Did you know there are almost 4 million books published each year? If you want to learn how to print and bind a book you’ve come to the right place.
Making a book at home is a great way to preserve memories and keep your child’s artwork safe. It can also be a thoughtful gift for something.
It can be challenging and if you’ve never done it, it might seem overwhelming. We are going to go over everything you need to know about printing and binding a book from home. Keep reading and get ready to start your next DIY project.
Printing the Book
The first step in how to print and bind a book is printing your book. There are two methods you can use depending on what size book you have. Consider printing board books if you have a book for a toddler or a child and don’t want it to be ruined.
Folded Booklet
Printing a folded booklet requires a little extra work and attention to detail. This is a great method if you are making a smaller book. Your pages will need to be divisible by four.
Pages 1,2, 23, and 24 will all be on the same page. Your computer and printer should have a setting for this. Before you print make sure you have your margins set to at least one inch so you don’t lose words when you bind it.
Full pages
Printing full pages are much simpler. If you want the book to be front and back make sure you set the printer to that setting too.
Otherwise, you can print all the odds, take them out and flip them over and print the evens. Remember to leave the first and last pages blank as we will be attaching them to the cover.
Binding the Book
To bind your book you are going to need cardboard, glue, a knife, a ruler, and a writing utensil (a pencil works best). Take your book pages and on each one measure and mark on the one-inch margin (or where you want the page to start). Then fold at that line all the way down the page.
You’ll then start gluing the folds together one by one. Practicing with scrap paper first will help you figure out how much glue to use. Also, be sure to flip through every page to ensure they aren’t sticking together.
Once they are all together you’ll set them aside to dry. The next step to printing and binding a book is to grab your thin cardboard to make the cover. Lay it flat and take two pieces of paper and glue them to it, leaving a gap in between for the spine.
Remember the first and last page we left blank? You’re going to take your book and glue those pages to the pieces of paper that we previously glued to the cover. Flip through the pages to ensure none of them are stuck together and then let them dry.
Now you’ve got your book!
How to Print and Bind a Book
Learning how to print and bind a book is a great DIY project to try at home. Although there are a lot of steps it will become easier as you practice.
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