How to Inscribe a Bookplate

Bookplate by Colin Thompson

You couldn't resist that first edition classic, or perhaps a new found love for a modern day author. Whether the book is for yourself or a gift for someone else, it is sure to provide a lifetime of happiness. Bookplates show the ownership and personality of the book and come in all sorts of colors and shapes. Plain, fancy, gold, silver, modern, contemporary, non sticky or adhesive--the choices are limitless and should reflect your personal taste and style. It is going to hold your signature after all.

Things You'll Need

• Fine-tipped pen (acid free)
• Bookplates of your choice (acid free)

Instructions

1. Pick out which bookplate out of your collection that you plan to use for the book you want to inscribe.

2. Fill out the appropriate information on the bookplate before placing it in the book in case you make a mistake, in which case you can start over. Many only ask for "To," "From," and the date. If the book is not a gift, the bookplate should read "This Book Belongs To:" and then you would sign your name. Some bookplates will offer a date space so that you may note the date of purchase.

3. Fill out the appropriate comment on the bookplate if this section is available. This space is used to write to the recipient things like "Happy Birthday," "Get Well" or thoughts as to why this book made you think of them.

4. Peel off the backing to the bookplate to reveal the adhesive.

5. Place the bookplate on the inside front cover, in the middle of the page.

6. Let the ink dry completely before closing the book so that smudges do not occur.

Tips & Warnings

• The front endpaper is the first page you see when you open the book. Many scrapbooking supply stores carry acid-free pens as they provide long life and will not damage the paper. If you are not the author of the book and are not using a bookplate, you can write your inscription on the first free front endpaper. Using this method, you can make the inscription as long or as short as you would like. If you are the author of the book and you are using a bookplate, it is best to have a bookplate that was made by you or your last name initial. Then you would autograph the bookplate and sign your own personal note.

• Printable bookplates from the Internet are fun, but realize that tape and glue can potentially harm books and pages over time. When inscribing a book without a bookplate, don't use regular pens and markers as many inks are not acid free and could damage the pages in the book over time.

References

• Caring for Books and Bookplates: Inscribing Books and Bookplates
• Where is the Proper Place to Sign a Book or Leave Comments?
• Should One Always Inscribe Books They Give as Presents?

Resources

• Free Printable Bookplates
• Customized Bookplates