Binding with Staples¶
My preferred home binding method uses staples and tape. This is a hybrid between saddle stitching and perfect binding. This results in a “perfect binding” similar to lots of paperback books - except without the glue.
materials¶
The staples and tape method requires the following supplies and tools:
- scissors
- x-acto knife
- box cutter style
- white fabric tape, 1.5 inches wide
- Comp-o-lite hockey stick wrapping tape
- thick tape, 3 inches wide
- Gorilla tape, black
- binder clips (5 or 6)
- small, white
- paper creasing tool
- metal stylus with flat rounded end
- extra-long stapler with staples
- Bostitch Long Reach B440LR
- guillotine style paper cutter
- Fiskars Deluxe Craft Bypass Paper Trimmer 12”, 197300-1001
establish signatures¶
- collate the printed pile into 4-sheet signatures
- fold 4-page signatures in half with a crease
- square the pages
- bend over in half
- put a short crease in the middle
- square the folded-over corner
- place signature on the table
- fold the crease along the whole length
- use creasing tool to ensure crease is crisp
- trim the signatures with a guillotine cutter at 5.25 inches
- staple through the middle of each signature
- set the staple depth to 5.25 inches
- rotate the staple receiving/shaping form so the staples flare out instead of curling in
- repeat crease with crease tool
- secure the book with binder clips on the top and the bottom
build spine¶
- apply the first tape spine
- cut an 8.5-inch piece of white fabric tape
- over-estimate and trim after adhesion
- place tape on desk, sticky-side up
- center the spine of the book above the tape and stick it
- keep the signatures really tight together and fold the tape onto the book
- use the crease tool to work the tape into the signatures and press it
- staple the signatures again
- insert one staple at 25% and one at 75% through the spine of each signature
- each staple needs to go through the tape
- use the crease tool to fold every staple tab down
- re-apply binder clips to hold book square
- apply gorilla tape to spine
- cut an 8.5-inch piece of gorilla tape
- trim along the length of the tape to be barely smaller than the width of the spine
- apply the tape over the binding and press it tightly
- apply fabric tape over the spine exactly as before
- create a 90-degree ridge along both edges of the spine
- the spine should be squared
attach cover¶
- pre-fold the cover to establish spine
- cut an 8.5-inch piece of white fabric tape
- cut along the length to split the tape width in half
- attach tape to front of book
- adhere half the tape along its length
- press it flat
- attach the cover to front of book
- place the cover flat on the table
- fold the unadhered tape back
- hold book along open edge, pointing up to the ceiling
- lower the binding onto the cover along the spine
- use crease tool to ensure adhesion
- attach tape to end of book, as before
- attach cover to end of book
- fold tape back
- hold book along open edge
- roll spine of book onto cover
- use the crease tool to press all the tape flat