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madeleoneBack again with #3 of adventures in bookbinding. (also posted at LJ).
When I first started learning about bookbinding one of the first things I learned was the importance of learning about and using the proper paper grain. "What?" you say. "Paper has a grain?" "I know, right?" I reply."Who knew?" I had no idea such a thing existed, but it does. For a more detailed explanation about what paper grain does, check out papercraftpanda's post HERE. Basically (aside from hand made paper) the wood fibers tend to align themselves all in the same direction during the manufacturing process.
For bookbinding you want the grain to run parallel to the spine for a reason. So if (like me) you're using letter sized 8.5 x 11"you want short grain that runs across the 8.5" side. Because when you fold it over from top to bottom (to make your folios for your signatures) you're creasing it across the short side, and folded edge will be your spine. (So the book block ends up being about 8.5 x 5.5" or a little less after trimming). In the beginning it was all a mystery to me trying to decide which way the grain of the paper, or cardstock, or book boards, were running, but now I usually tell by feel without any problem.
Do you really need short grain paper to make a book? Not necessarily, for the journals and art books I made for my grand kids I used regular copy paper (which is usually long grain), or cheap drawing pads from the $store.) But there are reasons (again check out the post I linked above, she explains them) that if you want a book you're going to keep and actually read, you really do want the correct grain. And personally if I'm putting all that time and effort into making a book I want to do it correctly. Here is an example of what can happen with the wrong grain: book on the left is short grain, book on the right (I thought was short grain, but obviously I messed this one up). See how the book on the right the pages won't stay down? I'm pretty sure the grain is running perpendicular to the spine instead of parallel. When I first opened it today, it wouldn't even stay like that, the pages all started slowly flipping to the opposite side until they all lay to one side (it was like it was possessed--creepy huh?)
(I don't know why these posted so small, but if you click on the pic it will go to a bigger version.)
Now on to the pretties:
This was the 3rd of my own fics I bound: Days of Wine and Wizards. It's a threesome fic with LM/HG/SS. It was written for the 2012 lm_hgficxchange over on LJ, and posted to AO3 in June of 2012. I make my own book-cloth and I really liked the print and still do, but now I think it's too 'busy' although it may have been okay with a simple title on the cover. This cover design was also made by my daughter before I got a cricut of my own, and she did just what I told her I wanted: Some type of grapevine border and wine glasses on the cover (Most of the story takes place at Lucius' estate in France that includes vineyards).
end papers
back cover and quote from the book.
This is the first book I used fan art in. this is by piperlina. I think I found it on Deviant art or on pinterest. Each chapter page had different art and also at the end of the book. I didn't want to take up too much space and bore everyone just posting the illustrations though. Here you can also see that I hadn't got the hang yet of measuring the overhang for the covers, They should only be about 3 or 4 mm, but I'm always afraid they'll be too small and leave a little extra, I'm getting better at it now.
I'll be back soon with another post and more pics. The next book is what I like to "call the case of the disappearing title". I'll let you wonder about that til' I come back. LOL!
When I first started learning about bookbinding one of the first things I learned was the importance of learning about and using the proper paper grain. "What?" you say. "Paper has a grain?" "I know, right?" I reply."Who knew?" I had no idea such a thing existed, but it does. For a more detailed explanation about what paper grain does, check out papercraftpanda's post HERE. Basically (aside from hand made paper) the wood fibers tend to align themselves all in the same direction during the manufacturing process.
For bookbinding you want the grain to run parallel to the spine for a reason. So if (like me) you're using letter sized 8.5 x 11"you want short grain that runs across the 8.5" side. Because when you fold it over from top to bottom (to make your folios for your signatures) you're creasing it across the short side, and folded edge will be your spine. (So the book block ends up being about 8.5 x 5.5" or a little less after trimming). In the beginning it was all a mystery to me trying to decide which way the grain of the paper, or cardstock, or book boards, were running, but now I usually tell by feel without any problem.
Do you really need short grain paper to make a book? Not necessarily, for the journals and art books I made for my grand kids I used regular copy paper (which is usually long grain), or cheap drawing pads from the $store.) But there are reasons (again check out the post I linked above, she explains them) that if you want a book you're going to keep and actually read, you really do want the correct grain. And personally if I'm putting all that time and effort into making a book I want to do it correctly. Here is an example of what can happen with the wrong grain: book on the left is short grain, book on the right (I thought was short grain, but obviously I messed this one up). See how the book on the right the pages won't stay down? I'm pretty sure the grain is running perpendicular to the spine instead of parallel. When I first opened it today, it wouldn't even stay like that, the pages all started slowly flipping to the opposite side until they all lay to one side (it was like it was possessed--creepy huh?)
(I don't know why these posted so small, but if you click on the pic it will go to a bigger version.)
Now on to the pretties:
This was the 3rd of my own fics I bound: Days of Wine and Wizards. It's a threesome fic with LM/HG/SS. It was written for the 2012 lm_hgficxchange over on LJ, and posted to AO3 in June of 2012. I make my own book-cloth and I really liked the print and still do, but now I think it's too 'busy' although it may have been okay with a simple title on the cover. This cover design was also made by my daughter before I got a cricut of my own, and she did just what I told her I wanted: Some type of grapevine border and wine glasses on the cover (Most of the story takes place at Lucius' estate in France that includes vineyards).
end papers
back cover and quote from the book.
This is the first book I used fan art in. this is by piperlina. I think I found it on Deviant art or on pinterest. Each chapter page had different art and also at the end of the book. I didn't want to take up too much space and bore everyone just posting the illustrations though. Here you can also see that I hadn't got the hang yet of measuring the overhang for the covers, They should only be about 3 or 4 mm, but I'm always afraid they'll be too small and leave a little extra, I'm getting better at it now.
I'll be back soon with another post and more pics. The next book is what I like to "call the case of the disappearing title". I'll let you wonder about that til' I come back. LOL!
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Date: 2024-04-15 02:12 am (UTC)