Copyright Copyright © 2001 by Shereen LaPlantz All rights reserved. Bibliographical Note The Art and Craft of Handmade Books, first published in 2016, is a reprint of the work published by Lark Books (Sterling Publishing), New York, in 2001. It includes a number of changes and corrections suggested by the author. International Standard Book Number ISBN-13: 978-0-486-80037-0 ISBN-10: 0-486-80037-7 Manufactured in the United States by RR Donnelley 80037701 2016 www.doverpublications.com C ONTENTS I NTRODUCTION B ASICS Vocabulary Glossary Materials Tools Techniques P S ROJECT ECTION Concertina Bestiaries Formats Concertina Gallery Slit Concertina Imposition Counting Books Slit Concertina Gallery Star Tunnel Book Abecedaries Making Tunnel Holes Faux Postage and Artists’ Stamps Star Tunnel Gallery Pamphlet and Running Stitch Making a Hole Jig Book Parts Making an Explosion Page Pamphlet and Running Stitch Gallery Tacket Binding Commonplace Books The Dressed Book Tacket Binding Gallery Coptic Stitch Botanical Books Book Mapping Coptic Stitch Gallery Recessed Skewer Binding Specimen Books Embossing Ephemera, Broadsides, and Catchpenny Prints Recessed Skewer Gallery Contributing Artists Acknowledgments Index Colophon I NTRODUCTION W hen I was an art student in the 60s, my classmates and I wore olive green turtlenecks and made Japanese stab bound books for our haiku poetry. At the time, few classes on bookbinding were available, and the one I did take was somewhat uninspiring. The definition of a book in those days was static: it was something that looked like a library book, and covers were the only place to express creativity. I wanted to create objects with more personality, so I turned to other art forms. As the years went by, I kept the idea of making books in the back of my mind. I knew people who worked for small presses, and their work interested me, but didn’t ignite my imagination. Finally, nine years ago, after exploring the medium of basketry for 25 years, I decided to try something new. That’s when I rediscovered book arts. Incandescence happened. In the years that have passed since my introduction to the field, an incredible movement has developed. Book arts is now a vibrant medium where creativity can be expressed through techniques, materials, formats, and content. It’s an exciting time to be making books. Artists are experimenting, pushing boundaries, exploring historical ideas, and applying familiar techniques in new ways. Technology provides invaluable tools. With a relatively low-cost computer system and a printer, it’s easy to combine text and illustrations. You can now create images at home that in the past could only be made by a professional printer. Today, anyone who wants to make books can easily find instruction and inspiration. This book is a place to start. WHAT IS A BOOK? Ask yourself the question “What is a book?” Each of us may have a different definition. My definition is changing, but essentially I think a book must connect elements, such as panels or pages, and should follow a sequence. A newspaper has multiple pages, but doesn’t feel like a book because the information isn’t sequential, and the pages aren’t all connected. A comic strip doesn’t feel like a sequential, and the pages aren’t all connected. A comic strip doesn’t feel like a book. Although it’s sequential, it’s all on one piece of paper. Then there are scrolls. They’re not multiple. Perhaps scrolls fit a whole different category. ARTISTS’ BOOKS Book arts is a fairly new medium, so there aren’t any rules yet. Since artists’ books evolved from the tradition of bookbinding, many people think about them from that perspective: a traditional book has a set format, and the content of the book conforms to that format. Artists’ books, however, are created from a different perspective: the focus is on the content, whatever it may be (illustration, typography, text, etc.), and the format, materials, and binding style are chosen to best complement that content. Consequently, artists’ books feature more exposed and flexible bindings that allow pages to fan out in a partial circle, displaying the book’s interior. I believe there are six basic elements in artists’ books: typography, illustration, page design (helping the viewer’s eye to move around the page), text, binding structure, and presentation. If all six elements are blended together, they will enhance a book’s theme, and in general, the book will be successful. Creating a book is a process: there’s no right answer, only continued growth and creativity. Ruthie Petty, I Am, 1999. 6½ × 7 × 1 inches (16.5 × 17.8 × 2.5 cm). Concertina; bristol board, business papers; water-color and calligraphy.