How to Bind a Paperback Book
In this article you will learn how to bind a paperback book. Binding your own paperback book is a quick and easy process to learn. Whether you are binding an ebook, your own works, or a paperback book that is in need of repair, the process is the same. Aside from the time it takes the glue to dry, you can be finished with your project in 5 minutes or less by following the steps found here.
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Things You'll Need
- A group of papers you wish to bind
- A legal sized sheet of 24lb card stock
- Cotton balls
- Water
- Heavy duty glue
- Phone book or other heavy object
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Scissors or paper cutter
Instructions
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Instructions
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Gather the papers you wish to bind. It is best to have papers that are all the same size when binding a book. If you are binding an online ebook, or a book, article, or report that you have written, all you need to do is print the material out. If you have a paperback book that is need of rebinding simply remove as much of the old binding as you can and follow the same steps.
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Make sure all pages and edges are even. You can do this, by holding the papers on either side and tapping them on a hard surface until all the edges are even.
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Place the papers that are to be binded under a phone book or other weighted object to hold them still and to make sure they stay even while your are applying the glue.
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Apply glue to the spine of your book. To begin doing this, place a cotton ball in water and run it once or twice down the length of your spine. You can then use the cotton ball to apply any heavy duty glue to your spine. Once the glue is applied, the papers need to remain in place under the phone book until they are completely dry.
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Prepare the covering for your book. Lay the legal sized sheet of 24lb card stock or other binding material out on a flat surface. You will need to gather the The next
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Measure the width of the papers you are binding. If your papers are a standard 8 1/2 x 11 inches, then your width measurement would be 8 1/2 inches. Use a ruler and mark this width measurement with a pencil starting from the edge of your card stock working your way in.
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Measure the thickness of the papers you are binding. When you have this measurement, start from the point where you marked the width of the papers and work your way further across the card stock.
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Mark another length of the width of your papers. For example if the book I am binding is 2 inches thick, and the papers were 8 1/2 x 11 inches in size, I would mark 8 1/2 inches and then 2 inches and then 8 1/2 inches again. Once you are done measuring you can cut off the excess card stock, and fold your covering so that it forms the skeleton shape of a book. It is easier to bind papers to a cover that has already been shaped, instead of a flat piece of card stock.
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check to make sure the first layer of glue is dry, and then apply another layer of glue to the spine and place the papers into your constructed cover. .
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Place the binded book back under a phone book or weighted object until the glue is dry. Once the glue is dry you are finished, and you have now learned how to bind a paperback book. Please see the resources below for more great information on binding your own books
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Tips & Warnings
Always keep the papers under a phone book or weighted object until the glue is dry.
Use a paper cutter for more concise measuring and cutting.
Fold your book covering before placing the papers into it.
Some glue is harmful to inhale, please read product labels before use.
