Books
We specialise in one-off bespoke bindings and small runs. Anything from a simple book in cloth, to a fine binding in Moroccan goatskin with gilded edges and hand tooling, we offer a tailor-made service from start to finish.
Our standard turnaround is two to three days for something bound in cloth, and five to ten working days for something in leather, but please let us know if you have different requirements.
A variety of lettering and finishing options are available. Click here to find out more.
Hard bindings
Choose from a traditional rounded spine or a more contemporary square-backed style. Full, half or quarter bound using hard boards covered in leather, cloth or paper.
Soft bindings
A soft binding consists of a flexible cover and endpapers. The cover is cut flush to the text block.
Fine bindings
Every detail from hand-sewn headbands to decorative finishing can be catered to. We suggest that you pop into the bindery to discuss the details of your requirements.
Other bindings
Periodicals, Japanese bindings, chequebook bindings, magazine bindings and Coptic bindings are just some of the other bindings we can do.
Paper grain
Most manufactured paper has a grain. When providing pages they need to have been printed with the grain running parallel to the spine of the book. To determine the grain direction try gently folding the paper from edge to edge both ways. You will find more resistance against the grain.
Single sheet textblocks
A textblock comprising single sheets is stitched top down through the leaves on the spine edge. To allow for this you will need to add an additional 5mm to your spine margin. We suggest a light weight paper for better results.
Call for advice if you are thinking about using heavier weight papers.
Endpapers
At the bindery we stock black, white and off-white endpapers as standard. We also have more traditional, decorative marbled papers and paste grains.
You are welcome to provide your own endpapers. Its important that they are oversized, correct grain and of a suitable weight.
Additional information
Section sewn textblocks
For a book to open well and the pages to lie flat it must be sewn in section.
The weight of the paper will determine the number of pages per section so please call us for advice before you print. We charge a little extra for section sewing but would recommend this method as the book works better. We prefer to receive pages ready folded and in order, however this is a service we provide at an additional cost.
French fold
French fold refers to pages that are folded on the foredge. This allows you to achieve double sided pages by only printing on one side. Use as light a weight paper as possible for the best result and make sure you allow an additional 5mm on the spine margin for stitching.
Printed covers
When providing a printed sheet for use as a cover, the size and registration need to be accurate, especially if there is text on the spine. Remember to account for the turn ins and get the grain direction parallel to the spine. We would recommend that you call for advice on paper weights and sizing.
Supplying a material
We are generally able to work with supplied materials but would recommend you bring in a sample beforehand so we can check its suitability for lettering, pressing, and use with our glues. Please note that bringing extra material for the actual job is essential.