How to Make a Coptic Book

A Coptic binding is possibly the easiest way to bind a book. It is also the one most people are impressed by, because you can see the binding. It's nice for journals and sketchbooks, because it lays completely flat when it's open.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• broadsides of text weight paper such as Mohawk super fine
• waxed linen thread
• bookbinder’s board
• a good-quality decorative cover paper
• a good-quality decorative paste-down paper
• three needles
• awl

Preparing the Textblock

1. Determine the finished dimensions of the textblock. The finished book will be slightly larger.

2. Determine the grain of your paper. Do this by gently folding the paper first one way, then the other. Be careful not to crease the paper. There will be more give to the paper when you fold it over parallel to the grain.

3. Cut your paper to the right dimensions. The sheets need to be twice the width of your finished dimension because you will be folding them in half. Also make sure the grain of the paper runs parallel to the height of your textblock.

4. Depending on the look you’re going for, you can fold the paper and use the bone folder to rip it, giving you a deckled edge.

5. Count out for sheets of paper for each signature (section). You will want 12 to 14 signatures (no less than three).

6. Fold each signature in half, using a bone folder to sharpen the creases. You may want to put a scrap of paper between the bone folder and signature to prevent the bone folder from burnishing the paper.

7. After you’ve folded all of the signatures, jog them together to line the pages up.

8. Alternate the spine of every other signature so it will lay flat, then put the textblock between two boards under something heavy to press the pages tightly for a nice, tight binding.

9. Set the signatures aside.

Preparing the Covers

10. Find the grain of your bookbinder’s board and draw lines down the board parallel to the grain.

11. Cut two pieces of binder’s board 1/8 inch taller and 1/4 inch wider than the finished dimensions of the textblock. Remember to keep the grain parallel to the length of your book.

12. Draw a pencil line parallel to the spine edge of the board. It should be no closer to the spine than 1/2 inch or the holes might rip through the board.

13. Draw crosshairs across the lines where you like your stitches to be. You must have an even number of holes, but the number really depends on what you want. Just make sure the holes are no closer than 1/2 inch to each other and the edge of the board.

14. Place the boards on a sheet of cardboard or another board and use the awl to punch holes through the board at the crosshairs. This will make small bumps on the other side of the board.

15. Use your scalpel to cut off these bumps. Keep the blade absolutely flush with board. You may also want to sand the bumps down a little after this.

16. Cut your cover paper so it’s two inches wider and two inches taller than your cover boards.

17. Place the cover paper on a sheet of waste paper such as newsprint and lightly mist it with water. This will prevent wrinkling after you glue.

18. Glue the paper out by brushing glue from the middle out to the edges. Don’t brush parallel to the edge of the paper. This will stretch it out of shape.

19. Place your cover board face down on the paper.

20. Use your bone folder to run along the surface of the board to work out any air bubbles.

21. Crease the corners of the cover paper at precise 45-degree angles.

22. Trim the corner parallel to this 45-degree angle crease two binder’s board thicknesses away.

23. Glue out the top and bottom turnins.

24. Set the board on the edge of your table and turn over the excess paper with your thumb. Make sure it’s tight.

25. Repeat the last two steps with the spine and foredge turnins.

26. Measure in 3/4 inch from the edges all around and score the paper with your scalpel. Peel the excess away to give a more finished look to the turnins. You may peel some of the binders board away.

27. Use the awl to re-punch your holes that are now covered with the cover paper.

28. Measure and cut your paste-down paper to be one inch shorter and one inch skinnier than the cover boards.

29. Lightly mist and glue out the paste-downs just like you did for the cover papers.

30. Place the paste-downs on the inside of the covers and use your bone folder to smooth them out.

31. Use the awl to re-punch your holes that are now covered with the cover paper.

32. Transfer the placement of the holes to the edges of a cardstock template.

Sewing the Book

33. Lay a signature in a punch box (the corner of a shoebox will do in a bind) and put your template in the center of the signature.

34. Use the awl to punch holes through each signature.

35. Measure out one arm-span of waxed linen thread for each pair of holes. You will need two strands for four holes.

36. Place a needle at each end of each strand of thread. You will use four needles with two threads.

37. Begin sewing the Coptic binding by placing the first signature at the edge of a table.

38. Thread the linen through each hole from the inside out.

39. Hold a cover board to the signature and thread you linen through each hole of the cover from the outside face to the inside face. The threads should now be sandwiched between the signature and the cover.

40. Pull tight by pulling the threads directly out toward you.

41. Go back in between the signature and cover board on the other side of the thread, and back through the cover board, this time from the inside to the outside. Don’t pull tight, leave it looped.

42. Go up through the loop you made.

43. Turn over and pull tight by pulling down.

44. Push threads back into the center of the signature through the corresponding holes, cross the threads to the opposite hole of each pair, and push through to the outside.

45. Compress the spine with the bone folder. Repeat this step every time you attach a signature.

46. Place the second signature on top of the first and align the edges.

47. Thread each needle directly through the corresponding holes of the second signature.

48. Cross the threads to the opposite hole of each pair, and push back to the outside.

49. Tighten the threads and insert your needle between the board and the first signature on the left side of the threads attaching the first signature to the cover.

50. Bring the needle out again on the right side and tighten your threads.

51. Compress the spine with your bone folder.

52. Place the third signature on top of the second and align the edges.

53. Thread each needle directly through the corresponding holes of the third signature.

54. Cross the threads to the opposite hole of each pair, and push back to the outside.

55. Tighten the threads and insert your needle between the first signature and the second signature on the left side of the threads attaching the first signature to the cover.

56. Bring the needle out again on the right side and tighten your threads.

57. Compress the spine with your bone folder.

58. Continue in this manner until the last signature.

59. Lay the other cover board on the textblock. Insert the threads from the outside face of the cover to the inside face of the cover.

60. Bring the needles back out again between the cover and last signature on the left side of the attaching threads, then back in on the right side of the attaching threads. This makes a loop. Don’t pull it tight.

61. Push the threads through the cover again, from the inside to the outside, then go down through the loop you created in the last step.

62. Now tighten your threads by pulling down.

63. Insert the needle on the left side of the attaching threads between the last and second-to-last signatures.

64. Bring the needles out again on the right side.

65. Push needles into the center of the last signature. Be careful not to split the threads.

66. Tie a simple overhand knot using the thread that’s already in the spine fold. You’ll have one knot per hole.

67. Trim the ends leaving a tail that’s about 1/2 inch long. Flatten them; because the thread is waxed this is all you need to do to keep them in place.

[Elfenaura]

on 1/15/2008 Good Lord Ms Sappling. This is detailed - but I'm going to have to do more research. Grain of the paper, bone folder, burnishing, bookbinders board - so many terms I'm not familiar with. This looks like an interesting research project for me. I'm going to learn something totally new. Thanks.