DIY Binding

Do your own binding at home with ease.

Whether for your personal or business use, having books, manuals and programs printed can be costly. Instead of paying for this service, print and bind your own books easily at home. With these simple steps, you can achieve a professional look with ease. Best of all, these projects can be completed with supplies from your local craft and home repair stores.

Print this article

Word processor
Printer
8- by 11-inch printer paper in desired color
8- by 11-inch cardstock in desired color
2 small wood-working clamps
Contact adhesive
Ruler
Scissors

Instructions

- 1
  
  Prepare the document that you are going to bind. Open the document in the word processor and make any adjustments that are needed. Change the left margin of the document to make room for binding. The left margin should be 1.5 inches.
- 2
  
  Design your cover page. Include any pertinent information on the cover page, including title, author, date and event. This page will be printed on colored card stock so do not use colored ink on the cover page. The back cover is a plain piece of colored cardstock but can be modified, if desired.
- 3
  
  Print the document. In the print options menu, check the collate option so that each document prints in the correct order. When you print the document, print one extra document to use as a sample or test when binding. Print one copy of the document before printing the entire batch to make sure the document comes out right.
- 4
  
  Print the cover. Load the colored card stock into the printer. Depending on your printer, you may need to adjust the paper feeder to accommodate the increased thickness of the cardstock. Print one copy of the cover before printing the entire batch to make sure the cover comes out right.
- 5
  
  Separate the printed pages and covers into individual documents to be bound. Check to make sure each document has the correct pages in proper order, a cover page and a back cover. Each document will be bound separately, so keep each stack separate.
- 6
  
  Pick up one completed document and begin the binding process. Organize the document so that all of the pages are lined up evenly. Place a small wood-working clamp along the top and bottom of the book. The clamp should be placed on the short side of the book, leaving the left hand side of the book open.
- 7
  
  Apply a thin layer of contact adhesive to the left-hand side of the document, or the spine. Use your finger to smooth the glue along the edge of the document. Avoid getting the contact adhesive too close to the top and bottom edges of the spine so that it does not drip onto the pages. Allow the contact adhesive to dry overnight.

Tips & Warnings

If desired, you can add a strip of cardstock along the spine of the book using contact adhesive.
This binding process is not recommended for books that are intended for rigorous use as extended wear and tear may degrade the contact adhesive.