Need help making signatures/folios for bookbinding!

iqmdublin

Hi, so taking on a bit of a large writing project at the moment.


I've got 2 options:


1) Buy blank paper to write on, plus the equipment to make my own signatures/folios



2) Buy good quality notebooks with lined/dotted paper and at the end,

de-staple em and stitch them together to make a signature



Plan at the end is to have everything professionally bound with a leather cover


Any suggestions/insights?!

looksee

It depends on the end purpose. If the entire book is an art piece rather than the written content then go with making the separate folios. Even if just the writing matters, if you are going to the expense of leather binding I would not use lined paper - and finding good quality paper that is just folded and stapled does not sound like a very easy option. Further, producing sections is based on folding large sheets, to use ready-cut, destapled sheets is going to produce edges that have to be trimmed again, and you will have to sort out before you start how you write the sheets or the binders will not be able to make sections/folios.

There is a lot of complicated language in bookbinding, you should really go to the binders before you start and establish what exactly you want, and how they want it presented.

iqmdublin

great, ok will get in touch with a local one, thanks a lot

iqmdublin

looksee wrote: »

if you are going to the expense of leather binding I would not use lined paper .

would you have any recommendations for a good place to get decent paper? scouring the art supply stores websites, might be a bit of a struggle to get decent paper, going to need about 420 sheets of A3!

New Home

Reads in Nassau Street in Dublin used to have a good selection, but I haven't been there in years, so I don't know if they still do.

Jellybaby1

I would suggest either Evans or Daintree


https://store.evansartsupplies.ie/

https://www.daintree.ie/

looksee

Yes they would be my thoughts too, though I haven't been in either in ages. (I will only buy stuff if I go into either of them...)

Edit - I am fascinated now, what on earth are you making? That is a heck of a lot of paper, what size is the book? That is four pages (sides) if it is A4, to a sheet - how many to a section? You do realise it will all have to be trimmed so your book would end up smaller than A4. You should really be looking for 'printer's' size of paper 'B' sizes, which give you a bit extra to do the trimming. I think you would be better off buying B1 sheets, but it is quite complicated setting them up to produce the sections - though it is different for producing hand written sections. Back in the day I did production and setting of books and working out the placement of the pages in relation to each other and which way up they went required serious mental gymnastics. There are programs that will do it now for you.

Jellybaby1

I always knew you weren't just a pretty face Looksee!

looksee

Some would say not even...

iqmdublin

looksee wrote: »

what on earth are you making?

hand copying out the bible believe it or not!

New Home

:eek:

Jellybaby1

iqmdublin wrote: »

hand copying out the bible believe it or not!

Both testaments? :eek:

iqmdublin

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Both testaments? :eek:

Yep, isn’t as bad as it sounds! 1,620 pages, so that’s 405 pages, folded double into signatures/folios

Going to Duffy’s bookbinding this week to have a chat about it as per the advice given!

Jellybaby1

Good luck with your project!

looksee

Have you seen this? https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/10/doves-press-bible-published-1904 This is a bible hand printed using a press, but but in real life it is eerily beautiful. I was fortunate enough to see it, there is a copy in the Trinity Old Books library. I am not now religious but grew up a (willing) Christian and know my bible quite well. There is a lot of 'good stuff' in it including some lovely language. What version are you copying? Will it be your handwriting, or calligraphy?

Good luck with the project!

iqmdublin

looksee wrote: »

Have you seen this? https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/10/doves-press-bible-published-1904 This is a bible hand printed using a press, but but in real life it is eerily beautiful. I was fortunate enough to see it, there is a copy in the Trinity Old Books library. I am not now religious but grew up a (willing) Christian and know my bible quite well. There is a lot of 'good stuff' in it including some lovely language. What version are you copying? Will it be your handwriting, or calligraphy?

Good luck with the project!

ah ok, nice article. I've seen a page of the Gutenberg bible that's about it.



Using my own handwriting, which is significantly nicer when I'm using a fountain pen instead of a felt tip or something, and for me that cuts the need out to do any impressive styling, which would take forever to copy it all out with as well. my own handwriting is legible!



translation: not going king james, using a modern translation - New World Translation



Was in the binders today for some advice, and picked up some bundles of paper from Evans off Capel St.



Paper trimmer and ink ordered, almost ready to go!

4068ac1elhodqr

iqmdublin wrote: »

hand copying out the bible believe it or not!

Ah, but transcribed only from memory?

iqmdublin

Kayson Moldy Vagrant wrote: »

Ah, but transcribed only from memory?

: /


not exactly?...