PSA: Stop trimming your text block before you glue it

I spent 6 months wondering why my spines kept cracking until an old bookbinder at a craft fair pointed out I was cutting the pages too short before casing in. Has anyone else wrecked a book by rushing the trimming?

2 comments

2 Comments

oscarcooper2d ago

Oh man, I totally feel your pain. I had the same issue until I started leaving a tiny extra margin (like 1/16th of an inch) before gluing, and it saved my spines.

the_vera1d ago

My buddy Mike had the exact same problem with his first few books. @oscarcooper he ended up cracking two spines in a row before he figured out his mistake. He started putting a thin piece of cardboard under the spine while the glue dried, just like a 1/16th gap. It gave the spine just enough room to breathe without buckling. His next book came out perfect, no cracks at all.