Pro tip: hand-sewing signatures isn't always better than machine stitching

I mean, everyone in this group acts like you have to hand-sew every signature or it's not real bookbinding. Last month I bound a 400-page journal for a client in Portland and used my old Singer machine for the sections, saved me like 6 hours of work. The binding is just as strong after 3 weeks of daily use, and nobody can tell the difference unless they're looking super close. Has anyone else tried mixing machine and hand work for bigger projects?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancyg141mo ago

and honestly, I think the hand-sewing purists are gatekeeping a technique that doesn't always need to be that precious. I did a 500-page run of sketchbooks for a local art show and machine stitched all the sections, then just hand-sewed the endbands and spine for looks. nobody at the show could tell, and the whole batch was done in a weekend instead of a month. it's about the finished book, not how many hours you spent stabbing yourself with a needle.

blakestone1mo ago

nobody at the show could tell" - did anyone ask you about your process?

susan_adams1mo agoTop Commenter

nobody at the show could tell" - okay yeah, I was a hand-sewing snob until reading this. You changed my mind.