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Step 6Trim the bound folios
As Fugazzi has pointed out, you may be able to get your bound pages trimmed by a proper guillotine at your local one stop print or copy shop. Failing that read on...
If you want (and you don't have to) you can trim the folios a tiny bit. Beware that the first time you do this you might end up making more of a mess of the edge of the paper than if you just left it. It takes a bit of practice and a sharp craft knife or scalpel (definitely NOT something for children to do on their own).
If you want to trim, then the most important edge to trim is the edge opposite the binding, because when the paper is folded over all the pages get to be slightly different lengths depending on where they are in the folio stack.
The trick is to hold the rule very steady and take many repeated cuts being careful to cut in the same groove and try to make sure that at each cut the paper on at least one layer is cut from edge to edge. (BTW I know that the drawing I have done to illustrate this step does not show this method of trimming multiple sheets, but it is meant to be a bit figurative anyway).
If you have access to a proper guillotine that can cut through paper stacks (i.e. at work or at school) then this is the time to use that, it will give you the most awesome finish).
Trimming is by no means necessary.
Trimming or not, you have now finished the paper part of the book and it's time to move on to the cover...
If you want (and you don't have to) you can trim the folios a tiny bit. Beware that the first time you do this you might end up making more of a mess of the edge of the paper than if you just left it. It takes a bit of practice and a sharp craft knife or scalpel (definitely NOT something for children to do on their own).
If you want to trim, then the most important edge to trim is the edge opposite the binding, because when the paper is folded over all the pages get to be slightly different lengths depending on where they are in the folio stack.
The trick is to hold the rule very steady and take many repeated cuts being careful to cut in the same groove and try to make sure that at each cut the paper on at least one layer is cut from edge to edge. (BTW I know that the drawing I have done to illustrate this step does not show this method of trimming multiple sheets, but it is meant to be a bit figurative anyway).
If you have access to a proper guillotine that can cut through paper stacks (i.e. at work or at school) then this is the time to use that, it will give you the most awesome finish).
Trimming is by no means necessary.
Trimming or not, you have now finished the paper part of the book and it's time to move on to the cover...
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Dec 7, 2008. 10:39 AMirxo
says:
okay, another question, is it possible to add a deckle edge to these pages at this step?
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Nov 27, 2008. 8:18 AMirxo
says:
this sounds like a complicated step, it would probably be fine if you had the right resources.. but why not cut the paper before attaching the binding?
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Nov 27, 2008. 9:24 AM
KaptinScarlet (author)
says:
KaptinScarlet (author)
says:
This is a bit of tricky step and you don't really need to trim the pages at all if you want a very rough look. But if you want a smooth edge to the pages, you have to do it AFTER you have bound it to make sure that they are all cut the same. If you can't do it, you might want to bind it up and then take it down to a local printer and ask them to trim it for you. I'm sure that it would be very cheap, if indeed they charged you at all.
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