The Art of Bookbinding

Professional bookbinder Joseph W. Zaehnsdorf offers his step-by-step guide on how to properly bind books, the materials required, and the period styles to choose from – with more than 70 illustrations.

Designed for beginners who hold no more than a sparing knowledge of tool work, this guide offers a complete demonstration on how to properly bind a book. Readers are taken through the preparatory stages, through the acquisition of the right equipment, to the practical elements of trimming, beating, pasting and gluing binding to a book. A variety of period patterning styles are shown, their origins ranging from the Medieval/Renaissance period, to the Enlightenment and the modern eras.

Although written for amateurs, early editions of Zaehnsdorf’s guidebook met high demand among professional bookbinders and hobbyists alike. The uniform high quality of his guidance, enhanced by numerous practical pointers imbued by the decades the author spent binding books, resulted in wide appreciation. 

The passion the author exudes for books, and the merits of the bookbinding craft, are shown by the versatility within: at several stages, the reader is given multiple choices on how to progress their tome’s binding, to suit their experience, comfort and aesthetic preference.