Paper grain direction book binding

Now paste out the paper with your large brush, starting in the middle and covering the entire sheet with large strokes to the outside. Folding parallel to the grain is easier and the paper is less likely to crack, create a rough fold and result in a bulky binding edge. Paper will also fold or crease more easily with the grain and tear straighter with the grain. I had noticed these issues and was trying to figure out the reason behind it when i chanced upon my handbound book s explanation of grain direction. This means if you bind paper into the spine, across its grain direction, then as the paper expands and contracts, you will get as much as 400% more movement of the paper, fighting against the anchor of your binding. Adhesive binding on paper with the wrong grain direction can produce disastrous results. Sometimes, the grain direction is apparent, the fibers are laid out in a way that is visible if you look close up or hold it up to the light. Paper grain direction and cardboard grain direction book.

The fibers are typically parallel to each other across the sheet and knowing the grain direction is important when we go to fold the sheet of paper. Using the right grain direction may be crucial when binding a book, making boxes and for other crafts that demand working with paper or cardboard. As a conservator and book binders deals with several materials specially paper based material, it is important to understand the paper grain direction theory and get a practical training about determining the grain direction for a several paper. There is almost no way to repair a gusseted book once it is bound. In bookbinding this direction is vitally important.

That is, it bends more easily one direction than it does the other. Without a very large paper cutter or guillotine, it can be unwieldy to cut huge sheets of paper down for a small 4. The next thing you learn is that printers care more about efficient use of paper than binding and will print resulting in the wrong grain direction. Bookbinding 101 determining the paper grain youtube. Paper grain direction plays a big role in every printing and binding job. This means that the grain direction runs from the head top of the book to the tail bottom. The grain indicates the arrangement or direction of the fibers. If the grain is not listed, you can test it by bending or folding the paper. The rule of thumb with grain direction in bookbinding is to make sure. When the binding goes against the paper s grain like this, it puts stress on the fibres. When the grain direction for all of the materials used in a book, e.

Also suitable for silkcreen, offset lithography, relief and letterpress printing. Grain direction also plays a roll when gluing, especially paper to a board. So, as far as i know, all machinemade papers have a. If a book is printed with the paper grain parallel to the spine it will open more easily and lay flat. This video is a short discussion of paper grain, and how to determine its direction easily. The easiest and best way to determine the grain direction of paper is to order it in the direction required, whether grain short or grain long. The grain of paper is the direction in which most of the fibers lie. Handmade papers do not typically have a grain direction because all the fibers that make up the paper lay in all different directions when it is. This is usually suboptimal for both press operation and registration of the 4 colour process inks.

Using the proper grain will ensure a quality job, not only in looks but in durability. Binders board binders board is what puts the hard in a hard bound book. Finally, grain direction becomes part of the mechanics of binding so that when confronted with handmade paper a new set of challenges come up. When the grain direction runs perpendicular to the spine, one edge of the paper is secured to the bound edge of the bookblock. Rip a piece of paper and youll notice that it tears very easily, and very straight, in one direction, yet quite messily in the other. How can i determine the grain or fiber direction of a. Since then ive done some more experimenting and come up with a method that i think is a bit easier and turns out nicer. The general rule in bookmaking is that grained papers and binding boards should be aligned vertically, with the grain parallel to the spine of the. I spend a substantial amount of time worrying about paper grain direction when im making my books.

Paper grain direction and cardboard grain direction ibookbinding. Pages bound with the grain perpendicular to the binding edge do not lie flat or turn easily. The first factor to consider when choosing saddle stitch vs. If we fold against the grain, the fibers crack and the book will warp and not lay flat. There are a variety of ways of determining the grain direction in a particular sheet of paper. Its important to know which way the grain is running on paper and boards when binding a book.

See more ideas about book binding, book making and handmade books. You now know how to determine the grain of the paper. Making the paper grain parallel to the spine of the book would help to prolong the life of the book. Paper grain direction and cardboard grain direction. The grain direction of the paper is important when binding books, because paper is scored and folded. Therefore, any dimensional change in the paper caused by excessive post. The direction of the grain plays a key role in how the paper will react when. For bookbinding, you should always fold with the grain.

It also helps books pages to turn easier, stay open and lay flatter. Understanding grain direction allows us to achieve neater folds and thus make the entire book easier to work with. Paper bookbinding material 101 bookbinding workshop. For board, the best way to check for grain direction is to gently bend it one way, then the other. The quality of your printed product depends on being knowledgeable about paper grain and not going against the grain paper grain is the direction the fibers in the paper lie. A papers grain is the direction in which the majority of the fibers lie. Running a sheet of paper through a printing press at right angles to the grain direction of the paper, as opposed to with the grain. To test for grain direction, dampen a sheet of paper. I had noticed these issues and was trying to figure out the reason behind it when i chanced upon my handbound books explanation of grain direction.

Glue may penetrate along the grain direction from the spine inside the book block. Grain direction the long and short of it postpress. Book may not open properly if it is bound with wrong grain direction. Im binding a book that a friend wrote and im trying to find good websites to buy quality paper from. In bookbinding, paper is commonly folded and scored. Hi mark, how do you determine the grain direction in book board. Aug 19, 20 ive been calling my tutorials bookbinding 101 so i really should have done this particular tutorial first. How should i plan the grain direction with regards to a work and what needs to. The good news is that washi paper and handmade papers do not have a general grain direction as. On an offset press the paper is under significant pressure in the cylinders which can account for the paper stretching, the application of water and ink in the printing process adds moisture to the paper which can multiply this effect especially if water is set to high which is why you always hear. Instead buy pads or precut sheets that only require you to tear or make a few cuts.

Paper is identified as either grain short grain is parallel to papers short side or grain long grain is parallel to the papers long side, depending on how the paper is cut. Grain direction can made a big difference as to how the paper reacts when its folded, scored or bound. If you buy large pieces, its helpful to mark the grain direction across the whole piece in several places so that. Grain direction is an essential aspect of producing a wellcrafted book. Grain direction is noted on most paper packaging, swatch books and paper mill stock sheets in one of a few different formats. The type and quality of paper used in the binding can affect how long a. The grain direction of the binders board needs to be parallel to the spine, just like the grain direction of the book block. Bookbinding 101 paper grain with images book binding. The cover, coated on its inner edge with a hotmelt glue, is then pressed and held against the book block. The term itself was developed by the sheridan bookbinding machinery company in 1911when it attempted to overcome the disadvantages of cold emulsion while retaining the. We have a pretty thorough list of tutorials and bookbinding instructions here at. Ive seen books with covers warped because they were printed in the wrong direction and also hear that folds tend to tear more. To have the best chance of avoiding postbinding conditions such as gusseting and warping it is imperative to bind all papers with their grain direction parallel to the spine of the book. Square, kettle, weavers knotstrimming a text block with a knifeopening a new bookprotecting a dust jacket with.

This means that the paper on this edge is unable to expand, which causes it to buckle and wave on the unbound side only. Determining grain direction by bending a sheet of paper. The good news is that washi paper and handmade papers do not have a general grain direction as the fibers are usually laid on an unordered fashion. Papers expand when they are wet, and they usually expand more across the grain. Before making a video tutorial on basic case making, i thought i should make a quick instruction on how to determine the direction of paper. But in my opinion, the only thing that it is essential to get right in a book is grain direction. Most casebound books are properly constructed with the paper grain of the bookblock parallel to the spine.

If you bind a book with the paper grain opposing the binding, the book will not open as well, it will tend to warpwrinkle at the binding edge and it will not be as strong. This video is about the importance of paper grain when making books. Whenever possible, the grain should run parallel to the spine of the book. It is important to make sure that the grain direction of your covering paper is also parallel to the spine. It is crucially important to establish the grain direction in the materials used in bookbinding, the success or failure of your binding in large part depends on this. Simple bookbinding tutorial ibookbinding bookbinding. Most commonly, grain direction will be noted as the last dimension of the sheet. Often companies label the grain direction on the packaging for the paper. Remember your grain direction here and lay the paper with the grain going the same way as the warp. Paper fibers expand and contract as much as 400% more across the grain direction of the paper fiber than with the grain direction. As long as the grain is aligned properly, you can make a proper book out of almost all kinds of paper.

Grain is determined during the papermaking process, when fibers tend to align in one direction or the other. The grain of the paper should always run in the direction the paper travels through the press. Use acidfree 100% cotton arches text wove paper for book binding and pen and ink work. For bookbinding, you should always fold with the grain direction parallel to the fold and the spine of your binding.

Ive just finished up a book using english binding using booklets of 16 pages so 4 sheets, which i. For us bookbinders it is very important that the board and paper grain run parallel to the binding edge of the book. Usually i dont worry too much about paper grain and quality, but now that im actually binding something with printed words. How can one test paper to identify the direction of the grain. Last year i wrote a fairly popular guide on leatherbinding paperbacks. Grain direction, glues hot or cold melt, page size, case covering, signature size, paper quality these are all important qualities and they are all relevant and important in their own way.

Paper and board are made on a moving conveyor which vibrates from side to side, this action has the effect of lining up the fibres in one direction. Know when to use perfect binding vs saddle stitching. When you purchase paper from a good online paper supplier, they will let you know the grain direction in the description. It may seem like a small detail, yet it makes a crucial impact on the longterm lifespan of a book. Getting started how to print sections or signatures from a pdf file for bookbindingmaking bookbinding pastemaking bookbinding paste in the microwavewhat is paper grain and how to identify the directionbookbinding knots. The grain direction of paper, cloth and board has a significant effect on a books level of craftsmanship. Papierlaufrichtung grain direction buchbinderei mende. A book will be stronger, less likely to warp and easier to fold if the grain of all the papers is parallel to the spine of the book. As the fibers travel through the machine on a vibrating mesh, they tend to line up in the same forward direction, parallel to the direction of the web or side edges of the paper. But if you are uncertain, there are a few ways to test your book board or paper. The grain in paper comes from how the fibers of the paper are arranged.