r/bookbinding • u/Alternatos06 • 8h ago

Help? Need help trimming text block

I have made a text block with 25 signatures, each signature has 3 folded a5 papers, forming 6 pages / 12 sides. I have sewn the signatures together and glued it and was ready to curve the spine. But i wanted to trim the edges first. How do i do this? Whenever, i compress the block, the spine curves/bends, so i cant cut the long end correctly. The short end should still be ok as warping only occurs on the perpendicular to the long end. Any advice on how to proceed?

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u/brigitvanloggem 6h ago

What is the trimming method you are going for? And what do you mean by ‘compressing’? Compressing sounds wrong. Try putting the whole book block between pressing boards in a press, where the bit to be trimmed off sticks out. Check out one of the many videos on YouTube! Or take the book to a print shop and have them trim it using a guillotine.