Brief 05 | Photography Collab - Printing & Binding experimentation

I first wanted to practice a range of binding methods to see which I preferred to do and to understand the bind that would be best suited to Alex's Zine.

Firstly I experimented with a saddle stitch, this is a bind I have done before and its very easy to do and is a quick process, it was also the most accurate out of the 3 because its very simple.

2 holes were punched 2cm from the top of the spine and the bottom. Then thread was stitched through and tied together in the middle of the book. 

I then experimented with a coptic bind, this is where the stitch is seen along the spine of the book. This had the most attractive appeal, however it was time consuming and quite fiddly, but works well as the pages lay flat once opened.

This is where 4 or more holes are punched through each booked, the thread is then passed through each of the holes in the different booklet and become intertwined together. The thread is then seen on the spine and creates a interesting and unique look. 

The last bind I experimented with was the Japanese bind, this was also very fiddly however the pattern from the thread that is left looks unique and creates an aesthetic appeal. 

This bind consisted of punching four holes through the book near the spine and lash it together with needle and thread. To make smaller books, fold several sheets of paper paper carefully into halves or quarters, clamp the stack together and punch and bind it.

Personally my favourite bind was the coptic bind, this is because it looked the best, the pages laid flat and it was the bind which I enjoyed making the most.
When discussing with Alex she agreed that the coptic bind was also her favourite and therefore we decided to go ahead with this design.

Printing -

Once me and Alex were happy with the layout of the Zine it was then ready to print. We used the printers in the University and were printed using laser printers -

'a printer linked to a computer producing good-quality printed material by using a laser to form a pattern of electrostatically charged dots on a light-sensitive drum, which attract toner (or dry ink powder). The toner is transferred to a piece of paper and fixed by a heating process.'

The printing all came out really well and the colours took well to the different stocks. Because we both opted for a coptic bind the zine had to be printed out in booklets so it would work better with the zine. Each booklet was then folded and was ready for binding.

Coptic Binding (Kettle Stitch)  -

"Coptic binding or Coptic sewing comprises methods of bookbinding employed by early Christians in Egypt, the Copts, and used from as early as the 2nd century AD to the 11th century. The term is also used to describe modern bindings sewn in the same style."

Coptic binding process -

Binding the Zine -

I opted for a neon pink thread, this was because I wanted it to contrast with the colour of the stock within the book and stand out on the spine of the zine. 

The process was very easy, however at some points the paper did rip where I pulled the thread to tight, this was because the paper is a 70 GSM and is therefore thin so this easily happened. 

The thread also kept running out whilst stitching the book so had to knot more thread on the end of the old, this made bits of the thread poke out and become un-neat.