Archival Booklet
2 January 2015
With January comes both planning and remembering, what better way to document that than with a collection of handmade archives? These booklets can either be filled with blank paper and used as journals or they can be used to archive your favourite book excerpts, just printing certain passages and binding with related texts, lecture notes, images and ideas.
The process is the same for making either a blank-paged journal (as demonstrated with the tan booklet below) or for a printed booklet (as we have done with the red booklet above, based on George Orwell's Politics and the English Language). For a printed booklet, it may help to refer to the pagination template attached.
What you'll need:
Supplies:
- Card stock paper - 65 lb - 100 lb cover weight
- Stationary paper - any text-weight paper will do
- Waxed linen thread - 2 ply
Tools:
- T-Rib or bone folder
- Four sewing needles
- Precision knife
- Metal ruler
- Cutting mat
- Pencil
- Scissors
DOWNLOAD(S):
- pagination_template.pdf 450.6 KB
- templates.pdf 164.7 KB
Step One
Cut the card stock based upon the size you wish the finished booklet's cover to be. Cut along the card stock's grain (thus causing any folds to run vertically in line with the grain). The total width should be four times the desired cover's width plus 5mm spare on both the left and right side. The total height should be the desired cover's height plus 5mm spare on both top and bottom. (All spare will be trimmed off at the end, making for clean edges.)
Our example is 430mm wide (each section being 105mm plus two 5mm edges) and 190mm high (180mm high plus two 5mm edges). Refer to attached template for assistance. Tip: it may help to mark the 5mm border in pencil and work within the 420mm X 180mm space.
Our example is 430mm wide (each section being 105mm plus two 5mm edges) and 190mm high (180mm high plus two 5mm edges). Refer to attached template for assistance. Tip: it may help to mark the 5mm border in pencil and work within the 420mm X 180mm space.
Step Two
Mark in pencil the top and bottom of your four sections - a center line at 210mm, plus a line 105mm either side of this. Using a metal ruler and the pointed end of the bone folder, score the length of the three lines you've just marked (making four cover sections). Score along the inner side of the card stock, pressing down firmly being careful not to tear the card stock. Repeat this motion three times, or until a noticeable indented line is made.
Step Three
Fold along the three scored lines. Gently smooth each fold by running your bone folder along each folded edge.
Step Four
Cut each piece of stationary paper based on the size you wish the finished booklet's inner page spreads to be (again, cut along the natural grain of the paper). The total width should be twice the desired page width plus 5mm spare on either side. The total height should be the desired page height plus 5mm spare on top and bottom.
Our example has a width of 220mm (each page being 105mm plus 5mm spare either side) and a height of 190mm (180mm high plus 5mm spare either side). Refer to attached template for assistance. Repeat this process for however many pages you would like in your booklet. Our example is a twelve page booklet (meaning six paper sheets).
Our example has a width of 220mm (each page being 105mm plus 5mm spare either side) and a height of 190mm (180mm high plus 5mm spare either side). Refer to attached template for assistance. Repeat this process for however many pages you would like in your booklet. Our example is a twelve page booklet (meaning six paper sheets).
Step Five
With a pencil, mark the center of each paper sheet. Using a metal ruler and the pointed end of the bone folder, score the length of the line you've just marked along the inner side of the paper. Repeat this motion twice, or until a noticeable indented line is made. Score each sheet of paper individually.
Step Six
Turn the paper over and fold along the scored center line. Gently smooth the fold by running your bone folder along the edge. Do this to each paper sheet individually.
Step Seven
Round the inner spine of each paper sheet by gently running the bone folder's pointed end along the inside of the centerfold. The fold should be semi circular in shape rather than pointed. Do this to each paper sheet individually.
Step Eight
Round the outer spine of each paper sheet by running the bone folder along the outer side of the centerfold, applying gentle pressure. Do this to each paper sheet individually.
Step Nine
Lay all the paper sheets inside your cover, aligning the pages as precisely as possible. Use three needles to poke three holes along the spine; one dead center and one either side of this. The top and bottom hole should be at least a half-inch from the booklet's top and bottom edges. Keep the needles sitting within the spine as place-holders.
Step Ten
Cut a length of waxed linen thread two and a half times the height of your booklet. Thread this onto a needle but DO NOT tie a knot, as this will rip the paper as you bind. It is best to twist the end of the thread around the needle's eyelet.
Step Eleven
Thread your booklet's spine. Start on the inside at the center hole and thread outward. Travel back through the spine's top hole to the inside of the booklet. Travel back out through the spine's bottom hole. Finally, travel back through the spine's center hole.
Step Tweleve
The outer side of your final threaded spine should look as so.
Step Thirteen
Secure the inner threads by placing the beginning tip of the thread on the left side of the threaded spine, and the end tip of the thread on the right side of the threaded spine. Tie a square knot. This is important, otherwise the knot will gradually loosen over time.
Step Fourteen
Fold the booklet cover to one side ready to trim your inner pages. Using a precision knife and metal ruler, trim the spare edge from your paper sheets, working from top to bottom. Make several controlled cuts rather than trying to cut through all the pages at once, this will give a neater finish.
Step Fifteen
Trim the spare edges from both the left and right sides of your cover, again work from top to bottom.
Step Sixteen
Fold the booklet closed and trim the spare edge from the top and bottom edges (both the cover and the paper sheets). Trim the top then the bottom, starting at the spine and working outwards. Once complete, gently erase any markings that may remain.
Blank-paged journal
Blank-paged journal
Printed booklet
Printed booklet