Archives West Finding Aid

A coptic binding can be sewn with a single needle or two. It creates a braided effect on the spine. This type of binding is often used to show the spine as it allows the artist to add their own variation by using different colored threads. This technique works well for either hard or soft covers and can be sewn through the cover (soft) or hard cover boards that expose the text block.

A concertina book is created when single or multiple pieces of paper are folded into an accordion book; it is sometimes referred to as a zig-zag. Concertina forms can be added to a sewn binding to add more dimension to a book. The artist may sew pamphlet stitches into the folds of the concertina, or glue a folded piece of paper onto a flat side of the zig-zag. This binding is particularly useful for display purposes due to its dramatic effect.

A long stitch binding is where the thread runs along the spine of a book creating vertical lines. This technique can be sewn through the cover, or on leather strips. You can also manipulate the long thread into a pattern or knot them. Hard or soft covers can be used as well, but generally, the spine is left soft so the book may open.

The pamphlet stitch binding is quick and easy to create. In early years, it was used in the production of handmade pamphlets for mass distribution. It is typically a three-hole binding but the artist can make it more complex by creating any amount of odd numbered holes.

This binding involves using circle hooks to create the book. You punch a hole in your paper and then add your circle hook to attach all your pages together.

A skewer binding utilizes a skewer as the anchor for sewing or tying on. Adding the skewer adds bulk to the spine of the binding. The artist may also create a staggered skewer binding, meaning that they alternate between where the holes are on the spine of the book. This is also known as a piano hinge binding.

This binding has a cover that envelopes the entire text block. With hard covers, and a strong spine piece, this binding works well for a book that has the same thickness of pages throughout. Case bindings are how most commercial books are completed.

This structure features an "explosion" of inward folds that reveal themselves as the spread is opened. The explosion fold adds a whimsical feature to the book. Explosion folds can be added anytime there are two or more text pages together or two or more heavy pages together. The artist can make this fold more complex by nesting smaller and smaller explosion folds within each other or varying the color and texture of the paper.

This binding features a collection of pamphlet stitched folios held together by sewing the cover of one folio to the cover of the adjoining folio. Because the sewing is only happening edge to edge on each adjoining folio, the spine of this binding hides most of the sewing, only allowing small peaks of thread between each folio.

This structure, which is similar in function to the concertina binding, features panels that are tied together via holes punched into the edges of each spread. Unlike other binding techniques where a single thread is used to bind the entire book together, each connecting point in a leaf binding is tied with a different piece of thread. This structure can be useful when working with materials that cannot be easily folded as no folding is involved.

Looped bindings feature a collection of folios in which thread has been looped around the fold of each folio and tied at the head and tail of the text block. This binding allows the spreads to lay flat when opened and does not puncture any of the pages of the spreads themselves.

These books center on the concept of folding and cutting to allow a single sheet of paper to be folded into a book. These cuts and folds cause the pages to develop unusual patterns and formations that appear to be "maze-like" as the book is unfolded. This style typically does not include any sewing or gluing to create the text block, although with variations, these may be included.

Like single cord bindings, herringbone bindings are traditionally found in leather bound books. The resulting stitching of this binding creates a braided herringbone like texture on the spine.

These books are created using traditional origami folds. Due to the variations in origami folds, the structures these books create vary widely from more traditional book-like structures to works that fold in on themselves and reveal hidden areas. They can add a great surprise element to books.

Specific cuts and folds in these books allow three-dimensional shapes to "pop up" as the spread is opened.

This structure is sewn all along the signature and looped around a cord. A single hole is punctured in the folio allowing the thread to be sewn around the exterior cord and back through the same hole. This traditional binding structure is typically in leather bindings where the raised cord can be seen on the spine of the book and is an extremely durable structure.

Traditionally a Japanese binding, this binding style features a stack of single sheets instead of signatures, decoratively sewn together along one edge. The phrase "stab binding" comes from the holes stabbed along one edge of the text block which the thread is woven through. Because the stitching is visible in this binding, it allows for great variation in style depending on the pattern and detail applied to the stitching. This binding style is good for text weight papers as the spine does not allow the text block to open flat and thicker papers become stiff when the book is opened.

A tassel binding is meant to showcase all pages in a book while either hanging or spread out on the table. It works well with thick paper, tunnel books, and lots of thread. The star arms are double layered, so the artist can add pop-ups into this binding. There is also thread, ribbon, or cord dangling down from the center of the book.

Tete-a-tete structures encompass books which have two different text bodies attached, back to back, to the same structure. This creates a book which has two front covers and a shared back cover. Because of this broad categorization, tete-a-tete books can use a wide range of sewn bindings. These books are most effective in showing dualistic themes or contents that should be viewed side by side.

Formed from molded and sewn paper, these books create a purse-like structure. Variations include pamphlet stitch bindings incorporated into the walls of the purses, and both opening and static structures.

This series contains twelve completed artists books created by various artists and collected by Shereen LaPlantz. Many of these seem to be works created by her students.