Rationale for the Case Binding method

repost from Renegadepublishing Tumblr

bellowingwhack said:

Hello! I just found your bookbinding posts and I love them, I've been wanting to do a project like this for a long time and your resources are so helpful! But I am wondering if you have thoughts on techniques that use less glue such as coptic binding/why you chose the particular style of binding that you do, is it more long-lasting etc?

 

While you submitted this to Renegade Publishing generally, and members do create books in various styles, I’ll assume you’re referring to the case-bound books that I make, half bound in cloth and paper. This is the type of book that I describe in my tutorial that a number of folks have followed.

 

This decision on my part to go with case binding was just sort of instinctive. I knew I wanted them to look like a “serious book” and this was also the sort of binding described in the first instructional guide I found. I don’t say this to malign other forms of bookbinding, but I wanted my result to appear very traditional. I like the juxtaposition of radical content in an austere, “proper” wrapper. It subverts assumptions about what’s worthy to be bound in such a way. It makes the strongest statement that the writing inside is valuable and real literature. Typically my typesetting and other design choices are also pretty conservative and I make those decisions with this goal in mind.

 

Other forms of binding such as Coptic stitch and glueless bindings are perfectly fine, but didn’t seem to make such a strong subversive statement as the stodgy old case binding.  Other Renegade members have experimented far outside the bounds of the case binding method and achieved great results, so if that’s a method that appeals to you, by all means go for it! The most important thing is that you bind that book!

 

-ArmoredSuperHeavy