Hardcover books are more complex in their construction than most paperback books so the repairs can sometimes be more involved. I have listed here the techniques that are covered on this site and I do encourage you to seek the assistance of bookbinders if you are unsure of whether to repair your book or not.
There are many basic repair techniques listed in the Book Repair Basics section – if you can’t find what you need here, it may be listed there.
Damaged Folios and Signatures
Over the next few posts, I will cover a variety of techniques for repairing or re-attaching damaged, separated leaves, folios ...
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Designing Specific Book Repair Work
Often a damaged book does not easily fit into a single repair category. It might be bound in an unfamiliar style ...
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Document Repair Tape
Document repair tapes differ from common clear plastic in several ways. The carrier (the part of the tape that holds ...
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Drying Book Repair Work
Most repairs involve moisture of some kind, be it paste or glue. When moisture is introduced into paper, board or cloth, ...
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Endpaper Repairs
The first pages at the front and back of the text block are called the endpapers. The main function of the ...
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Flattening Rolled Paper
We often keep large maps and posters rolled up - usually to save space. When you want to look at ...
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Heat Set Tissue
Heat set tissue is a thin tissue that has been coated with a heat activated, acrylic adhesive. The tissue is ...
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Hinging In A Single Text Page
Tear a strip of Japanese repair tissue approximately l/2” wide and as long as the height of the page. Japanese tissue ...
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Hinging In Detached Pages
Hinging-in is generally used when the text block is sewn and the pages open flat, or when reattaching a plate that ...
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Hinging In Multiple Pages
The exact number of pages that can be successfully hinged-in will vary from book to book. Remember, when pages are hinged-in, ...
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Hinging In Plates or Illustration Pages
Plates (illustration pages) can be attached to a text block in several ways. Some plates are printed on folded sheets ...
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How to Make a Four Flap Wrapper
Wrappers and boxes are other ways to protect books on the shelf. In a general library collection, they might be used ...
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Hardcover Book Repair Techniques
Tightening and Repairing Loose Book Hinges
