OUGD504 - Design for Print - Book Binding Production Workshop

The module requires me to focus a lot on the production of the publication so I looked into different types of binding. Different binding methods are required depending on it's purpose.

Japanese Stitch

Different variations of stitch can make the publication more aesthetically pleasing and bespoke:

Hardback:

Pros

• Allows single sheets of paper to be bound together without a fold.
• The stitch is visible from the outside cover - Decorative
• Simple equipment required
• Paperback and hardback 
• Easily add in different coloured stocks which won't effect the book later on. 

Cons

• The binding takes up a lot of room so binding allowance needs to be considered. 
• Particularly with hardback, the book won't completely open 
• Cant be produced on a commercial scale 

Perfect
Perfect binding is commonly used for catalogs, directories and paperback books that have a higher page count. Pages are glued together at the spine with a strong, flexible glue. The cover is wrapped around the glued pages, and the brochure or catalog is then trimmed to its finished size.

Pros

• Smart, professional finish
• Strong - Depending on size 
• Widely used in industry
• Helps the book hold its shape
• Printable spine
• Ability to use a variety of paper weights, colours and finishes nearly anywhere you like.

Cons

• Time consuming when produced by hand
• Risk of ruining prints
• Pricey
• Publication won't open flat on its own
• Can lose design in the gutter

Pur Binding

This is where the sections are gathered on top of each other then glued with a square spine. This style is best suited to books, booklets and brochures that will be in use daily, as the glue is more flexible and lasts longer than perfect binding.

Saddle Stitch

I produced 4 notebooks during PPP for last years project using saddle stitch techniques. This is a 5 stitch:

Here you can see where the binding holes are evenly spaced down the spine of the book:

It is a simple technique that requires basic tools such as a needle and thread and bone folder. I have a lot of experience with this technique as it is quick and easy for simple publications.

Pros

• Very easy and simple technique 
• Flexible
• Lightweight 
• Cheap
• Adaptable

Cons

• Too many pages causes the bind the bulge so the book loses shape
• Can be fragile depending on gsm of stock
• Limited amount of paper variations within the piece. For example, if you are stitching two 16-page forms together to create a 32-page self-cover brochure, and you want pages 3 and 4 to be red paper, then pages 1 though 8 and 25 through 32 will also be red paper. However this can benefit a publication, depending on the purpose. 
• No spine

I produced a variation of the simple publication:

Double Spine Pamphlet 

Essentially two saddle stitch publications sewn into each other to create a double spine, giving the publication more rigid. 

Inside the publication is excess paper from where combined covers link the pages:

This could be utilised as a small insert, combining production with concept which shows how adaptable the method is. It can also be hardback which allows the book to open flat - This is something I am looking for as a lot of coffee table books don't lay flat. 

Constantine 

During the first year book binding induction, I was introduced to this type of publication and experienced the techniques and processes used to make a hardback constantine.

Pros

• Can be folded in and out easily
• Flexible
• Content can flow
• Unique

Cons

• Limited size
• Fragile

Hardback

During the bookbinding workshop we created a hardback publication using saddle stitch.

Useful technique for making sure the spine is in the right distance between the front and back cover:

Important to remember the cover needs to be 3mm bigger than the paper stock inside and 5mm bigger than the spine of the book so that the cover completely covers the paper to get a professional finish:

Below is the same method of binding as the double spine pamphlet, however the hardcover has been sewn together with adhesive binding tape. The mount board hasn't been covered so the texture is revealed giving the publication a modern rustic look, especially contrasting with the matt black binding tape:

This would represent Bristol's rustic and dynamic culture. Looking at the aesthetics of the book, the feel of the mount board makes the publication multi-sensory. There is also potential to screen print the title/cover onto the mount board and also emboss it because the stock will be thick enough.

The publication breaks up in the middle when folded flat to reveal the stitching, adding to the bespoke quality and ultimately price range. My publication will be aimed at a high priced market because I am aiming to use bespoke, handmade techniques.

Stitching is adds to the aesthetics:

Stitch is visible inside the publication when opened at the centre of the book. This can be used as an advantage by splitting the books content into two sections using the binding method - IN/OUT

Cloth Cover

Instead of using .... cloth can be used in the same process. The example below has taken scrap cloth from the printed textiles studio which highlights the random and expressive areas of colour and texture:

This would reflect Bristol's diverse culture because of the random and expressive line, shape and colour. Recycling materials would be appropriate for my publication based on Bristol because they were nominated for the Green City Award for their care for the environment.

Coptic Stitch

One of the most complicated stitches as it essentially binds small booklets together into one publication:

The binding method is unique because it doesn't have a spine which means the binding stitch is exposed - This adds to the bespoke aesthetics of the publication which would be appropriate for my concept.

Without the spine the book easily opens flat on its own so the reader can see the content without the gutter getting in the way. This will be useful for full bleed images as the whole image can be seen.

Pros

• Non-adhesive
• Opens flat
• Aesthetically pleasing
• Bespoke
• Adaptable

Cons

• Long binding process
• The lack of spine means the publication is exposed - Fragile
• Risky process - High risk of making a mistake - Binding needs to be tight.

Irma Boom

Boom is a Dutch graphic designer who specialises in book making. Her books are distinguished by her experimental approach to formats and a willingness to take design risks; she incorporates the often-overlooked edges of books into the overall design, is happy to challenge the assumption that a lengthy book requires an index or individual page numbers, and has produced an all-white book for Chanel that relies on embossing rather than ink to convey the content.

This video demonstrates Boom's experimental approach to publication design:

http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/reputations-irma-boom

'A designer starting out today would find it impossible to replicate Boom’s career. That is in part because of the digital revolution, but in greater part because the Dutch design scene that provided Boom with opportunities has changed utterly. The Government Printing and Publishing Office (Staatsdrukkerij), where she started her career, saw design as a tool to elevate the masses. It offered her the space to hone her skills before she set off on her own.'

Boom has been lucky because she's been able to develop her practice in time for the digital age. There is now a market for bespoke and well produced physical publications because the digital age is a plethora of information and people are looking for physical and tactile publications. 

Petra Blaisse, Inside/Outside, Movements, 2000

Boom designed and made Petra Blaisse's publication for his exhibition in New York:

The content of the publication is all image based, however Boom has di-cut into the pages to reveal windows of extra colour and texture. I believe she has done this to reflect Blaisse's exhibition Inside/Outside concept. The publication is perfect bound which is appropriate for mass production and durability. I read an interview with Boom from typotheque:

https://www.typotheque.com/articles/irma_boom_book_designer

'If I look through your body of work, I see clearly that it was made by one person, there are also elements that reappear in your work. For example, you always use printing on the edges, you like die-cutting holes through the book, using two or three typefaces. Isn’t it just stylistic gesture?'

'No, not at all. If I do cut holes in pages, it is always for purpose. I can’t design without an idea.'

This emphasises how design decisions need to be considered and justified so that the outcome is objective.

Boom's publication for Sheila Hicks: 'Weaving as Metaphor':

An example of what her book design can do for an artist. The page edges were hacked with a circular saw to evoke the fraying edges of Hicks’s textile work – the book’s appearance has been compared to a bale of cotton. This is an example of how the content can help to inform the production of a publication. 

Hardback books traditionally contain professional, successful content because they are often difficult and costly to produce. The content in my publication will be visually striking so I thought I could reflect Bristol's diverse culture and typography inside a very traditional hardback publication. This will juxtapose diversity with tradition.

To achieve this, I could make the cover minimalist so the audiences attention is focused on the physical aesthetics of the book and then when they open it, they'll be surprised and intrigued by the diverse content. Influenced by the bookbinding workshop, I can use the grey mount board to capture the raw physical characteristics of a book. Mount board is often made out of recycled materials which will reflect Bristol's care for the environment. This shows how my research into my concept has influenced my production method.