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Table of Contents

nd
cts,
10 Anatomy: Book Block
12 Materials: Paper
16 1.1 Saddle Stitch
14 1. Wire Stitching 18 1.2 Side Stitch

26 2.1 Perfect Binding

20 2. Adhesives 28 2.2 Notch and Burst
30 2.3 Fold Gluing
22 Materials: Adhesives 32 2.4 Lay-flat Binding

24 Processes: Gathering

Organized in 6
36 3.1 Smyth Sewn

on the machinery
38 3.2 Thread Sealing

groups, depending
34 3. Thread Sewing 40 3.3 Singer Sewing
42 3.4 Side Sewing
44 3.5 Stitch and Knot

of the techniques.
48 4.1 Spiral
46 4. Mechanical Binding 50 4.2 Wire-O
52 4.3 Plastic Comb

and processes present complementary

This reference manual is organized by sets
58 5.1 Rubber-band Hinge

concepts contributing to the understanding

Additionally, sections on anatomy, materials
characteristics and main elements to consider.
of techniques that introduce general concepts,
and spreads which specify each technique in its
54 5. Rubber-bands
56 Materials: Rubber, Elastics
62 6.1 Screws
60 6. Fasteners 64 6.2 Rivets
Nested list
of techniques,
grouped by type

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 Find what you
want in a blink
of an eye

Navigate 18
1.2 Side
Stitch 50 4.2 Wire-O 16
1.1 Saddle
Stitch 28
2.2 Notch
and Burst

visually, by
binding type
or technique

2.1 Perfect 4.3 Plastic 2.3 Fold 2.4 Lay-flat

26 Binding 56 Comb 30 Gluing 32 Binding

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3.4 Side 3.3 Singer 3.1 Smyth

42 Sewing 62 6.1 Screws 40 Sewing 36 Sewn

Signatures
Stacks

3.5 Stitch 3.2 Thread

48 4.1 Spiral 64 6.2 Rivets 44 and Knot 38 Sealing

Narrow
Dummy Index

format that
Booklets

just feels
5.1 Rubber-band
58 Hinge

Built for quick good in your

consultation hands
 Exposed sewing
with printed
signatures, an
example on
binding in itself

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Semi-opaque
coloured edges,
finishing the book
as a slab while still
letting you find
what you want.
 Materials: Paper
Sections on
materials,
processes and
other relevant
subjects
The most common paper for
book making is obtained from
chemical pulp (also known as
virgin pulp) or mechanical pulp.
Chemical pulp results from the
use of plant-based fibres in paper
manufacturing.
Mechanical pulp is manufactured
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through the recycling of paper.
In industrial paper manufac-
turing, the pulp is laid down
on a conveyor belt in constant
motion, which arranges the
grain direction.
By means of a series of rolls, this
process is followed by pressing,
drying and adjusting thickness.
This results in a spool of paper
that is later cut into sheets, sold
in packages, based on its weight.
12
BULK
Consists of a volume ratio
between weight and paper
thickness.
The paper bulk depends mainly
on the pressure applied on paper
during its production. Thus, two
sheets manufactured with the
same amount of pulp and iden-
tical weight, may be thicker or
thinner. ↓
Therefore, it is possible to control
the thickness of the book block
through the paper bulk without
varying the weight of the book.
The paper bulk equates to thick-
ness (in microns) divided by its
weight. Hence, a 100 g/m² sheet
with a paper bulk of 2.0 equates
to 200 microns of thickness.
PAPER SIZES
The most common paper sizes
are 50 × 70 cm or 70 × 100 cm.
It is also possible to order the
paper in the desired format,
optimising the map, reducing
the order cost and waste.
Learn how
materials are
made and what
to do with them
GRAIN DIRECTION
Sheets of paper can be cut with
the grain direction parallel to the
smallest (short grain) or largest
(long grain) measurement.
The cost between the two is
roughly identical, depending
only on the manufacturer or
retailer’s stock. ↓
When ordering, it is established
that the grain direction is parallel
to the second measure of the
paper format.
Grain direction parallel to the
spine allows better malleability
and precise creasing, since the
fibers function as folds between
themselves. Folding against the
grain breaks the fibers, creating
an irregular crease. ↓
Provides the
graphic arts
community
with a common
language
Paper fibers react to humidity,
contracting and expanding
parallel to their direction.
Grain direction parallel to the
spine also allows the fibers to
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expand and contract freely
along the width of the page. ↓
When perpendicular to the spine,
adhesives limit the expansion of
the fibers, creating a horizontal
warping, adding tension to the
sheets and hindering their
handling. ↓
13 The Book Block
 Each group
opens with a
description
A set of metallic stitches,
commonly referred to as staples of the overall
or saddle stitch. Each application process
sees the wire cut and moulded
into U-shaped pieces in order
to perforate the paper. Finally,

Stitching
the tips are folded onto them-
selves, against the paper, securing
the book block.

CHARACTERISTICS CONSIDERATIONS

Extremely resistant.
The most common sections
are circular with diameters
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In order to improve the mallea-
bility of the object and reduce
potential tearing, grain direction
should be parallel to the spine.

ranging from 0.4 to 0.9 mm.

To avoid wear and tear at the
The most common colours are seam, the stitch must be snug.
silver, copper and black. Other

colours are available on demand.
Available in steel (zinc or
copper-plated), which tends
to oxidize over time. They are
also available in stainless steel.
Both the distribution and
the number of stitches to
be used can be specified.
Semi-industrial machines using
preformed, rectangular-profiled
staples are also available. The
latter, of greater hardness and
bevelled edges, facilitate inser-
tion into the paper, allowing the
addition of thicker book blocks.
1. Wire
With intensive use, thin outer
sheets tend to tear, due to
friction of the stitch against
the paper.
While some tolerance is
allowed, stitch length must
be adjusted according to
book block thickness.
The most common stitch
width is approximately 10
to 11 mm and may vary from
one machine to another.

Find the pros

and cons of each
cluster of binding
technique quickly
14
 Each tecnique
is illustrated for
quick reference. CHARACTERISTICS CONSIDERATIONS

Implies multiples of 4 pages Papers between 70 and 135 g/m²

up to a limit of 5 mm piercing generally allow a better mallea-

To reinforce
thickness. bility of the book block.

comprehension,
Since the inserting, sewing and As the number of pages
book block trimming are done increases, the display of
on single machine, production content next to the fold can

the book has

becomes extremely economical. easily be compromised. ↓

100+ illustrations.
Book block trimmings of 10 mm
onwards tend to macerate the
paper at the foot and head, next
to the fold.

In thicker book blocks, tension in

the sheets makes a spring effect,

’s
causing the book to close. ↓

c h n i q u e
The te
The use of paper with the grain
direction parallel to the spine

name.
facilitates handling.

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At the fore-edge, centre pages
protrude more than those on
1.1 the outside (creep). If trimming

Saddle Stitch is desired, it may be necessary

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to compensate the margins

Folding and stitching add thick- so as to avoid cutting content
ness by the spine. This increment (shingling). ↓
makes it difficult to stack, pack
Consists of a single signature and handle large quantities.

book block where one or more Using an additional process, it is

metal stitches attach the sheets
by the fold.
possible to form a quadrangular
spine, reducing this thickness
deviation. ↓
In thicker book blocks, the
increase in thickness next to the
spine makes it difficult to trim.
Thus, macerating the paper next
to the fold.

A description
It is possible to add sheets
A machine inserts the various with different characteristics
signatures in sequence, applying between each other, so long

of each binding
as the sequence remains
the metal stitches and trimming Metallic stitches are typically flat symmetrical from the middle
the book block. but can also be arched for filing of the book block. ↓

technique. (also known as loop stitching). ↓

Maintaining similar tension

What to consider
and possible
The fastening of the staple is throughout the book block
bent against the fold and has when using different paper
bevelled edges that sometimes stocks, prevents the outer or
pierce the paper. ↓ inner sheet’s tendency to tear
around the stitch. limitations of
Short description each technique.
of what the binding
process entails.
16
Several 17 The Book Block

characteristics
and production
possibilities of
a technique.
 ity
High-qual er
a t e d p a p
unco with
, p r i nt e d
stock
- f r i e n d l y ink
eco

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The book lays

perfectly flat without
any resistance from
the binding
 All illustrations
were made from
scratch, designed
to match with the CARACTERÍSTICAS CONSIDERAÇÕES

typeface Torna possível qualquer número

de folhas até um máximo apro-
ximado de 20 mm de espessura
do volume.
Permite juntar e intercalar vários
tipos de papel.
Papéis entre 70 e 120 g/m² geral-
mente permitem uma melhor
maleabilidade do volume.
O ponto de arame deve ficar,
pelo menos, 3 a 4 mm da extre-
midade do volume.

Máquinas de agrafar semi-indus- Como a costura é colocada na

triais permitem a aplicação de face frontal do volume, o acesso
vários agrafos de uma só vez. aos conteúdos junto à margem
interior torna-se progressiva-
Além de cadernos, o alceamento mente mais difícil. ↓
mecanizado de folhas soltas só
é possível em papéis a partir de
120 g/m². As máquinas mais
comuns possuem 12 a 16
estações.

A colocação do agrafo na lateral

impede o volume de se manter
aberto. ↓

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A utilização de papel com
o sentido da fibra paralelo
1.2
The book is
à espinha facilita o

Ponto de manuseamento.
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Arame Lateral
fully bilingual:
Em papéis menos maleáveis,
a adição de um vinco paralelo
à lombada pode facilitar a aber-
Consiste num bloco de folhas,
habitualmente sem dobra,
flip it to switch
tura. No entanto, este vinco tem
de ser ajustado a cada página,

between English
incrementando o tamanho
da margem. ↓
em que uma costura metálica,
aplicada na frente do volume, and Portuguese
atravessa toda a sua espessura.

Alceiam-se os cadernos ou folhas A aplicação de um forro

soltas de maneira a formar um na espinha permite reforçar
a resistência e durabilidade
volume, uma máquina aplica da encadernação, assim
uma costura metálica com um como evitar que o arame
exposto possa danificar
ou mais pontos. outras superfícies. ↓

The typeface was

made for this book:
and you can get
it from the shop too!
18 19 O Miolo do Livro
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