Starting Out in Bookbinding: A Few Lessons

When I first started bookbinding, I wasn’t looking for a new career.
I was working in landscaping — early in my twenties — when I injured my back. While I was recovering, I went to help out at a small hand bookbinding business my dad, a printer by trade, owned alongside his other businesses.

At first, I just watched. Quietly. The pace was slower than what I was used to, but there was something about it that held my attention — the focus, the rhythm, the tools.

Eventually, I started following along. I made my first book by watching the other binders and trying to copy what they were doing. No formal training, no big plan. Just a steady curiosity.

That was over 20 years ago. I’ve learned a lot since then —  mostly by doing things wrong.

If you’re just getting started, here are a few things I wish I’d known back then. Not just about binding itself, but about how to approach the learning process.

1. You don’t need to learn everything at once

There are dozens of binding styles. Japanese stab, Coptic, case binding, quarter leather... it’s easy to feel like you need to know them all. You don’t.

Pick one. Do it twice. Then do it again.

Mastery comes from repetition, not rushing.
Focus on one style and let your hands get familiar with it. The rest will come.

2. Good tools matter — but not right away

I’m all for a well-made finishing press or a brass decorative tool. But you don’t need a full kit to start.

Use what you’ve got. A ruler, a needle, some thread — that’s enough to bind a simple book.

Upgrade when it helps you work more easily or more accurately — not before.

3. Mistakes are part of the process

You will sew something upside down(more than once!). You will totally botch attaching the book block to its cover. Your stitching will be uneven.

That’s not failure — that’s how you learn.

Every book you make will teach you something.
And oddly enough, the ones with the most mistakes often end up being your favourites.

4. Finishing a book matters more than perfecting it

When you’re starting out, your goal isn’t perfection. It’s completion.

Finish the book. Even if the spine’s crooked. Even if the cover paper bubbles.
Done is better than perfect — especially when you're learning.

5. You’ll surprise yourself

The first time you hold a book that you made — from folded signatures to final trim — something shifts.

You realise what your hands are capable of.

That feeling doesn’t go away. Twenty years in, I still get it and I see it in my students every time I run a workshop. 

Bookbinding isn’t fast. But it’s steady. And it’s worth it.
You don’t need permission to begin — but if you’ve been waiting for a sign, let this be it.

If you're curious to learn more, we’ve got a free online masterclass coming up in August — designed especially for beginners.
Simple techniques, useful tips, and time to ask your questions.

It’s hosted by me, and I’d love to have you there.

You can join our waitlist [here] to get all the info when registration opens plus you'll get earlybird access to the full online course.

Hope to see you inside.