At Leicester Bookbinding we have over 40 years experience in bookbinding and our staff possess a wide range of knowledge to help and advise our customers from all over the UK. Not only do we produce complete books from start-to-finish, we offer a book repair service, as well as producing custom one-off books, slip-cases, book jackets, boxes, CD/DVD holders, custom designer bindings, photograph and wedding albums, menu's and guest books, etc.
We have a wide range of materials and examples of our work to help you decide on the best finish for your requirements. Please do not hesitate to contact us for a free consultation and estimate, no matter how 'out of the ordinary' it may seem!
If perhaps you are unsure of what certain binding types and methods below are, please check out our Gallery
to see what they look like, and the different processes they go through, as explained below.
Book Restorations
You may require an old book to be restored or rebound. People bring books in various conditions, from relatively young books to books that are hundreds of years old. They are mostly in cloth or leather and we are normally asked to restore or rebind in such a way as to maintain a books appearance, whilst giving it lasting strength.
Family Bibles - These arrive in differing conditions and although not normally all that valuable, they often have great sentimental value to loved ones. These can often be restored to their former glory and made to last a lot longer, helping preserve the memories. They also make an attractive display when kept in view, for all to admire.
Soft Binding
Permanent Soft Binding -These usually have a sheet of protective acetate to the front, allowing your title page/front page to be seen clearly, and a card back cover. (Unless otherwise specified) - as we usually get requests to do these with a cloth cover too.
They are 'fan glued' with P.V.A. and then also 'five-hole sewn', which very strongly secures the sheets. They also have spine tape which laps onto the front and backboards by approximately 1-2cm, depending on the size of the book.
Thesis Binding
As a student, your university should give guidelines for theses preparation and binding. It is important to follow these as otherwise your work may have to be rebound. For our Thesis binding service, we use our Hard-binding method (see below), unless otherwise specified by your university.
Please note that some Universities may require a specific colour other than our standard ones, which are; black, dark blue, medium blue, light blue, red, burgundy, white, cream, brown, purple, light green, green, and dark green. They may also specify a type size for the lettering, so please contact us to confirm that we can accommodate your request.
Perfect Binding
This is a slightly cheaper version of soft binding and is often used for theses that are to be bound for a short time, whilst they are checked and corrections made.
Hot melt glue is the only thing that holds these books together, so binding strength is similar to that of a glued magazine. The covers can vary, however are one-piece covers which are also affixed with hot-melt glue during the binding of the block book process.
The idea of these bindings is that the glue can easily be removed from the spine in order for the pages to then be hard bound once corrections have been made.
Magazines & Periodicals
Magazines or periodicals on hobbies or interests held together in a binding can be kept tidier and cleaner than if they were left loose. Not only does this help to preserve and protect them, but they also look impressive in a private library or living room.
In addition to periodicals, we have also bound items as varied as reports, football programs, motorbike magazines and church records to name just a few! Many different types of publications can benefit from quality binding.
Hard Binding
Unless otherwise requested, these are sewn and bound to a very high standard, using only the best materials and board cover, with lettering, logo's and also printed and laminated covers to the requested specifications.
For this type of binding, it is essential to point out if the books have photos, folded pages or printing close to the margin or edge of any pages. Pockets can also be provided for CD's and additional information at the back.
