Spotted a hand-press at the Library of Congress tour last week

Went through the main reading room exhibit and there was this old iron hand press set up with fresh prints on display. Couldn't stop staring at the brass fittings and the wear on the platen. Made me want to try letterpress binding just to see how the paper creases differently. Has anyone here actually bound a book that was printed on a hand press, or is that a whole different rabbit hole?

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adams.uma28d ago

Binding on a hand press is a whole different beast, but it's not as scary as it sounds. The main thing is the paper is way more compressed and stiffer than what comes out of a modern press, so you need to ease up on the creasing or you'll crack the spine right down the middle. I've done a few small runs where I had to score the folds with a bone folder first, just a light pass, then use a rounded backing in the press instead of a sharp shoulder. Also, the ink can sit on top of the fibers differently, so don't use too much paste when you're putting on the boards or it'll soak through and smear. Started with a pamphlet stitch on one of those prints and it worked fine, but full case binding needs more give in the joints. Grab some scrap paper from the same batch and test a few folds before you commit.

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