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    A Visit to the American Bookbinders Museum

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    Today’s post is written by MyBinding.com Marketing Specialist Tarragon Agostini.

    Part of my job working in the marketing department at MyBinding.com is continuing to learn more about our products and industry. So a couple months ago, out of curiosity, I typed the term “bookbinding museum” into the world’s favorite search engine. You can imagine my surprise when it actually returned a legitimate result: The American Bookbinders Museum. As I was perusing the museum’s site, I was even more surprised to discover that it’s located in San Francisco. Guess who happened to have a family trip planned to San Francisco in the weeks to come? That’s right, me. To say this discovery was serendipitous is perhaps an understatement. Nay, it was fate.

    Fast forward several weeks. My family and I are standing in Taurus Bookbindery at 2736 Sixteenth Street in San Francisco. We’ve just met Tim James, who is a book binder by trade and the driving force behind the bookbinding museum. We walk around the corner from Tim’s shop to the museum. He unlocks the door and lets us in.

    Now, let’s get one thing straight from the beginning. This museum is not about the history of book printing; rather, this museum is about book binding. This distinction, I would come to learn, is important.

    The museum itself is made up of two rooms filled with presses, guillotines, binding machines, hand tools, and photographs. The first things you notice are the big pieces of equipment. For instance, just past the wooden hand sewing binding frame, a large cast iron press catches your eye. The press, we’re told, is an English 1832 Imperial Arming Press used for embossing or stamping. Tim explains and demonstrates how the press and its tools work.

    Tim then moves on to a Hickok board shear from 1869, a massive wooden apparatus. If you can think of a carpenter’s workbench with a vice and plane all in one, it might give you an idea of this impressive machine. Now, I don’t want to give the whole experience all away, so I will just say that Tim continues to move from machine to machine, explaining in great detail the inner workings of machines like guillotine paper cutters and bookbinding sewing machines. As we move about the museum, we also see diagrams and pictures on the walls of binderies and the people who worked in them, which Tim brings this to life with his words.

    One of the fascinating facts I didn’t realize was that San Francisco once had the largest printing industry in the West. San Francisco’s binderies were responsible for making account books for shopkeepers, bankers, hotels, and more. During an earthquake and fire in 1906, however, 30 of these binderies were burned and damaged, if not destroyed completely. Thankfully, in time, most of these binderies were able to rebuild.

    To say Tim is passionate about the Bookbinders Museum wouldn’t be an exaggeration. In fact, he mentions his hope to one day mold the museum into a living, breathing live-history piece where people of all ages can see these tools and history come to life. This is the legacy he hopes to leave behind.

    For more information about the American Bookbinders Museum, please check out their website at www.bookbindingmuseum.com. And if you happen to find yourself in the San Francisco area, I highly recommend taking the time to visit this wonderful little piece of American history. Tell Tim that Tarragon sent you.

    Do it Yourself Publication Ideas

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    fastback-model-95-maPerhaps you have ideas about publications you would like to bring to life. Like most would-be publishers, you probably believe that fancy equipment and oversized production facilities are a must. You could not be further from the truth. Self-publishing is possible. Even better, self-publishing is simple and affordable. All you need is a tabletop and the right equipment. The specific type of equipment you will need will depend on the type of document you would like to publish.

    For many self-publishers, FastBack binding provides superior results for hardback and paperback books. In just a few minutes, you can teach yourself to use this machine to make beautifully bound documents in a variety of colors. This style works on documents ranging from three to 350 pages. When bound, FastBack documents lie flat for easy use and reference. You can even purchase components to emboss foil designs and text onto the covers. This is a premium solution with a premium price tag.

    Another option that also provides that perfect bound look is thermal binding. This style binds your publication using a one piece cover that is adhered to the book using a strip of heat-activated glue. These machines are a very affordable option ranging in price from $100-$150 for machines that can bind one book at a time. Not bad at all for perfect binding. With a price like that, you can pay for the machine with just a few sales of your self-published books.

    Depending on your needs, color coil binding may be what you are looking for. You have seen this binding type on church cookbooks, workbooks, and school directories. Equipment associated with this type of binding is available in a huge range of prices and capabilities. One of the advantages of this type of binding is that the publications created can be turned 360 degrees. A nice feature of color coil binding is the degree of customization. You can choose custom covers and colored spines. You can even get the coils printed.

    Plastic comb binding is similar to color coil binding in appearance, but it looks more like a comb (hence the name). This makes for easy photocopying and reading. This method also allows your publication to lie flat when opened. You can bind publications ranging from half an inch to two inches. Like spiral coil binding, plastic comb binding is very economical and easy.

    With so many affordable self-publication options now available, you can get started on your project now. Some documents people frequently choose to self-publish include:

    Collections of essays and poems
    Family histories
    Biographies
    Novels
    Scrapbooks
    Portfolios
    Cookbooks
    Graphic novel and comic books
    Chapbooks
    User guides

    Think about the powerful impression your book can make by virtue of its professional binding. The greater the visual impact your publication has, the higher the price tag you can set for it. Consider starting your own press today using one of the binding methods outlined in this article.

    Creating a Grandparent’s Memory Book

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    unibind-x-tower-sm2A book of your grandparent’s memories can provide you with a family heirloom that both current and future generations will enjoy and be grateful for. Here are some tips to get you started.

    Gather Your Information

    One of the more popular ways to put together a grandparent’s memory book is to ask specific questions and have your grandparent answer them. You can to this in several ways, such as simply putting 2-3 questions on each page and wither having the grandparent write or type the answers in themselves, or to conduct a taped interview and transcribe the answers yourself. Unless your grandparent is a writer by nature, the latter method is more likely to get you more material to work with, and the spoken answers can lead in interesting directions that you may not have anticipated. Long story short (as it were), in general, people speak more freely than they write so it is probably worth to do an interview rather than a questionnaire.

    When you do your interview, you will of course want to have a list of questions prepared, but you should also be ready to go wherever the answers lead you. If you hear something interesting in one of the answers, follow it up.

    You can start your line of questioning in chronological order (starting at your grandparent’s earliest memory and progressing from there) or you can start with a major event and work outward from there. Whatever you do, keep in mind that period-specific details will provide depth and color to your grandparent’s story.

    Everyone’s life contains twists and turns that were not expected. While you should make sure to include the basic information that future generations will enjoy knowing, such as where he or she was born, grew up, went to school, got married, etc.,it is a person’s perspective on life that makes him or her unique, and will make your grandparent more of a “real person” to the readers of your memory book.

    Photographs

    You will, of course, want to include some great photographs in your memory book. You can simply pore through any photo albums your grandparent has, and find the best ones to include in your book. You can also collect some from friends and family members that are especially fun or high quality. Scan the photos into your computer and intersperse them throughout your document along with some captions.

    Another thought is to use photographs during your interview. You can show your grandparent a photo and have him or her tell what they remember about that moment, then include both the photo and the comments in your book.

    Printing and Binding

    You should use the best printing method that you can afford, such as digital laser printing. When it comes to putting the book together, you will have to think about how many copies you want and how you want to distribute them among family members, or whether you simply want one copy that you can pass around.

    If you choose to make several copies, it may be worth your while to investigate having your own thermal binding machine. This is the kind of machine that makes hardcover and softcover books and they are extremely affordable and incredibly easy to use. Take a look around online or ask your local print shop about your options.

    Doing Layout For Your Book

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    gbc-magnapunch1A big part of giving your book that bookstore-ready professional appearance is proper layout and typesetting. Here are a few tips to get you started.

    Main Fonts

    While there is a lot to be said for getting creative when it comes to the use of fonts in some situations, for a book-length block of text, you will want to stick to something that is, above all, readable and not straining to the eyes or distracting in any way. The vat majority of books use some sort of basic serif font, and there is no reason that you shouldn’t so the same. These fonts are pleasing to the eye, and are the industry standard for a reason.

    Header Fonts

    Here is where you can get into more unusual and eye-catching fonts if you like. A lot of great books have used fonts in the chapter headings that help to convey the theme and feel of the book itself. While some may view this as gimmicky, if it adds to the overall appeal of the book, why not do it? This sort of font use can apply to all situations, of course, from comedic to stately and staid. Just do whatever looks right to you, and don’t be afraid to gather some opinions from trusted friends and colleagues.

    Software

    While word processing software programs such as MS Word, WordPerfect, and even the highly regarded free program Open Office are great for writing and compiling your text, they are not up to the task of doing book layout and typesetting. For that, you will want to have a program such as Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress, or something similar. There are even some free programs available, but you should check out as many reviews as you can before placing your book in their hands.

    Proofread It

    This should go without saying, but we’re going to say it anyway. There are few worse feelings than viewing the completed version of your published work and finding spelling and grammar errors. One set of eyes is never enough. If you have someone whose proofreading ability you trust, see if he or she will help you out. If not, perhaps enlist the help of a professional proofreader or a grad student who is looking to make a few extra dollars.

    Create a PDF

    Your typesetting software more than likely has a function that allows you to create PDF files out of the pages you have created. This is the format that your professional print shop will need to have the pages in, in order to allow them to print exactly what it is you see on your screen. PDFs are universally readable and printable, whereas your print shop might not have the same typesetting software that you do.

    Binding

    If you are doing your own self-publishing, or even if you are running a small to medium sized publishing company, there is really no reason that you can’t do your book binding yourself. Thermal binding machines (the kind that produce hardcover and soft cover books) are remarkably inexpensive and easy to use. In most cases, there is almost no learning curve involved to create permanent, bookstore and library-ready books.

    How Make Your Manuscript Into a Book

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    unibind-xu138-sm7Turning your manuscript into an actual book may entail a little bit of a learning curve. Here are some steps to get you started.

    Final Edit

    This should go without saying, but it must be said anyway. While your manuscript is still in MS Word, or whatever word-processing software you use, it should be thoroughly proofread by a professional or a trusted friend. There is nothing more disheartening than getting your final product back and finding spelling or grammar errors.

    Choose a Layout Program

    Whichever layout or typesetting software you choose, if you are doing the job yourself, there may be a little bit of a learning curve involved. Some of the most common choices on the market are Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress, although there are a few other choices out there, including some that are free.

    The Layout

    While we can’t provide all of the information you will need to do a complete layout, here are a few things to keep in mind as you get started.

    1.Decide the trim size you want your book to have and if you want the pages in a normal (portrait) format or landscape (long ways). Make sure that all the pages reflect the orientation that you prefer.

    2.When it comes to setting the margins, there are a couple of choices. Most of the time you will see books with margins that are a half inch from the edges, while some prefer to go as much as three quarters of an inch. Just do some experimenting to see what works best for you.

    Importing

    Now you can start to import the text from your manuscript file into your pages. Make sure that the columns are linked together so the text will flow from one to the next seamlessly. It is usually better to use the import function of your typesetting software rather than simply copy and pasting from your word processing program, because in the latter case there is the possibility of losing your formatting.

    In a lot of cases, you will have to work with your spacing and font size to create a total page number that is divisible by 32.Meaning that your book should be, for example, 192 or 224 pages rather than 200. Remember to use the master page function to place the book title at the top of each page (or alternate title with author name). And don’t forget to number your pages.

    PDF

    Use your program’s PDF function (in InDesign, it is the “export” function) to make a PDF out of your file. Send the file to your printer.

    Binding

    If you are sending the manuscript to a publisher, punch and bind the pages into a three-ring binder. If you are publishing the book yourself, consider purchasing your own thermal binding machine to finish your book. These types of machines create bookstore and library-ready books in a matter of minutes and the process is amazingly simple. Thermal binding machines can be had for less than $100 in some places, so take a good look around for a machine that suits your needs.