Warning: A binder I respect told me my endpapers were too tight

At a workshop in Portland last month, a binder I really look up to pointed at my completed journal and said 'your endpapers are choking that text block.' I thought I was being precise, but I had the paper cut at 3mm too narrow on each side. After she showed me on a scrap piece how much the paper needs to flex, I realized I'd been making that mistake for like two years. Has anyone else discovered a tiny measurement error that was messing up their binding for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul_webb4515d ago

Hmm, "choking that text block" is a pretty intense way to put it. I gotta ask though - when she showed you on the scrap piece, did she actually glue it down and let it dry, or was she just holding it in place? Because I've had people tell me my joints are too tight, but when I actually test it with glue and let it sit for an hour, the paper relaxes way more than I expect. It's one thing to see the math on paper, but another to feel how much give there really is once the adhesive sets. I mean, that 3mm could be totally fine if your paper has more stretch than hers, you know? Just wondering if you got to see the practical demo or if it was more of a quick visual thing.

the_anna15d ago

But could part of the issue be that her scrap piece was cut from the middle of the sheet, not the edge? I've noticed paper near the edges has a different stretch to it than the stuff in the center, especially with handmade papers. That might explain why the numbers worked on her demo but feel off when you try to copy it on your own project.