Gigabooks Hand Bookbinding Supply
Quick and easy bookbinding for writers and others who want to see their words in print. Learn to make your own trade paperbacks and hardcover books.
WHY LAMINATE ?
Let's face it - the average paperback book is not designed to last, in the sense that hardcover books are. The cover, being made of paper, is inherently weaker than the cover of a book covered with a hard cover, and people do not treat paperback books with the same respect they reserve for hardcovers - rough treatment means that paperbacks wear out much more quickly than do books with hard covers. This is true whether a paperback is produced by a big, commercial publisher, or bound one at a time by a hand-binder (such as yourself, perhaps?).
There is a way, however, to increase the life of the average paperback by 4 - 5 times. You guessed it - laminate the cover. Adding a layer of laminating film to the cover greatly increases its strength and resistance to wear and tear, and will add years to the life of any book, paperback or hardcover. If you have a book that you hope will be around for many, many years to come (such as your own hand-bound masterpiece) and you want it to continue to look good, lamination is the answer.
Not only does laminating a cover increase the life span of a book, it also improves the book's appearance by adding a nice, glossy appearance to whatever cover material is being used. This is especially important if you are using a cover stock that has no gloss to it, such as card stock. Go to any bookstore and look at the trade paperback section. Nearly 100% of the books there will have a glossy cover. If you want your book to have a "professional" look, lamination may be the way to go.
There's one more very good reason for laminating covers, but this applies mostly to people who are making small amounts of books (perhaps as gifts), or those who want to get "artistic" with their cover design, perhaps even making a different cover for each copy. By using a laminating sheet, you can set up your cover - by hand - on a blank cover sheet. You can print things on your computer printer (such as the title and your name, or a blurb) and glue them lightly onto the cover sheet with rubber cement. You can use items such as greeting cards, catalogs and magazines as a source of pictures and drawings to be glued to your cover sheet. You can even use three-dimensional items such as yarns and small objects. Then, when you've got everything pasted up just the way you want it, you cover the whole thing with a laminating sheet to hold everything in place. This method is also useful for making large-size covers that are too big to print on your home printer.
Heavy-duty, acid-free, library-quality, self-adhesive laminating sheets in sizes for bookbinders ! ! ! We've got 'em, right here, right now.
That's right. Our self-adhesive laminating sheets need no heat or laminating machine. Simply peel the special backing paper from our heavy-duty (3.2 mil) clear vinyl laminating sheets and apply. Takes only seconds to produce a strong, glossy finish that will add years to the life of any book. May be used before or after a book is bound, which means you can also use these to preserve your favorite books.
Why laminate?
~ Makes covers stronger, longer lasting.
~ Improves appearance.
~ Adds to "professional" look.
~ Allows you to use
just about any material for covers, and still end up with a nice, glossy
finish. You can even make collage-style covers.
For sizes and prices, go HERE.
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