| Bookmaking
Notes on book arts resources I've used myself,
comments on the design or construction of my own books,
as well as links to other websites.
Non Adhesive Bindings
Mini Haiku
is bound using Hedi Kyle's blizzard spine-folding technique.
The "blizzard" spine
is made of folded pockets and requires
no adhesive.
Winter, a variation
on the blizzard book, is called a "crown book".
(PDF instruction sheets for this binding are for sale,
click here to find out more.)
To A Friend... is bound using a
simple method of weaving single sheets together. The binding was
developed by Elizabeth Steiner and explained in her book
Woven and Interlocking Book Structures (co-written with
Claire Van Vliet).
Steiner & Van Vliet
approach bookmaking by first asking what is the best
way to serve the text they are using.
Their book includes detailed clear
directions for making a variety of models, as well as
suggestions for seemingly endless variations.
This book has been quite an inspiration for me, with its
easy-to-follow directions, good illustrations and pictures, and
the discussions of how they developed structures to suit the
content of their books.
Another of my books,
Monet, also uses a structure I learned
from Claire Van Vliet.
Keith Smith's book
Non-Adhesive Binding Books without Paste or Glue is a good, straight-forward
guide to a variety of binding methods that don't use adhesives.
Back to the top
Using Pop-ups
Saturday Afternoons and
Haiku use
simple pop-ups to add a new dimension to the content, providing
a bit of extra magic and surprise.
Paul Johnson's The Pop-up Book: Step-By-Step Instructions for Creating over 100 Original Paper Projects has clear instructions and good illustrations
and examples of both simple and more complicated pop-up structures. This
is the first book I turn to when thinking about using pop-ups in a
project. Carol Barton's The Pocket Paper Engineer is another good
introduction, and is easy enough for kids (with help).
My first encounter with pop-ups was
Masahiro Chatani's
Pop-up Gift Cards. I spent hours making the examples in the book and then
designing my own cards.
My favorite use of pop-ups is Gary Greenberg's The Pop-Up Book of Phobias. It provides a claustrophobia look at what everyone is afraid of — heights, spiders, flying
— in a funny and creative way.
Back to the top
Books on bookbinding
Having Books, Boxes and Portfolios by Franz Zeier on my book shelf is like
having an expert in my studio. When I have a question about
binding, the first place I look is Zeier's book.
Japanese Bookbinding: Instructions from a Master Craftsman by Kojiro Ikegami
is a beautiful book, with numerous illustrations that show the step-by-step
construction of the books.
Keith Smith has written a number of good books on binding and developing content
of books.
The Penland Book of Handmade Books: Master Classes in Bookmaking Techniques
has good instructions for a wide variety of books, from pop-ups to
non-adhesive folded structures to handmade boxes and slipcases.
Amazon has a large selection of
books on bookbinding.
Back to the top
Book design and typography
I've found these books particularly informative.
20th Century Type,
by
Lewis Blackwell, traces type and design,
decade by decade, beginning in 1890, with attention to how typography has
been influenced by larger social trends. He characterizes each decade by a
typeface-Cheltenham for 1890, Helvetica for 1950 and the like.
It's a wonderfully illustrated book.
Bookmaking: The Illustrated Guide to Design/Production/Editing, by
Marshall
Lee, is a practical guide, from
planning to production. The chapter on special design problems like poetry
and cookbooks is especially good. The 2004 edition's chapter on digital
typesetting has supplanted chapters on letterpress in the earlier (1979)
edition. Both are fun to consult.
Design with Type,
by Carl Dair. Dair may
have set his type in metal but the main thrust of his book —visual
relationships between letters and the page —continues to be relevant.
Revival of the Fittest: Digital Versions of Classic Typefaces,
edited
by Philip Meggs and Roy McKelvey. The
possibilities of the digital revolution have inspired numerous
contemporary versions of classic typefaces. This book considers two
dozen faces, placing each in a historical context, then discussing
their modern digital revivals. There are also good illustrations compairing
various digital revivals of the same face.
Visual Explanations, Envisioning Information
and
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information,
both by Edward Tufte,
explore the presentation
of complex information. Beautifully produced, the books exemplify Tufte's
design principles. The
companion website
is worth a visit, especially the "Ask E.T." section.
Looking for go-together type faces? This
website
lists many suggestions. The website also hosts
Esperfonto, an automatic program that suggests faces based on criteria you
enter.
Back to the top
Letterpress printing
| |
|
 |
|
| Books finely printed are small castles of man —Pablo Neruda.
|
Letterpress is the one of the oldest methods of printing. A
plate with raised type and graphics is covered with a thin layer of
ink, then a sheet of paper is pressed into the plate. The resulting
debossed effect gives a sculptural feel to the page. And it adds a
third dimension, as well as a textured, hand-crafted character to the
book. I print on an antique platen press, using photopolymer plates
and hand-set type.
The Briar Press has
an on-line museum of presses and other information about the history
of letterpress printing. And David Rose has put together an
introduction to letterpress
printing in the 21st century.
I've found Gerald Lange's Printing Digital Type on the Hand-Operated Flatbed Cylinder Press to be a good resource for printing with photo-polymer plates,
and most of what he discusses applies to platen as well as flatbed presses.
Back to the top
Book Arts Periodicals and Journals
 |
Ampersand is the quarterly journal of the
PCBA. It has articles about all aspects of the book arts, from historical commentary to profiles of working artists to practical how-to tutorials. The informative articles are generously illustrated with photographs. Back issues are
available.
|
| |
| |
The Newslettter of the Canadian Bookbinders & Book Arts Guild is a quarterly newsletter to promote public awareness and increase educational opportunities for those involved in the book arts.
|
| |
| |
Artists' Books Reviews is a quarterly of comments and evaluations of artists' books edited by Joe D'Ambrosio.
|
Back to the top
Supplies
The San Francisco Center for the Book has a page of
local resources.
The biannual PCBA Resource Guide is
a 32-page practical catalogue of book-arts resources for practitioners
at all stages of experience. It's also intended as a source of
inspiration and a spur to further inquiry. Brief annotations
throughout endeavor to supply insight about the listings. The
marginalia are eclectic, listing how-to tips, useful websites, helpful
suppliers, thought-provoking quotations and must-read books. The Guide
concludes with an index so you can zero in on your particular
needs.
The chapters include: Printing, Typography & Book Design, Paper, Bookbinding , Stocking your Studio, Schools & Workshops, Promoting your Bookwork, and Web links.
You can order a copy of the resources guide here.
Back to the top
| 
