Bookbinding Repair
Discover the best methods of bookbinding repair
Even with the current proliferation of digital information, books remain a favored source of reference--but what does a business do when their books require bookbinding repair? Sometimes self-repair is a good option; you can either do this by hand or by machine. To repair bookbinding, you may also hire a professional.The option you choose depends largely on the value of the book. An expensive set of books, or an antique book, requires repair by a professional in order to maintain the value. For inexpensive books, however, you or your employees can often easily handle bookbinding repair with little investment in time and money. Before you begin, consider the following:
1. Many book restorations may be easily and inexpensively completed by hand.
2. Bookbinding machines can quickly achieve total rebindings.
3. Hiring an expert is best for restoring books that are valuable.
Repair bookbinding by hand easily with the right tools
With a little bookbinding glue and tape, you can repair many books quickly by hand--even if you've never repaired a book before. To repair a bookbinding, glue any loose pages with bookbinding glue. Then cut a piece of binding tape the length of the book, put glue on the back of the tape (if it's not self-adhesive), and center the tape evenly between the last page of the book and the cover. You can use the same glue and tape over the outside cover of the book's spine.
Try: Art Supplies Wholesale offers basic bookbinding repair materials at reasonable prices; you'll find bookbinding glue and tape, as well as cover board material and beeswax thread for restitching book signatures. Volcano Arts has a more diverse selection of book repair and bookbinding supplies, including adhesives, cloth, cutting tools and more. Oregon Art Supply also has a selection of glues, cloths and books on bookbinding.
Try a bookbinding machine for large repairs
If your book is in need of an entire rebinding, the most economical option is to use a bookbinding machine. If you find you're often rebinding books, or would like to bind reports or other materials, a binding machine is an excellent investment. Choose between a coil, comb, wire, or thermal or tape bookbinding machines.
Try: BindingStuff offers a fine selection of binding machines of all types and at a variety of prices. They also carry supplies for bookbinding machines. In addition, Factory Express Inc. has a nice selection of bookbinding machines and supplies.
Select a book restorations pro for valuable books
For leather bookbinding repair, to avoid diminishing the worth of valuable books, or if you just need help fixing a bookbinding, hire an expert in book reconditioning. Look for a pro who specializes in the type of book you need repaired, or an expert who frequently repairs antique books.
Try: Stanley Book Repair and Restoration does everything from repairing spines, total rebinding and repairing torn pages. Y & G Bookbinding Inc. also offers complete restoration and custom bookbinding repair services, including work on magazines. Additionally, Save-A-Book LLC does machine and hand bookbinding, rebinding, recasing and more.
- If you want to learn more about restoring books, many community colleges offer classes in bookbinding. There are also a number of books available on the topic, as well basic online guides.
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