bloglovinBloglovin iconemailfacebookFacebook iconinstagramInstagram iconlinkedinLinkedIn iconpinterestPinterest iconrssRSS iconsoundcloudSoundCloud icontwitterTwitter iconyoutube bananaBanana graphic bananaleafBanana leaf graphic bird-with-leavesBird with leaves graphic blue-chocolate-popsicleBlue chocolate popsicle graphic blue-popsicleBlue popsicle graphic cactus-flower-topCactus w/ flower top graphic cactus-pink-topCactus w/ pink top graphic cactus-yellow-topCactus w/ yellow top graphic cherriesCherries graphic coconutCoconut graphic coffee-cupCoffee cup graphic firecracker-popsicleFirecracker popsicle graphic flamingoFlamingo graphic frozen-bananaFrozen banana graphic kiwi-popsicleKiwi popsicle graphic kiwiKiwi slice lemon-wedgeLemon wedge graphic lime-wedgeLime wedge graphic orange-popsicleOrange popsicle graphic pineapplePineapple graphic pink-chocolate-ice-cream-popPink chocolate ice cream pop grahpic pink-ice-cream-popPink ice cream pop graphic pink-popsiclePink popsicle graphic pink-sundae-conePink sundae cone graphic pink-swirl-conePink swirl cone graphic pizza-slice-basilPizza slice w/ basil graphic pizza-slice-olivesPizza slice w/ olives graphic pizza-slice-onionsPizza slice w/ onions graphic rainbow-swirl-coneRainbow swirl cone graphic rainbow-waffle-coneRainbow waffle cone graphic strawberriesStrawberries graphic strawberryStrawberry graphic sunSun graphic text-helloHello text graphic text-shine-onShine On text graphic text-yayYay text graphic watermelon-largeWatermelon slice (large) graphic watermelon-smallWatermelon slice (small) graphic

Bookbinding University: How to Make a Text Block

Learn the basics of bookbinding

Share

Every Thanksgiving, for as long as I can remember, I get stuck on cheese grater duty. My mom stations me by the kitchen sink and hands over huge blocks of cheddar cheese and charges me with the task of turning those blocks into mounds of golden goodness that would make Scrooge McDuck proud. Quite frankly, I’m pretty sure that Wisconsin has a shortage every Thanksgiving because of all the cheese I’m grating.

Bookbinding University: How to Make a Text BlockThing is…no one really loves grating cheese. It’s monotonous and repetitive and it sorta makes your arms tired after a while. But then..oh…but then, when that gooey mac & cheese emerges from the oven, I can take complete credit for all of its deliciousness. Because we all know that perfect mac & cheese all boils down to impeccable grating technique, right?

So why all this talk about mac & cheese: Well, here’s the deal: text blocks are the “cheese grating” of bookbinding. Creating a text block is not a terribly riveting task, but it’s the most important part. And when your handbound notebook is complete, you will revel in the perfection of that text block.

Today’s Bookbinding University lesson is all about the text block. I encourage you to spend some time with this tutorial and give yourself plenty of practice. Your first one may not be perfect, but that’s okay! After a few tries, you’ll be doing this by memory and won’t even need the tutorial anymore. Stick with it!

The Tutorial HeaderThis tutorial is a longer one, clocking in at 19 minutes and 8 seconds, but I’ve broken it into sections to make it much easier to follow. Below you’ll find minute markers to help find exactly what you need to know!

[ylwm_vimeo height=”400″ width=”600″ ]72243341[/ylwm_vimeo]

00:10 | Marking & Stitching the Text Block Signatures

3:18 | Stitching the First Signature

5:30 | Stitching the Second Signature to the First

8:10 | Adding Additional Signatures to the Text Block

11:17 | What To Do When You Run Out of Thread

14:03 | Placing Adhesive on the Spine of the Text Block

16:32 | Adding Cover Pages to the Text Block

Bookbinding University: How to Make a Text Block | Damask Love Blog

Bookbinding University: How to Make a Text Block

MORE  BOOKBINDING TUTORIALS

How to Make a Text Block | How to Make a Hardcover | How to Make a Composition Style Notebook | How to Make Your Own Bookcloth | How to Make Elastic Closures & Headbands | Perfect Binding

Keep on crafting with these other posts

94 thoughts on “Bookbinding University: How to Make a Text Block”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.