How To Bind a Hardcover Book?

If you are wondering how to make your own hardcover book this blog is for you. Although there are dozens of different binding styles available for making softcover books, there are far fewer options for hardcover binding. That being said, there are new ways to easily bind hardcover books that are far simpler than a traditional bind. These modern binding techniques can create hardcover books in minutes compared to the hours of manual labor that go into traditional book bindings. Here is a brief overview of these new methods, their pros and cons, and how to make your own custom cover.

Quick Links

• Thermal Binding
• Velobind
• Fastback
• Masterbind
• Pinchbook
• How to Make a Book Cover

Thermal Binding

Thermal binding uses heat-activated glue in your book’s spine to bind the pages and them to the cover.

Pros of Thermal Binding

• Hands-Free Binding: The drop-and-go technology used in thermal binding machines allows you to easily multi-task while binding.
• Allows for Custom Covers: Using thermal covers makes the binding process even easier but if you want to make your own cover all you need is a thermal glue strip to bind with it.
• Wide Range of Options: You can find thermal machines for a wide range of prices. Depending on your capacity and other needs you can find a thermal binder for a little over $100 up to a couple thousand.
• Can Bind Multiple Books at Once: A major perk of thermal binders is that you can bind multiple books all in one go. As long as you don’t exceed the machine’s width capacity you are good to bulk bind.

Cons of Thermal Binding

• Less Durable Bind: Relying on the heating and cooling of glue in the spine, it is crucial to make sure all your pages are in the adhesive. Best practices like cutting your glue strip to the correct size, tapping the spine on a hard surface as it comes out of the binding cycle, stapling the book block, and crimping your spine will all help secure your pages so they can stand up to heavy use.

Explore our article on how to thermal bind and how to choose a thermal binding machine to get started.

Velobind

Velobind secures your pages by punching holes into your document, inserting a strip with pins, and then melting them into a strip on the other side.

Pros of Velobind

• Allows for Custom Covers: You can create your own hardcover to Velobind with. Every standard Velobind case comes with two adhesive fly sheets that are bound with the book block and then used to adhere the front and back to the cover. As long as you can get your hands on a pair of fly sheets you will be good to go.
• Tamper-Proof: One of the primary benefits of any Velobound book is that you cannot edit or remove pages without a special tool that will fully unbind the book. This means your pages aren’t going anywhere and will stay secure.

Cons of Velobind

• Expensive: To get a hot knife Velobind machine you will be looking at a pretty major investment. This can make the method inaccessible to casual or at-home bookbinders.

Explore our article on how to VeloBind and how to choose a VeloBind strip to get started.

Fastback

Fastback or “tape binding” uses a binding strip that is wrapped around the spine of your book to hold it together.

Pros of Fastback Binding

• Fast, Easy Bind: Perhaps the fastest binding method, all you need to do is insert your book block, insert a strip, and let the machine do the rest. Once it is done binding peel back the adhesive on the Fastbind cover and adhere it to your book.
• Allows for Custom Covers: Fastback offers a line of case makers to help you customize your book. You can also create one on your own if you prefer. You just need to make sure your cover has an adhesive sheet on the inside. If you have a roll laminator, applying mounting adhesive is an easy way to do this. Or, like Velobind, you bind your book with tacking sheets on the front and back.

Cons of Fastback Binding

• Expensive: Fastbind machines can cost a pretty penny. While it is a worthy investment for businesses that need to bind quickly and frequently it may not be accessible to the average DIY binder.

Explore our article on how to bind using Fastback binding and how to choose a Fastback strip to get started.

MasterBind

MasterBind utilizes metal channels that are tightened to form the spine of your book, securing your pages in place.

Pros of MasterBind

• Bind in One Easy Motion: MasterBind allows you to fully assemble your book, place it into the binder and pull the lever. Just like that, you have completed your bind
• Allows for Some Custom Covers: Since you need to use the MasterBind channel you can customize your front and back panel but you won’t use the traditional wrapping method and won’t be able to customize your book’s spine.

Cons of MasterBind

• Newer Technique: MasterBind is one of the newest ways to bind documents on the market today. So, finding a binder and compatible supplies may be a bit harder. That being said, you can shop the full MasterBind product line here at MyBinding.com.

Explore our article on how to bind using MasterBind to get started.

Pinchbook

Pinchbooks are designed with a special spine that pinches your pages into place for a quick and easy bind.

Pros of Pinchbooks

• Fast and Easy: All you need to do is open your cover all the way, insert your pages, and close the cover. Now you have a nicely bound book.
• Editable: Removing and adding pages is just as easy as initially binding. Simply open the cover so the front and back are touching again to edit your pages.

Cons of Pinchbooks

• Low Capacity: Pinchbooks can only hold about 37 pages of 20# paper. If you want to create a book that is any thicker you will need to choose a different option.
• Less Durable Bind: Pinchbooks work by pinching your pages in place. If you accidentally open the book too wide you risk that bind coming undone.
• Doesn’t Allow for Custom Covers: Since they rely on the special spine you have to use a Pinchbook cover.

For more information on Pinchbooks feel free to give us a call at How to Make a Custom Hardcover

Below will detail the steps to make a custom cover assuming you don’t have access to these items.

1. Cut two pieces of book board with a ¼” larger width and height than your pages and one the width of your spine with the same ¼” added height.
2. Put these pieces off to the side with about an ?” gap between them.
3. Cut a piece of paper or cloth to use as your cover wrap. The sheet should be about ½” to 1” larger than your book structure.
   • Formula: (Page Size x2) + (Spine Size) + (¼” Cover Overhang) + (¼” Spacing) + (1” Wrap Overhang)
   • Pro Tip: This is where you can use tacking paper to print out your design and skip step 4 & 5.
4. Prep your wrap by evenly coating it with a thin layer of glue
   • Pro Tip: Lightly spray the material with water before adding glue to help the fibers to relax, prevent warping, and avoid glue seeping through.
5. Let everything sit for about a minute so that the material structure can relax with the added moisture. This will prevent wrinkles in your cover as it dries.
6. Place your wrap over top of your boards and smooth it out while firmly pressing it into place.
   • Pro Tip: You can also place the boards onto the sheet if you are more comfortable just make sure you measure and/or mark where they should be placed.
7. Let dry under a weight or heavy book to prevent warping.
8. Once dry, cut the corners of the overhanging material at a 45-degree angle flush with the board corners.
9. Apply glue to the remaining overhang and wrap around the back of the cover smoothing it onto the backside.
   • Pro Tip: Press the edge into the table as you fold for an extra crisp finish.

You should now have a hardcover case that you can add whatever you need to fit your chosen binding style (i.e. thermal glue strips, fly sheets, mounting adhesive, ect.)

If you decide on a particular binding style we have the machines, supplies, and covers that you will need. If you aren't sure which binding style is right for you give us a call