DIY Bookbinding

14 DIY BOOKBINDING

Build Cover Boards

You’ll need to cut three boards for your hardback case: the front cover, the back cover, and

the spine. Your local craft store should stock

binder’s board

(a durable, yet flexible board,

about

1

/8" thick) for this specific purpose, but in a pinch, chipboard or illustration board

should also work.

Using your carpenter’s square and utility knife, measure

and cut the cover boards. Each cover should be

1

/8"

longer than your pages on the head, foot, and fore edges.

Every board has a grain, which usually runs the length of

the board. Make sure to cut every board with the grain;

otherwise, if any stretching or warping occurs, the error

will be much more obvious when two boards stretch in

different directions.

The edge on the spine side of the front cover should be

reduced by the thickness of two boards (in my case, ¼"),

to accommodate the hinge. Altogether, then, the front

cover should be cut to ¼" taller than the height of the

book (

1

/8" added to the head and foot) and

1

/8" narrower

than the width of the book (after adding

1

/8" and subtract-

ing ¼").

BUILD COVER BOARDS 15

You now have your rough boards. Before attaching them to your book block, use a medium-grit sandpaper to

smooth out the rough edges. Otherwise, over time, these edges might catch on shelf ...