hi!! your work is beautiful! do you recall the shade name of the blue-green bookcloth you used for eugenesis by any chance? thank you :)
I'm pretty sure it's called "dragonfly", though some sites have it listed under different names.
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hi!! your work is beautiful! do you recall the shade name of the blue-green bookcloth you used for eugenesis by any chance? thank you :)
I'm pretty sure it's called "dragonfly", though some sites have it listed under different names.
There Are No Gays in Football by Malu 3 (@penaltykeks) with art by alby mangroves (@artgroves) and @mizufae
Bound for Zephyr for the Renegade Bindery book exchange
Words: 212,919 | 662 pages
Binding this book made me nostalgic. When I was in high school and just getting into fandom and reading fanfic, Merlin was one of the bigger fandoms on Livejournal. I actually have never watched the show, but know a bit about it through fandom osmosis. I went with more of a classic look; I wanted it to look like something traditionally published. The design isn't super eye-catching, but I'm proud how it turned out because I think the overall construction and layout is well done. I wish I had some slightly better photos, because in person I think it looks really nice, but I finished 1 day before the deadline so I didn't really have enough time. 😅
I'd also like to thank @desmothene for advising me on the typesetting for both of my exchange books.
Dark Prelude: To Pierce the Wound
by CavalierConvoy & @skidblast
9,646 words | 82 pages
This is a cute little volume, 4 x 4 inches, sewn board binding. I followed this DAS Bookbinding tutorial.
I completed the typesetting in February for the Binderary challenge, and finished making it in May. I've never done a book this small, and it was an interesting challenge designing it. I've found smaller books are more difficult to typeset due to the size limitations.
For the title I used the font Mad Hacker, the body font is Alegreya and Alegreya Sans, and the subtitle font is Heldustry. If you are a Transfomers fan, I'm pretty sure Heldustry is one of the same fonts used on the G1 packaging.
I used the sunshine Duo bookcloth, but I'm not sure of the paper. I used Dorland's wax medium to coat the paper for the first time and it's really easy to use, you can simply apply with your fingers.
Hey! I wanted to ask where you got the gold, shimmery bookcloth you used for "All That Is Gold"? It looks beautiful!!
They were selling it at a paper store near where I live, but they don't have an online store. However, I believe it's this Asahi gold bookcloth.
Eugenesis by James Roberts
598 pages | Fandom: Transformers
This is definitely the most ambitious project I've done so far; and I think also by far the most professional looking typesetting.
Due to the springback style binding, there unfortunately isn't much visual interest on the cover besides the titling. For this copy I used blue-green Duo Bookcloth and Jacquard Lumiere 552 Bright Gold. The endpapers are this marbled jute paper.
The benefit of the springback style for longer books like this is that it can lay open very flat. Also due to the construction it can spring open automatically to some extent, which is really fun. I've gone into more detail about the technical details in this post, if you're curious.
There are some more photos of the typesetting after the cut.
Guess who made three springback copies of Eugenesis?
Prowl for scale.
Please do not ask how long this took, it was frankly a ridiculous amount of time; the springback binding intimidated me so much.
I'm going to give some notes on this particular style; hopefully it will be helpful if you're interested in trying it. The actual finished product is in my other post.
I followed DAS Bookbinding's tutorial:
Springback Binding Endpapers
Reinforced Springback Sewing
Full Cloth Springback Notebook Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Regarding the endpapers, it was rather difficult for me to get the papers to glue together without wrinkling. I never did get it exactly right. It definitely won't work with PVA, you have to use a PVA/paste mix. In the video, DAS puts some kind of blotting and parchment paper between the sheets before putting them in the press to flatten. For me at least, the parchment/wax paper was useless. I'd advise only using blotting paper to help draw out the moisture. I used this printmaking paper; no doubt there are other good papers you could use, but I haven't tested any others. I made endpapers from cotton rag, jute, and chiyogami paper. I got the best results with the chiyogami, but I'm not exactly sure why.
Also be aware, you can slightly see the bookcloth glued on the back side of the endpapers on the inside of the book. I just used some scraps I had, so it was only luck it didn't clash.
The reinforced sewing is kind of annoying, I was never 100% sure I was doing it correctly. This is the same 2 copies of Eugenesis (600 pages), so you can see the before and after. There was a 2 cm difference between the unglued copy and the glued/rounded copy. Since I used two colors of thread on the reinforced sewing, it's a bit easier to see what it looks like than in the video.
DAS' tutorial is very comprehensive. The only thing I would change is cutting the spring and the boards to size before you glue them to the textblock, not after. I don't really see the benefit of cutting after you glued it on.
DAS trims the textblock, but I wouldn't recommend it. I did it on the first book using the chisel method, but it was really difficult to do since the textblock is so thick. And I cut before I rounded, so I didn't even have to consider the margins. As for a guillotine--personally I'm not confident enough in my skills or my guillotine to try it, especially after all the work you have to do to even get to that point. For a blank book it might work out okay, but since you have to round the spine, I think it'd be really difficult to get a consistent margin in a printed book.
When making the spring, DAS glues some paper on the inside and goes partially over the other side to reinforce it. The paper I used was pretty thick, so it ended up being visible along the spine. Unfortunately I hadn't considered this and on the first copy I made it wasn't a straight line. The next copy I kind of sanded down and added thin layers of paper to make the difference less noticeable. Probably it'd just be better to use thinner paper in the first place.
In addition, you can see the reinforcing paper when the book is fully open; in this first book I made you can see the old art on this scrap paper I used.
Also take care on putting the grooves in the joint with the bonefolder. I ended up slightly ripping the blue middle copy. After I had finished gluing on the bookcloth, I was going over the groove a second time, and I accidentally tore a hole with my bonefolder. And at that point, there's really no way to get the bookcloth off easily/neatly.
In the video, he pulls it taut around the book and then adds the groove; I'd advise laying on the bookcloth, using the bonefolder to get it in the groove, and then flattening the cloth over the boards. I don't know if it's really an error with his video, it could be just a result of the Duo bookcloth I used with this project having thinner backing paper.
Overall, I think this style is really cool, especially how the spring allows the book to open automatically (if opened in the middle). However, it's going to be overkill unless it's a really long book.
Nights in Your Arms by eerian sadow | 131 pgs
Days in Avalon
Homecoming
There Will Be Love
Some Say Love
This is another one of the books I did for the Binderary challenge in February. I'm kind of annoyed I didn't take very good pictures of this book, as I think it was a cute little volume. I had a lot of fun with the layout--it was the first time I've ever formatted a song fic (that made me feel pretty nostalgic NGL). It was a bit of a challenge because there were a bunch of small chapters and subsections, so at first I wasn't sure of the best way to organize things.
I put some screenshots of the layout under the cut, which is probably not too interesting unless you're planning on typesetting your own books.
All That is Gold by Rizobact
26,148 words | 105 pgs
This was for a bookbinding challenge I did in February, and I think it turned out very beautiful, mostly due to the materials.
Actually not much to say about this project, the typesetting and design was really basic. It is the first time I've used that particular bookcloth and added a two-page spread.
The bookcloth has a beautiful texture and you can see how it shimmers in the video.
I was so stupid trying to figure out this spread because I used a different paper than the rest of the textblock, and couldn't figure out how to sew it in. Should I make a one page signature, tip it into the book, or what? Then I had the obvious realization to just work with the layout to make sure the spread is in the middle of the signature.
With Absolute Splendor by Lise (@veliseraptor)
43,533 words | 170 pages
Bound for @ehyde for the Renegade Bindery book exchange
I am so happy about the colors of this book turned out. Originally I was planning to use some red paper for the cover, but then realized how much it didn't match the endpapers. The orange and black turned out so much better than my original idea.
won't take the easy road by twigofwillow
47,173 words | 158 pages
Bound for @ehyde for the Renegade Bindery book exchange
I've actually read a ton of MDZS/The Untamed fic, but I hadn't bound any for myself yet, so it was interesting deciding on the design of this book. I think it came together in the end, though I have to admit, I just went with vibes rather than anything more complex. IDK, I guess to me the fic just had such a gentle mood, I wanted to match that it some way.
My first time doing a springback binding; I mainly followed DAS Bookbinding's guide, except for some places I cut corners. I don't know how obvious it is, but the benefit is that with longer books, it will lay flatter than a regular casebound binding. The spring action is pretty cool; if you open it in the middle like I did in the video, after it gets past a certain point the spring will open the book automatically.
It's a copy of Eugenesis, but I'm planning to make another (better) version, as I had some problems with the toner smudging.
So it's not too interesting, but last week I finished up another 3 copies of Crystal Ghosts for some people in the J/P discord server I'm in. Which makes 7 copies of the book I've made so far. 😅 I think I'm taking a break with this one for a while.
I added some vinyl along the side this time, which was surprisingly annoying, probably because I'm an idiot and ironed on after the case was complete. I also changed the title page a bit on one of the copies, which I think looks a bit better.
Blue and white: paper was this marbled lokta and the bookcloth is this starched linen
Orange and pink: marbled mulberry paper (which was very thin, so I put some other paper undeneath) and Arrestox black bookcloth
Blue and gold: lokta paper and the same Arrestox black
If you're interested in bookbinding minutiae check under the cut to check out my flawless endpapers and headbands lol
Crystal Ghosts by Rizobact:
Enduring as Crystal / Eternal as Love
85,688 words
264 pages (5.5 x 8.5 in) / 373 pages (4.25 x 7 in)
Fandom: Transformers
Pairing: Jazz/Prowl
This is such a fun and imaginative fic! I really enjoy the world-building in this story; it takes the TF canon and reworks it in such an interesting way. Plus ghosts! What more can you want? I'm looking forward to rereading this, now that I've bound it.
Knock, Listen by TopJoy
59,205 words | 213 pages
Fandom: Transformers
Illustration by amne-chan
When I first started this hobby, this is one of the first fics that I knew I wanted to bind. I find it very viscerally engaging; every time I read this story there comes a point where I have to stop and take a moment to collect myself, it pulls on my emotions so strongly.
Ah, I can't describe quite why I like this fic so much. I find the more I'm emotionally affected by something, the less I can pin down the reason. But one of the things I really love is Prowl's interpretation of the world following his brain injury; the imagery and sensory details used are so interesting to me. Then seeing what he is experiencing from the outside as the story switches between different characters--I really love that kind of interplay between contrasting POVs.
More pics and details after the cut:
Audition by crabapplered
12,783 words | 55 pages
Fandom: Transformers
Pairing: Jazz/Prowl
Illustrations from Eine Neue Groteske
This is it, this is the story that got me into Jazz/Prowl. Such deft characterization and prose, such a beautiful exploration of Prowl in particular, words really cannot express how much I adore this fic.
I bound this twice: first in a slightly modified stiffened paper binding, second in coptic stitch.
More pics and details below the cut:
Laid to Rest by acernor
67,946 words | 224 pages
Fandom: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System by Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Pairing: Liu Qingge/Luo Binghe/Shen Qingqiu
Illustration: Xiao Tong @velsmells
Wow, this book ended up being much more of a project than I anticipated, as you can see from the "published in 2020" on the title page. It's three months later, and I've finally finished! 🥰
I absolutely adore this fic, such a great character study and coda to the novel, and of course some excellent porn with feelings. Such exquisite writing, one of my favorite SVSSS fics! I’m ashamed to admit, when I first read Scum Villain, Liu Qingge didn’t make much of an impression on me; I credit this story for showing me the light. So earnest, so awkward, really just my favorite kind of character.
Continue past the cut for my ~process~ (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧