known for her intricate detailing, Sam, who goes by omgreylo on Twitter and TikTok, has since created more than 150 books.

“When I actually started, I worked on the bedroom floor with my infant on the bed and nursery rhymes playing on TV,” Sam told The Verge.

Bookbinding started as a way to pass the time in quarantine for many of the crafters The Verge spoke to, letting them learn a new skill and feel connected at a time when the entire world feels isolating. TikTok is crowded with memes about twenty- and thirty-somethings returning to fanfiction, something they haven’t done in years.

Book binders are making fanfiction physical, so it can sit alongside the authorized tales by Julia Alexander.

Bookbinding For Fans

Recent Entries

finished project: "to be idle and blessed" by whalebone (ao3)

Fanbinding: Jane Austen, "Northanger Abbey"

Introduction

more bookbinding resources

some suppliers and resources i like

suppliers:

tutorials:

Typesetting tutorials as I stumble across them =)

"Men in Sheds" - The Bookbinder

MAKING FANFICTION BEAUTIFUL ENOUGH FOR A BOOKSHELF

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