Case binding is a common type of hardcover for books. The pages are arranged in signatures
and glued together in a text block. Then the text block is glued to the cover.
In this tutorial, I'll show you how to case bind a hardcover book.
Here's a list of materials and tools I'll be using.
This tutorial will mainly focus on the cover. So to start, I've already made my text block.
If you don't know how to make a text block, check out this video here. I'll also include
the link to this video in the About section below.
While making this text block, I added these headbands in the process. These are purely
decorative and you don't have to include them. But if you want to, you can learn how to make
your own in this tutorial here. I'll also include the video link in the About section
below.
First, I'm going to cut the board. The size of the board will depend on the size of the
text block.
To learn more about board for bookbinding, check out this video here. You can also find
the link in the About section below.
Here's how I measure the width. If you do add on headbands to your book, be sure to
take this measurement starting from the headbands because their thickness will add on a little
width.
[Width: Text block - 1/4 inch + 1/8 inch]
Measure the width of the text block. Now subtract 1/4 inch (.25) from the width. This is for
the area by the spine. Then add 1/8 inch for the cover to hang over.
[Height: Text block + 1/4 inch] Now for the height, measure the text block
and add 1/8 inch to the top and bottom.
Mark the measurements out on the board twice.
For the spine, trace the text block spine on the board. That will be the width. The
height will be the same as cover boards.
Now cut out all the board pieces.
To wrap the cover, I'm using this book cloth I made. You can also use paper. To learn how
to make your own book cloth, check out this tutorial. You can also find this link in the
About section below.
To start, glue on one board with PVA glue.
You can use the bone folder to smooth out any air bubbles.
[Gap: 1/4 inch + thickness of board] Now measure out 1/4 inch plus the thickness of
the board. Use this measurement to make a gap on both sides of the spine. Glue on the
rest of the board.
Smooth out with a bone folder.
Add some weight to the cover and let it dry. In the meantime, this is a good point to clean
the glue off your brush with water and a paper towel, and let that dry.
After the cover is dry, cut the excess cover material off to a little less than an 1 inch.
Cut all the corners at an angle like this, and leave a small gap at the corner tips.
Now glue on one flap at a time. You can put a piece of scrap paper down incase the glue
gets messy.
If you bend the edge over like this, it helps the flap glue on evenly.
Pinch over those little gaps on the tips as you go from one flap to the other.
Now glue the end pages to the inside cover.
Position the text block to where the end pages will have an 1/8 inch border of the cover around
it. Run the bone folder across to ensure glued areas are pressed down.
You can also put a piece of paper underneath the end page to protect the text block.
Since the glue warps the cover, I'm going to put it in the book press so it will dry
straight and flat. You can also use weights.
Once it's dry, your book is finished. Knowing how to wrap your own hardcover book gives
you so many more cover design options to choose from, whether it be fabric or paper.
I hope you found this tutorial helpful. If you don't nail this on your first try, don't
worry. It may take some practice books, but you'll get the hang of it.
Feel free to like, share or leave your comments. For more information on this project, see
the About section below.
For more tutorials, be sure to subscribe and check out my channel. To learn how to make
the book press I used, check out the video on the left. For another hardcover tutorial,
check out the video on the right.
Find more Sea Lemon on links listed below.