Cased or Letterpress? Pros and Cons of two Methods of Binding

A cased binding has a sewn text block with hinged endpapers on either side.  The case is made as a separate unit and then the text block is glued into the cover.  It is easy to decorate the covers by using an embossing press before or after they are made.

This book structure is suitable for mass-produced hard cover books. All the stress is placed on the hinges when the book is read and the cover can then fall apart as the hinges wear.

Book repairs should never be made with adhesive tapes, but a cover can be repaired and the book made fit for further use by replacing the hinges and repairing a damaged spine.  

Image from: http://www.printing-in-china.cn/Binding.html

A slightly better quality binding is  made by sewing the book sections onto tapes. This is called a supported binding and the hinges will last longer. For personal use it is not much more work to make a binding where the sections of the text block are sewn onto tapes or cords, the spine is rounded and lined and the supports are then laced into the cover boards. An alternative is a split boards binding.

Beginners can then use book cloth to cover the boards. Labels can be printed and attached to the spine  and the result is an easily opened book with a sound structure which will last  during many years of use.

Because this binding method was used for books printed with hand-set type on manual presses, up to the nineteenth century, the binding technique is known as letterpress binding.

About Our Annual Bookbinding Competition

Read about the classes in the Sydney Easter Show Bookbinding section.  A helpful brochure can be downloaded and printed from our website by clicking on

http://www.nswbookbinders.org.au/Images/Exhibitions/BookbindingComp2011.pdf

Although entries are closed for this year there is  information to be had so you can plan ahead.

For More Information visit the RAS  Website:

http://www.sydneyroyal.com.au/328.htm

Although the JCA Steel Competition is no longer, we may have other  alternatives to offer soon.

first tuesday bookbinding club

A group of our members has agreed to meet at the bindery on the first Tuesday of each month for a cooperative study session. If this time suits you, please look at the information  Page and contact the coordinator, Glenda Hutchison, at webmaster@bookbinders.org.au.

What's Available at the Bindery?

Bench space with access to tools, free glue and paste and cutting mats.

Helpful advice from the Monitor on duty.

Open on Wednesdays and 2nd and 4th weekends for member use, $5 per visit or $90 for a year

Materials for sale include leather, paper, bookcloth, boards, adhesives, thread, brushes, tools & more.

Workshops for beginners courses and more complex skill levels.

Get more information and download membership forms from:

www.nswbookbinders.org.au

Pages to Bind

We have ten sets of unbound pages available at AU$40 from the Bindery. Here is the description from Oak Knoll Press.
Etherington, Don BOOKBINDING & CONSERVATION: A SIXTY-YEAR ODYSSEY OF ART AND CRAFT
Foreword by Bernard Middleton New Castle, Delaware Oak Knoll Press 2010 8.5 x 11 inches unbound signatures ready for binding 180 pages
This new autobiography by renowned bookbinder Don Etherington takes the reader through his lifelong journey of bookbinding and conservation. Etherington documents his experiences teaching these trades and traveling throughout Europe and to the United States. He tells of his generous contribution to the conservation effort in Florence, Italy, following the great flood that caused incredible damage to thousands of books. Bookbinding and Conservation is a unique account of the personal and professional life of this important figure in the world of binding and conservation. Etherington's memoirs contain numerous personal photographs that richly illustrate his story. The autobiography is followed by a pictorial catalogue of many of Etherington's fine bindings. This book is an excellent pick for anyone interested in bookbinding and the lives of major bookbinders.

Don Etherington began bookbinding at the age of thirteen and later went on to study bookbinding and design at the London School of Printing. He became Training Officer and Assistant Restoration Officer at the Library of Congress in 1970. More recently, he received honorary membership awards from the American Institute for Conservation and the Guild of Book Workers. His work can be found in collections worldwide.