Art & Design

Book Binding Courses: Learn to Become a Master at Binding Books

Considering a Book Binding Course? 

If you want to learn the art of book binding, a book binding course may be ideal for you. A book binding course will teach you the techniques and the process of making a one-of-a-kind handmade book. It will cover the nitty-gritty details of taking raw materials and creating them into a functional book in addition to covering tips on production and craftsmanship. There are so many different book binding courses available for a number of different levels. In addition, the courses cover different periods of time and how book binding has changed. 

About Book Binding 

Book binding, also referred to as book bindery, is the process of assembling and securing written or printed pages within a cover. In a majority of cases, the cover is thicker than the interior pages in a menas to provide durability to the finished product. Some of the most popular book binding methods include: saddle stitching, perfect binding, spiral coil binding, 3-ring binder and hard cover.  

A Brief History of Book Binding 

In one sense, the history of binding books can begin with educated monks as early as the sixth century, who would protect their hand-transcribed manuscripts with wooden boards that were encrusted with jewels and metal. However, modern-era book binding came about with the arrival of the printing press. Since then, the craft of book binding was also used to refer to the design of the covers of books. For the following 200 years, innovation and exemplary book binding was set by the royal courts of France, followed by Venice, England and Germany. The industry was forced to adjust its commercial approach in the mid-nineteenth century as a result of the competition from cheaper materials such as cloth and from new binding technologies such as gluing sheets together as opposed to sewing. 

What Will I Learn? 

You will get familiar with paper, thread and glue and learn how to bind your own paperback, small hardback journal and copybook. Students will get a glimpse into the history of bookbinding in the 19th century. The course will teach you how to fold, trim and sew towards a paperback and a hardback. You will sew your first bookblock also directly into the parchment cover using long stitches and with link stitching. Finishing your bindings with leather tie and wrap around straps and how to add decorative weaving patterns on the long stitch binding will also be explored. Learners will explore how to make stitch on endbands, quarter leather binding with raised bands and practice with gold leaf to make gold line decorations. 

Career Opportunities & Course Progression 

After completing your course, you can expect to be able to work as a bookbinder, a librarian or in other roles related to the crafting or selling of books. If you would like to continue your learning, you could go on to do a literature course or another course related to books. 

If you’re serious about doing a bookbinding course, check out courses near you in the Nightcourses.co.uk national course finder.

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