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Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a bookbinder. Feel free to use our bookbinder job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a bookbinder.

 

Who is a Bookbinder?

Bookbinding is the process of physically putting together a codex book from an orderly stack of paper sheets that are folded into signatures or occasionally left as a stack of individual sheets. Using a thick needle and strong thread, several signatures are then joined together along one edge. Loose-leaf rings, individual screw posts or binding posts, twin loop spine coils, plastic spiral coils, and plastic spine combs are all less expensive but less permanent techniques of binding. The bound stack is either wrapped in a flexible cover or connected to stiff boards for protection. Finally, an appealing cover with identifying information and decoration is applied to the boards. Book artists or professionals in book decoration can also substantially improve the content of a book by creating book-like objects of extraordinary artistic significance.

Bookbinders are in charge of putting the final touches on books, periodicals, brochures, and calendars. Bookbinders cut, assemble, glue, and stitch the papers together according to the instructions when the product comes off the printer. A bookbinder creates books, periodicals, brochures, catalogs, calendars, and loose-leaf folios from big printed sheets that come off printing presses. Cutting, perforating, folding, and collating sheets may be required, as well as stitching or pasting together folded sets of pages, “tipping in” images, and foil stamping book covers or “cases.” Although a professional binder rarely performs all of these tasks, he or she must be conversant with each of them.

Bookbinders in the twenty-first century must be able to use a variety of machines. Bindery workers are those who only know how to operate one or two types of these devices. Despite the growing popularity of machine-operated bookbinding, competent artisans and manual binders can still find work. They can work in a library’s bindery area, repair books, bind deluxe editions or presentation copies, create leather covers, or work in the bindery section. Bindery workers spend most of their time at their machines. In addition, they stretch and lift a lot to run these machines, and they frequently move big loads of printed material. A bookbinder normally works a forty-hour, five-day week, but tight publishing schedules may need overtime.

Bookbinders construct and mend books, periodicals, and other print media, and they must be able to operate both by hand and with 21st-century technology in the form of machines. As of 2021, the profession faces various obstacles, notably the expansion of the electronic book market. Working as a bookbinder, however, necessitates a high level of expertise and understanding.

There are a variety of bookbinding techniques. To bind paperback books, brochures, and magazines, softcover and pamphlet binders utilize adhesive, staples, thread, or wire. Blank bookbinders are used to create printed ruled sheets for use in accounting ledgers. These pages are punched with rotating drills, and the sheets are then put between thick, stiff covers. Hardcover binding is the most complicated of the binding methods, and it is used to make durable books in big volumes for widespread usage. You need to have exceptional fine-motor abilities, a talent for artistic design, and a great eye for detail to succeed as a Bookbinder. The concepts of the book designer are carefully translated into a stylish and functional product by a top-notch bookbinder.

 

Bookbinder Job Description

Below are the bookbinder job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a bookbinder job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.

The duties and responsibilities of a bookbinder include the following:

• Sew endpapers to the tops and bottoms of book bodies, or use brushes or glue machines to glue endpapers and signatures together along spines.
• Compress stitched or glued signatures to reduce books to the required thicknesses using manual presses or smashing machines.
• Cut binder boards to the desired dimensions using board shears, manual cutters, or cutting machines.
• Cut cover material to appropriate dimensions, then manually or mechanically fits and attach it to binder boards.
• Fold and sew printed sheets together to make signatures then assemble signatures in numerical order to make book bodies.
• Imprint and embosses writing, designs, or numerals on covers using gold, silver, or colored foils and stamping machines.
• Insert book bodies into machines that mold the rear edges of books into convex forms and create grooves to help with cover attachment.
• Perform extremely skilled hand-finishing techniques such as grooving and writing to bind books.
• Place bound books in presses that provide pressure to the covers until the glue dries.
• Trim the edges of books to size using cutting or book-trimming equipment or manual cutters.
• Create unique or unique bindings for limited editions.
• Establish job-order-based production practices.
• Make binders and photo books, as well as boxes and other customized things.
• Discuss job needs and binding plans with customers, printers, and/or designers.
• Prepare books for transportation, pack and weigh them, then arrange them on pallets.
• Repair, restore, and rebind old, damaged, or even rare books.
• Apply color to the borders of signatures using brushes, pads, or atomizers.
• Apply glue to the backs of books using brushes or glue machines, then attach cloth backing and headbands.
• Meet with the book designers to discuss the final product parameters.
• Cut papers to size using manual and machine cutting equipment.
• Glue and stitch components into the cover using manually operated machinery.
• Glue the endpapers to the book’s body.
• Trim the book’s edges to fit the page.
• Cut and attaches the board cover’s exterior cover material.
• Glue the final cover to the outside endpapers.
• Place the finished books in the press until they are completely dry.
• Weigh and stack books in preparation for shipping.

 

Qualifications

One of the first things to consider if you want to become a Book Binder is how much schooling you’ll need. A bachelor’s degree is held by 21.9 percent of Book Binders, according to our research. In terms of higher education, 3.1 percent of Book Binders have earned a master’s degree. Even though some Book Binders have a college degree, anyone with a high school diploma or GED can work as one.

When it comes to learning how to become a Book Binder, picking the right major is crucial. When we looked into the most frequent majors for Book Binders, we discovered that they mostly earned a High School Diploma or a Bachelor’s Degree.. Associate Degrees and Diplomas are two other degrees that we frequently see on Book Binder resumes.

Although past work experience as a Bookbinder is generally required, you may find that other work experience will also help you qualify as a Book Binder. Many Book Binder professions, in fact, require prior experience in a capacity such as Cashier. Many Book Binders, on the other hand, have previous work experience as Sales Associates or Customer Service Representatives.

 

Essential Skills

• Design skills that are innovative.
• Communication abilities
• Fine motor skills that are exceptional.
• A thorough understanding of the materials used in book production.
• Ability to cut using both hand and machine tools.
• Detail-oriented.
• Possess the ability to use presses and manipulating tools.
• Ability to operate under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Technical expertise.
• The ability to work with your hands effectively.
• Skills in creativity
• The ability to work independently as well as in a group.
• Patience and the ability to remain calm in the face of adversity.
• If you work with the public, you must be able to provide excellent customer service.
• Customers must be able to understand your creative concepts if you are developing customized things.
• If you’re self-employed, you’ll need business abilities to advertise your products and services, manage your funds and develop your business.

 

How to Become a Bookbinder

1. Earn a University Degree

You could pursue a foundation degree in art and design or a degree in:

Craftsmanship

Printmaking as a fine art form

Conservation and restoration of artwork

You should double-check that the course you’ve chosen covers bookbinding techniques. In most cases, you’ll require:

For a foundation degree, at least one A level is required.

For a degree, you’ll need two to three A levels.

2. Go for Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship program may be able to help you get into this line of work. The types of apprenticeships that are available in your area will be determined by the local job market and the skills that companies require. In most cases, you’ll require:

For an intermediate apprenticeship, you’ll need a few GCSEs, most notably English and arithmetic.

For an advanced apprenticeship, you’ll need 5 GCSEs in grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and arithmetic.

3. Straightforward application

You may apply for a job as a bookbinder right away. Employers will look for appropriate experience in the printing industry. GCSEs in grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) or similar qualifications may be beneficial.

 

Additionally, short specialized courses in craft binding and finishing are also available. Universities and colleges across the UK offer these courses, or they can be done through organizations like the Society of Bookbinders and Designer Bookbinders.

 

Where to Work as a Bookbinder

In 2004, the publishing and advertising industries in the United States employed around 81,000 bindery employees and bookbinders. The demand for bindery workers in large firms is reducing as more binding lines become computerized; nonetheless, job chances for competent bookbinders should be slightly greater than for bindery workers. A bookbinder can work for a bookbinding firm, for a museum or archive, at a bookstore or library, or as a self-employed bookbinder.

 

Bookbinder Salary Scale

Employment in the print binding area is expected to fall 1% until 2029, according to O’Net Online, as e-books replace printed material. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, print binding workers in the United States earned a median annual wage of $34,3670, or $16.47 per hour, as of May 2020. The least 10% of earners took in less than $23,980, while the highest 10% took home $52,150. In the United States, bookbinders earn an average of $52,308 per year or $25 per hour. The richest ten percent earns more than $120,000 a year, while the bottom ten percent earn less than $22,000.

In Nigeria, a person working in publishing and printing earns roughly 307,000 NGN per month on average. The lowest average pay is 141,000 NGN, while the highest average salary is 554,000 NGN (highest average, the actual maximum salary is higher). This is the monthly average pay, which includes housing, transportation, and other benefits. Salaries for various Publishing and Printing jobs vary dramatically. See below for salaries for individual job titles if you’re interested in learning more about a certain job.

Manufacturing and Production

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