Have you ever wanted to read an ebook in bed? You can bind your ebooks into a paper back book easily using simple tools and basic book binding techniques. It's not hard to do, almost everybody can create a 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch paper back book containing any amount of pages very quickly. The cost will be low even if you only print and bind a single copy.
With practice, the end result can be impressive. By designing a good cover, your book will be very hard to distinguish from a comercially produced book. These basic book binding methods can produce results that look very professional.
Ok so how do I do this?
A few tools, supplies and a possibly a software program are needed to get the job done.
The main tool is some sort of binding press. This can be as simple as a table with a straight edge, a couple of "c" clamps, and a wooden ruler. A basic book binding press is easily constructed using plans found on line. You can also purchase a simple press from on line sources.
Glue is needed to bind the pages together. Any type of flexible glue found in the hardware section of your local megastore will do. White glue, contact cement, neoprene glue, and hot melt glue are some alternatives
Card stock for the covers is easily cut out of light weight poster board. A single sheet of this will yield several covers. I have found good cover material at business supply stores and dollar stores.
Printing will take the longest time.
To produce a "trade" paperback using basic book binding techniques requires the pages to be printed four to a sheet of regular paper. Printing in booklet format will get this done but will require some special printing software. You may be able to use your word processing program if it has a booklet print format. Otherwise, you can search the net for booklet printing software and will turn up several choices. One of the commercial versions that sells for $49 allows you to use it in a demo mode for nothing but will print a line at the bottom of each page asking you to buy the product. Be sure to print the page numbers on each page as these are valuable for assembling your book.
Cutting and Assembling the book
Cut the sheets to seperate the pages. Here a paper cutter will make short work of this task. I found an inexpensive paper cutter at Harbor Freight of all places. This would cut up to three sheets at a time.
Lacking access to a paper cutter, you can carefully cut the sheets with sissors. Fold each sheet in half to mark your cut line. Then open the sheet and cut with a large pair of sissors along the fold.
Assemble the sheets using the page numbers as a guide. Look at another book to see how the page number relate to each other. After assembling your stack of pages, tap the edge of the stack on the table to align them together.
Binding the book using very basic book binding
If you have a book binding press, you job is easier.
If you don't have a press, and if this is your first attempt at book binding, you probably don't, use the clamps and a straight edge.
Lay a strip of wax paper on the table edge to protect the furniture from the glue. Lay the stacked pages with the "spine" end of the book extending slightly past the edge of the table. Lay the straight edge, a heavy yard stick will work, across the top of the pages and clamp tightly with the c clamps. The clamps should be positioned at each end of the stack. The object is to press the pages very tightly together and hold them while the glue is applied and drying. Squeeze the pages as tight as you can get them.
Apply the glue to the spine edge of the pages. Be sure to work the glue into the nooks and crannys of the pages leaving no page unglued to fall out. A q-tip works well to spread the glue about. Use more glue than you think is necessary, then let the pages set until the glue is dry.
While the glue is drying, cut out and print the cover. The cover is cut in one piece so that is forms the front, back, and spine of the book. The length of the cover should be twice the width of the pages plus the thickness of the stack. If you have used a half sheet of paper for each page, the width would be 2 times 5 1/2 inches or eleven inches plus the thickness of the stack. Unless you are printing a huge novel, twelve inches long is a good place to start for the length of the cover as most stacks of pages will be less than one inch. The excess length of cover can be cut off after the cover is glued to the book.
Print the cover using a work processing program. You can make a simple title to what ever graphics you wish. Mark the cover for the width of the pages and fold it before you glue it up.
Once the glue has dried on the pages, loosen the clamps enough to slide the cover under the book. Be sure to get the orientation correct, as a book with the cover on backwards is not much fun to brag about. Apply more glue to the edge of the pages and fold the cover tightly over the book. Again, let it set until the glue has dried completly. then finish folding the cover over the book.
This has been a quick and dirty look at basic book binding methods for producing your own paper back books from ebooks and other documents. There is much more to learn about the process but hopefully this will help you understand the basic book binding methods.
