Hand-made bookbinding and illustration of a young adult novel

Abstract

Bookbinding has existed for centuries: from old scrolls to leather-bound volumes, people have strived to create the most efficient and aesthetically pleasing ways to create handmade books. Illustrations, endpapers, dustjackets – every aspect tailored to create a final product with such experimentation and uniqueness that the readability does not suffer in the process. The objective of this the- sis was to research multiple bookbinding methods with the goal of finding the one most suitable for creating a handmade binding of a Young Adult novel, complete with illustrations and other additional features.

This thesis provides an overview of the most beginner-friendly bookbinding methods, analysing their advantages and disadvantages, as well as giving a brief introduction to various bookbinding materials and tools. The data for this thesis was collected from articles, publications, books, and numerous web resources. The practical bookbinding process is described in detail, providing a thorough insight into each step, from concepting to final assembling.

The results of these studies allowed a successful experiment where a hand-bound book was created, complete with 13 original illustrations, multiple additional visual elements, and a dustjacket.