In my soon-to-be ongoing series of "components of bookbinding", here are some options for thread and a discussion of why different options might work better or worse for your book.
Thread is used to sew signatures together. The thread used for bookbinding needs to do several things:
Be small enough to thread into a needle to poke through the signature holes
Be large enough so that it doesn't slice through the paper after repeated page turnings
Be strong enough so that it doesn't break when subjected to wear from the paper after repeated page turnings. If you are using a binding that leaves the threads exposed (such as Coptic binding), this goes double
Let's start off with S-tier bookbinding thread, and then discuss what's possible to skimp on. (note: None of the links are affiliate links. I am not making money on these recommendations. Links are provided merely for illustration purposes.)
This is Irish Linen Bookbinding Thread, from Talas (a well-respected bookbinding supplier).
Linen is used because it is an extremely tough, long-staple fiber. Linen withstands wear much better than cotton. This particular thread comes pre-waxed with just enough wax to make it strong and prevent it from untwisting, but not so much that it's sticky to work with. It comes in multiple thicknesses. However, one spool of this will set you back between $13 and $24, and while it will last you a while, that's still a pretty hefty chunk of change, so let's look at alternatives.
Alternative #1: Sewing Thread
Sewing thread is a very common option.
Pros
Commonly available, even at places like Walmart
Significantly cheaper
Many people already have some
Cons
Varies widely in quality, and therefore in durability. Cheap polyester thread is not going to hold up to nearly as much wear as high quality cotton thread
Thinner than much bookbinding threads. I'm not going to get into thread weights here (I looked it up to try and give some recommendations but it turns out that thread sizing is bonkers and kind of complicated) but because it's thinner, it has the dual problems of potentially cutting through your paper, and wearing out sooner.
Does not come pre-waxed.
Some solutions for these problems
Double or quadruple your thread when you sew with it. Luckily, unlike other types of hand sewing, it's very easy to sew in short chunks, knot in new pieces of thread, and hide knots where they can't be seen, so you don't have to use long, tangly, unwieldy pieces.
Wax your thread. You can buy straight up chunks of beeswax for pretty cheap (plus it has lots of other uses!), or you can buy those little "thread magic" or "thread waxer" items at craft stores.
Don't buy the absolute cheapest thread. I know this is a post about cheap thread alternatives but it's better to buy one spool of good thread than a big box of dogshit thread. (ask me how I know)
Alternative #2: Embroidery Floss
Pros
Also commonly available
Thicker
Comes in lots of fun colors, which is nice for exposed-stitching binding styles
Can also be used for making your own decorative endbands, embroidering your covers, and other fun bookbinding-related activities
Cons
Not as cheap as sewing thread
Not necessarily manufactured for tensile strength since embroidery isn't usually put under a lot of stress
Unwaxed
Solutions
Make sure you only use cotton embroidery floss, not rayon or wool
Make sure to wax it with beeswax
Alternative #3: Waxed Dental Floss
Make sure that you are getting thread based dental floss, NOT plastic based dental floss!!
Do NOT get this stuff:
The stuff you are looking for will say "waxed" on it.
Pros
Cheap
Readily Available
Already Waxed
Manufactured to stand up to abrasion
Cons
May be hard to find unflavored
Archival Quality unknown, potentially not the best
Long term strength unknown - while it is meant to stand up to quite a bit of short term abrasion via the teeth, it is also a one-use product in most cases.
Solutions
Know what you're getting into
Use for beginning and testing purposes, so you can get the hang of skills before committing more expensive materials
A notebook I made a year ago and still haven't used! Long stitch binding done with embroidery floss. The video below is the best explanation of the technique I could find, and you can expand it to as many pairs of signatures as you want, and play with the placement of the holes. I hope the diagrams are vaguely helpful in showing the order to sew them in!
Since the holes have to be a little bit apart on the spine, I'd recommend using multiple signatures per hole. You can double back through the signatures to sew two of them in at once but that is Super Not Worth It, so just kettle stitch the additional signatures around the attachment points of the original signatures once you're done.
To make a thick, smooth paste, measure 1 1/2 cups of cold water into a saucepan. Measure 4 tablespoons of plain white wheat flour into a separate container. Add the flour to the cold water a little at a time, beating it in thoroughly with an egg beater. Put the saucepan over medium heat and stir the mixture constantly while the water is brought to a boil ... When it reaches the boil, remove it from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. This paste can be thinned to any desired consistency by adding water that has been boiled and cooled.
~~ from aldren a. watson's hand bookbinding: a manual of instruction
This tutorial is for @inferiorvibes who asked me how I did my Manacled set (pictured below) with art going over three book spines. I won't be covering how to use the design programs, so if you have any questions, or would like a boarder tutorial, please let me know.
This tutorial also works for dustjackets.
Tools:
Ruler or measuring tape
The hardcovers of the books you're going to be binding on
InDesign, Photoshop or Photopea (free online version of photoshop) -- I've never used Canva
STEP ONE: MEASURE THE SPINES / YOUR CANVAS
It's important to know what space you're working with, so put all your books side by side and measure the width of ALL the books next to one another + the height.
Yes, I do measure the little space between the spine and the front/back covers.
STEP TWO: CREATE YOUR CANVAS
In the program of your choice, open a document with the measurements you took above. Keep your books and rulers close though! You also do not need bleed, columns or margins for this step.
STEP THREE: OUTLINE EACH SPINE
Time to get your rulers out both physically and in your program. Start by measuring each spine. Then, using the rulers, drag them onto your screen. A little math is going to come into play, but bear with me!
It's important to also change your rulers in your design program to centimeters. I feel like it's a more precise measurement than inches, but feel free to do it however you're comfortable.
Here's how to access your rulers & change their measurement. To change the measurement, make sure to RIGHT-CLICK on the ruler.
The first spine is the easiest to mark-out, as you just drag and drop your ruler to the exact measurement. For the second spine, you'll have to do the measurement of your first + the second. So, I dragged my second ruler to 6.3cm (2.5cm + 3.8 cm) in the program. After this, the remaining space will be your third spine!
You should end up with something that looks like your books when they're placed next to each other!
STEP FOUR: INSERT YOUR ART!
Now, you can add your image to the canvas. I like to "Place" image and resize it! Ignore the purple line, what you're focusing on is the canvas outline and the blue rulers you've added.
You can also put your program in preview mode if you find the lines confusing. Now, you can see the whole image of your spines when they'll be placed together.
TIP: It's better to have an image that has "excess" that goes outside of the canvas. When you create your hardcover design or jacket, you'll want the art to "bleed" so that when you look over the top edge of your book, the art won't suddenly cut to white, but rather, extend far enough that it gets folded away and covered by your headband/book.
STEP FIVE-ISH: EYEBALL YOUR ART
I actually eyeball my art when I insert it to the final file. Yes, I'm saying it out loud, and yes, I do have to do tester prints to make sure they'd correct. One trick I have is to see what art markers there are for where/how I place the art.
For example, I know that the middle spine barely has his thumb. The side spines need to end one edge where his thumbs are.
STEP SIX: INSERT YOUR ART INTO YOUR COVER
Using the same measuring techniques, I build my hardcover. Then, I insert the spine art and adjust depending on which volume of the book it is.
I hope this made sense! I didn't really look up tutorials, I just cooked on InDesign and it worked in my favour.
Let me learn you a thing!
Tip #1
Always mark your signatures when you cut or pierce your signatures. A “top” locator line and a diagonal “order” line.
This is useful when you are doing batch work. Because of possible errors, your holes will not be exact for 100% of your signatures - especially if you don’t have a piercing jig.
This is also a must if you have content on your pages and you absolutely cannot have an error in their order.
Why is this useful?
I knocked this book’s worth of signatures off the stack and onto the floor. Some of the signatures are upside down and most of them are completely out of order.
First locate the top of the signatures. When making my holes I usually mark the top with a straight line of a separate colour.
As you can see It is pretty easy to sort out the order when they are marked.
Don’t take this particular pattern that I used on this book as one that is the best to use. The best is to just do a simple diagonal line or two (not straight). The More lines you have the longer it takes to draw them and the less effective it is in the long run.
You also want to make your lines “unique” to each stack of book guts by varying the angle or the position on the spine it is. This is to cover yourself if you happen to drop more than one book’s worth. Imagine sorting out a dozen.
Cheers and happy binding.
