faculty : rebecca chamlee | rchamlee@otis.edu | 805.584.
2227 before 8pm
fall 2010 book structures
his course is an introduction to the skills, craft, materials, process and techniques used in
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making book structures and boxes. Students learn binding methods involving paper folding,
cutting, sewing, gluing and other means of assembling individual sheets, signatures and text
blocks with or without covers. Course assignments have the potential to evolve into creative
and personal objects that hold visual work and text.
learning objectives Traditional methods of binding with good craft practices and work ethic
ample collection of book and box options including folding, cutting, sewing, gluing,
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constructing and deconstructing
ynamic and experimental explorations of deviations from the traditional and how various
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structures could be used in commercial applications
rocess and flow in an understanding of wet and dry materials and construction of assorted
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materials including paper, board, bookcloth, etc.
Focus and attention to detail
Structure holding meaning and expression of meaning
suggested reading Books, Boxes and Portfolios by Franz Zeier
Non-Adhesive Binding by Keith A. Smith
The Art of the Book by James Bettley, Ed.
The Century of Artists’ Books by Johanna Drucker
Experimental Formats by Roger Fawcett-Tang
The Russian Avant-Garde Book by MOMA
Japanese Bookbinding by Kojiro Ikegami
on-line resources OTIS’ Collection of Artists’ Books
http://content.library.otis.edu/collections/artistsbooks.htm
guidelines & behavior This class requires an attentive, quiet working environment. There will be no conversation
extraneous to the subject matter of a class. Students who cannot follow this policy will be
asked to leave the class and be marked absent. Students are expected to work on book
structure projects the entire class time.
Use of cell phones in class is prohibited. Please either turn them off entirely or set to vibrate.
grades 40% Class participation, class work and professionalism
30% Class homework assignments
30% Sample collection
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class/lab time The professional laboratory environment will require oral and presentation skills to convey
ideas, new knowledge and experience gained through hands-on making. Thoughtful
participation attention and note-taking in class will create an environment conducive to
creativity and experiential knowledge.
I f you are a student with a documented disability (physical, learning, or psychological)
requiring reasonable academic accommodations, you must contact Disabilities Services
(located in the Student Resources Center, ext. 2554) before you need any accommodations.
Retroactive accommodations are not provided, so please be sure to make your request early
in the semester. All discussions will remain confidential. For additional information, please
visit: http://intranet.otis.edu/StudentAffairs/SRC/disabilities.shtml
student’s supplies Many items available from Blick, The Paper Source, Hiromi and Graphaids or online from
Talas and Hollanders.
• Bone folder, teflon if possible
• Glue stick, archival, large size
• Exacto knife with #11 blades or snap-off style knife
• Utility knife for cutting heavy materials and board
• Scissors
• Awl or bodkin
• Metal-edged ruler
• Right triangle or right angle
• Cutting mat 18˝ x 24˝
• Bookbinding, darners or crewel needles (large enough eye for thread)
• Linen book binding thread (a must)
• Beeswax
• pva glue
• Glue brush — round 1n˝ to 2˝ or flat 1˝
• Natural bristle brush — flat n˝
• 1-2 containers with lid for glue and water
• Waste paper or newsprint
• Waxed paper (in rolls from the grocery store, like Cut-Rite)
• Two 9˝ x 12˝ sheets of o˝ plexiglas or n˝ plywood
• Two large bull clips
• Several bricks wrapped in heavy paper or other heavy weights
• Binder's board, davey board or 4-ply acid-free illustration board
• One ream of text weight paper
• One ream of cover weight paper
• Various papers, decorative, textured, etc.
• Rives lightweight, Ingres, or Arches text paper
• Book cloth
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tentative schedule
week 1 basic manual techniques & simple folded books
Go over class rules and supplies
Paper grain, folding, creasing, scoring, cutting
One-sheet books and variations
Simple accordion books: how to fold, glued wrap cover with spine
homework: Create several variations of one-sheet books and accordians with content,
unusual paper or decoration.
week 2 folded books with covers
More accordions with cover variations
Flag book
Gluing paper to board and attaching covers
homework: Make a model of one of the books shown in class with content.
week 3 simple sewn books
Pamphlets, sewing variations on sample card
Two-section pamphlet
Japanese or stab binding
homework: Make a pamphlet with content using one of sample stitches.
week 4 vamp & tramp visit and more sewn books
Coptic stitch binding with board covers
Sewing over tapes, cords or ribbons and lacing-in covers
homework: Make a model of coptic and sewing over ribbons or cords, can be blank but
materials should be carefully considered.
week 5 more sewn books
Button-hole book, Longstitch
French link stitch
homework: Make a model of one of the above.
week 6 glued bindings
Fan glued book of french folds
Flutter book
Drum leaf binding
homework: Make a flutter or drum leaf book using printed spreads. Bring an old book
(hard cover with text, not a picture book) and materials for altered book object project to
class next week.
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week 7 altered books
Paper-covered portfolio with a cloth spine and corners and ties
homework: Finish your altered book object.
week 8 portfolios
Paper-covered portfolio with a cloth spine and corners and ties
homework: Make a portfolio with ties.
week 9 the hardcover book: the book-block
Parts of a hardcover book
Endsheets
Visible hinge variation
Sewing on tapes with the kettle stitch
Edge decoration
homework: Sew at least two different book-blocks on tapes.
week 10 the hardcover book: preparing the spine & making the case
Rolled endbands
Reinforcing the spine
Case construction
Cover inlay
Covering the case
homework: Prepare the spine and make the cases for your books.
week 11 the hardcover book: casing-in
Connecting the case and the book-block
Paste-down sheets
homework: Complete your books
week 12 clamshell box
Clamshell box material cutting and tray assembly
homework: Using the methods shown in class, construct your trays.
week 13 clamshell box ( continued)
Covering trays with book cloth
Final assembly
homework: Finish clamshell boxes. Prepare collection for final presentation.
week 14 Final review of sample collection of all the books made in class and as homework.
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bookmaking supply resources
paper Continental Art Supplies continentalart.com
7041 Reseda Blvd., Reseda CA 91335 818.345.1044
Hiromi International Paper Co. hiromipaper.com
2525 Michigan Ave. Bergamot Station G-9, Santa Monica 310.820.0445
Kelly Paper kellypaper.com
5752 Mesmer Ave., Culver City, CA 90230 310.390.1666
McManus & Morgan mcmanusmorgan.com
2506 West 7th St., Los Angeles 213.387.4433
Paper Source paper-source.com
163 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91105 626.577.3825
binding supplies Hollander’s hollanders.com
410 N Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 734.741.7531
Talas talasonline.com
20 West 20th Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10011 212.219.0770
Hiromi International Paper Co. hiromipaper.com
2525 Michigan Ave. Bergamot Station G-9, Santa Monica 310.820.0445
art supplies Blick Art Materials
11531 Santa Monica Blvd., West Los Angeles, CA 90025 310.479.1416
Blick Art Materials
7301 W. Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 323. 933.9284
Continental Art Supplies
7041 Reseda Blvd., Reseda CA 91335 818.345.1044
Graphaid
7280 Manchester Ave., Westchester, CA 90045 310.216.6300
Graphaid
3030 S. La Cienega Blvd., Culver City, CA 90230 310.204.1212
Utrecht Art Supplies
11677 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles 310.478.5775
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local independent Arcana
booksellers 1229 Third St Promenade, Santa Monica CA 90401 310.458.1499
Family
436 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles CA 90036 323.782.9221
Hennessey + Ingalls
214 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica CA 90401 310.458.9074
MOCA
250 South Grand Ave, Los Angeles CA 90012 213.621.1710
Ooga Booga
934 N Broadway #203, Los Angeles CA 90012 213.617.1105
Opening Ceremony
451 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90048 310.652.1120
clothing store but has a section in the back that
carries books and magazines,etc
Peres Projects
969 Chung King Rd., Los Angeles CA 90012 213.617.1100
Skylight Books
1818 N Vermont Ave., Los Angeles CA 90027 323.660.1175
South Willard
8038 West Third St., Los Angeles CA 90048 323.653.6153
clothing store with a good selection of artist's books
Tortoise
1280 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice CA 90291 310.314.8448
japanese home goods store, has some great books
and japanese papers.
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vocabulary
accordion fold a parallel fold, in a zig zag form, alternating peak and valley folds, also called concertina.
back the edge of the book that is bound.
beeswax a pplying beeswax to sewing thread makes it easier to sew with and stronger. Pull the thread
through a lump of beeswax a couple of times.
boards the cover boards of a book.
bone folder used for creasing, folding, scoring and tearing/cutting paper.
book block the total number of sections making up a book.
case cover of a case-bound book.
casing-in process of pasting a book into a case.
codex book structure sewn in sections along one edge, usually on the fold.
cover front, back and spine(which provides support to the book).
crease similar to a fold but is made with tools and appear sharper.
deckle edge ragged, feathery edge of a handmade sheet of paper.
edition f ormally, group of identical, multiple copies of a book that are signed and numbered by the
author and artist/illustrator.
endpaper r sometimes called the endsheets, are valley folded sheets—often decorative—that are
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pasted down on the inside of the front and back covers with a free/loose end separating the
covers from the text block.
fan fold narrow accordion fold.
flyleaf t he dedication page, comes right after the loose end of the endpaper, or the first few blank
pages before the main text.
fold s imilar to a crease but is produced without the aid of tools. A folded sheet can be reopened,
but the line along which it was folded remains forever visible as a sort of wound inflicted on
the material of fibers. Should folding across the grain be necessary, creasing the paper first is
necessary.
folio a parent sheet of paper is folded once to make a simple, single signature. It produces four
pages.
fore edge the opposite, parallel edge of the book from the spine.
grain direction the direction in which the fibers lay in a piece of machine-made paper.
head the top edge of the book when lying flat, face up on a table.
joint the hinge point on a book where the cover board meets the spine.
joint allowance t he space left between the spine edge of the cover boards and the spine board. Necessary for
the cover to open.
kettlestitch f rom the German word “ketteln,” meaning to link or make a chain. Sewn at each end of the
sections to hold them together.
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mountain fold sometimes called a Peak Fold, a fold that makes a peak or an upside down “V”.
octavo t he third fold is made at a right angle to the second fold and divides the sheet into eight sec-
tions. This is a three-fold or octavo. It produces 16 pages. For commercial book printing, a
type of broadside.
original sheet also known as the Parent Sheet, for a book the grain direction must be parallel with the last fold.
It’s the sheet of paper you start with before any creasing or folding is made.
parallel fold aper folded in half vertically in the center and then folded in half again vertically in the cen-
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ter. Like two”V”s nested inside each other attached on one side.
quarto s ame as folio but is folded a second time, at a right angle to the first fold and before the third
fold is made. The second fold that made the quarto should be cut about two thirds of the
way with a paper knife to avoid wrinkles that would otherwise be caused by the third fold. It
produces 8 pages.
score t o draw an indention in the paper by pressing down and moving the bone folder across the
paper to help make a straight fold. Scoring also allows heavier paper to crease without rough
edges.
section nprinted folded and cut sheets of paper nested together. Used either singly or as a unit of a
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multisection book.
sewing support any tape, cord, or other material that supports the sewing of a book. Usually attached or
laced in to the cover.
sewing stations the holes through which the book is sewn that are pre-pierced with an awl or bodkin.
smyth sewing method of sewing through the fold by machine to join multiple signatures to form textblock.
signature a group or gathering of printed folded pages that nest one inside the other. Usually you have
between 2–4 folded sheets of paper that will give 8–16 pages (counting front and back).
Sometimes the fore edges of the inner folded sheets need to be trimmed due to creep.
spine t he side of the book where the pages are bound together; also the part that shows when the
book is closed and on a shelf.
stippling ethod of gluing in which you hold a large. round-headed brush vertically and move it up
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and down over the glued area to remove all long, sweeping brush marks.
tail the bottom edge of the book when lying flat, face up on a table.
text block r sometimes called the Book Block, is the group or stack of papers, sewn or glued together,
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usually without the covers. It’s the collection of pages, leafs or signatures of a book.
turn-ins t he q˝ excess from the cover paper or cloth that are folded over the cover boards and pasted
down.
valley fold a fold that makes a groove, looks like a “V”.
waste paper old newspapers or magazines for gluing up on to protect work and work surfaces.
