Brandon Harringtonbookbinder, community educator, library worker
How To Make Books
This page offers instructional resources on hand bookbinding techniques, materials, and tools – whether you are new to bookmaking or seeking to build your existing expertise!
Outline
- Getting Started
- Bookmaking Guides
- Bookbinding Tools and Materials
- Further Study
Getting Started
Books can be made with nothing more than a sheet of paper. Get started with bookbinding with short video tutorials from bookmaker, artist, and Printer Matter, Inc. staff member Chang Yuchen on YouTube. Read more about the series at Printed Matter, Inc.
Bookmaking Guides
This section provides more sources for bookbinding instruction, including more videos, printable guides, and further reading.A Guide to the DAS Bookbinding YouTube Channel
From the DAS Bookbinding YouTube Channel page: “I teach people how to get started with bookbinding and advance their technical skills”iBookbinding | Bookbinding Workshops Worldwide
Landing page for links to “book arts workshops and courses (paper making, marbling, conservation etc.)”Book Arts Web | Glossary of Binding Terms
Adapted from a university preservation department staff guide, this glossary offers free access to bookbinding terminology documented in the Library Binding Institute Standard for Libraries (with citations).
Bookbinding Tools and Materials
Making books does not *require* specialized tools; however, there are many tools and materials made for bookbinding that can make the process easier and facilitate consistent, quality results.DAS Bookbinding | Tools for the Beginner Bookbinder [YouTube Video, 18:38 min]
Check out this YouTube video [18:38 min run time] for an overview of basic bookbinding tools and materials, including suggestions for alternatives where specialized items may be harder to come by or financially inaccessible.Guild of Book Workers: US Supplies & Services
A comprehensive list of retailers of bookbinding materials, tools, and equipment. Links are suited predominantly for working professionals in book arts and conservation; however, visitors can find tools and materials at a range of price points for different applications.
Further Study
- Updates to this section forthcoming.