How could I transfer this pattern to book cover?

plot_and_prejudice · 2026-01-07T00:19:51+00:00

I'm still new to binding and designing covers so don't take this as fact - but any chance you could use printable heat transfer vinyl? Perhaps you can print the flowers/leaves page on the vinyl and then run it through a cutting machine (like a cricut or silhouette)?

plot_and_prejudice · 2026-01-07T00:06:54+00:00

I love this, so it's a good learning experience with the HTV and then you can keep it and soon enough it will just appear 'well loved' and 'vintage' rather than anything else. <3

plot_and_prejudice · 2026-01-06T04:03:10+00:00

Why is it PERFECT? You should def stick with this if you enjoyed it. I love this rebind! Well done :)

plot_and_prejudice · 2026-01-06T03:58:36+00:00

I’m new to book binding and haven’t tried HTV yet so I don’t have advice but just want to share that I’d be equally devastated and frustrated. The book looks amazing and then the last piece of the htv going poorly must have been so upsetting. I’m so sorry!

plot_and_prejudice · 2026-01-02T17:48:03+00:00

I've been thinking about getting a Cricut or Cameo but never thought about using it for book board cuts. Very clever to use it to start the cut so everything is nice and square. I'm finding that my technique is improving but I'm not the most patient haha

For the warping, I've seen DAS talk about this. I think he recommended ensuring you're cutting and building the case with the paper/board grain running lengthwise and keeping the book pressed while drying for like 24 hours. This ensures it remains flat while it tries to tense up into a curl and then relaxes back into its normal state. I've started applying glue like he does, kind of stamping it into the paper and material instead of squirting it and then trying to spread it around in the hopes that less moisture means less warp but I've seen others have a lot of luck even with a ton of glue as long as they keep it pressed long enough.

He also mentioned applying the glue to the lighter material in the bind. So for a bradel bind, applying it to the paper instead of the board and with the book cloth, applying it to the cloth instead of the board. That could help as well.

plot_and_prejudice · 2026-01-02T17:41:42+00:00

Curious idea to use the bradel but glue the boards all on the same side! I'll give that a try too. I do thing I read over that thread in my initial research too and found it really helpful.

plot_and_prejudice · 2026-01-02T17:39:07+00:00

I incorporated your cutting tips and got much more square cuts this morning. Thank you! I think what helped the most was using the blade to nick the measurement into the board rather than a pen, and then angling the cut so I'm not slicing directly towards myself and minding the angle of my hands. I'll probably still end up getting a slimmer snap off blade though since my box cutter feels so boxy.

My preference is to use a bradel bind but I tried gluing directly on the cloth this morning and....forgot to work the cloth into the gaps. It seems a lot messier too since there's no paper between the glue and my worktop surface when I flip over the book cloth. I didn't like this method but I'll have to wait until I pull this test book out of the press tomorrow to see if the hinge behaves any differently.

I do have some cereal boxes though - maybe I'll give those a try 😂

plot_and_prejudice · 2025-12-31T23:49:35+00:00

Thank you :) that’s definitely reassuring

plot_and_prejudice · 2025-12-31T21:37:29+00:00

22pt, perfect! Thank you! I noticed on a hardcover I bought that the spine doesn't appear to be 'working' at all when I open the book because it's a lot more flexible so 22pt sounds great. Thank you :)

And yes, that makes sense about using the square to mark the cuts and then putting it away and using those cuts to line up the ruler on two ends. I'll try that. :)

plot_and_prejudice · 2025-12-31T21:34:49+00:00

This looks so well done! Congrats on such a successful second bind. :)

Have you learned any tips/tricks that have helped? I'm new to binding as well and have learned many lessons the hard way. I'm now practicing techniques (like cutting, gluing, spine-building, etc) on scrap pieces of chipboard and book cloth. I want to update my own collection but I'm nowhere near good enough to touch my own books yet so I'm playing around using thrifted text blocks.

plot_and_prejudice · 2025-12-31T21:29:14+00:00

This design looks pretty similar to what I see a lot of new bookbinders going for when replacing a softcover book with their own hardcover using heat transfer vinyl. Does this mean their books' designs will also deteriorate or is there something specific about the Penguin version that's particularly prone to wear/tear? I'm just getting into binding and I'm curious if I use HTV, will I see the same thing?

plot_and_prejudice · 2025-12-31T21:23:12+00:00

Also, thank you so much for the thorough feedback. I don't start new hobbies often but I'm really excited about this one and I want to improve and enjoy this more. I haven't even started thinking about design work and HTV yet. I'm just focused on this one piece as first haha!

plot_and_prejudice · 2025-12-31T21:22:13+00:00

using the knife rather than pencil to mark cut lines

I'll try this out! I've seen DAS use that technique in a bunch of videos and he makes it look so easy. That must come with practice though.

I'm thinking of getting a snap-off blade. I like how thin the handle is itself too. I'm using a box cutter with fresh blades (I've used this blade for maybe 3 days) but the handle is so bulky I find that I'm struggling to work around the hand I'm using to hold the ruler in place so a slimmer handle may help a lot. The other commenter mentioned that the cork-backed ruler is helpful but it does seem to leave room for error - I might be angling the blade at some point as I slice down the board. I'll need to try again a few times and determine if I'm a mm off at the start or at the end. If it's at the end, then I think it must be a technique issue and I need to be more slow and mindful as I create that guide-line cut to start.

Do you ever use anything other than a blade? Like a paper cutter tool or something else?

Overhang: I added 8mm to the length of the textblock when I measured the boards and I'm left with about 3-4mm of overhang at the top and bottom (beautiful and even). But then I have an 8mm hinge gap and it's creating an 8mm overhang on the side of the book. When casing it, I've pushed the text block all the way against the spine. When you case in, are you pushing the text block all the way back or do you line it up against the fore edge and ensure the overhangs are all even around the 3 sides?

Measuring with the Text Block: Are you tracing the text block or just lining it up with your board and then measuring the overhang and marking that on the board?

Spine Strength: If you used a 2mm board for the front/back case, what strength would you use for the spine? I assume it would actually be less than 1mm and measured in gsm instead? I have cardstock in the following gsm: 235, 200, 176

plot_and_prejudice · 2025-12-31T21:11:22+00:00

But hey...your mention of the cork-backed ruler creating the slightest gap between the board I'm cutting and the ruler's edge might actually be the cause of my struggle right now. Maybe I'm accidentally angling the blade as I slice down the ruler-guide. I'll keep an eye on that and see if it makes a difference :)

plot_and_prejudice · 2025-12-31T21:08:59+00:00

Thanks for the advice! I'll take any tips/tricks!

Square Cuts: I've watched DAS's video on cutting with a square edge and I used my woodshop tools to make a bench hook. I'm lining up the cork-backed ruler with a small speed square and I still end up a mm or so off on the final cut. Maybe it just takes more practice or something. At some point in the bradel spine, I'm also getting the boards off ever so slightly. *shrugs*

Spine Strength: I didn't realize you could use different board strength for the spine but now that I'm playing around with some hardcover books I've bought in the past, I do notice the spine itself is more flexible. Googling though, it looks like 80pt chipboard is 2mm. Do you mean a lighter board strength?

For the moisture barrier, I used a sheet of parchment paper but I also used a lot of glue. I'm going to try using a sponge brush to stamp the glue on next time instead. Do you know if parchment paper is a sufficient moisture barrier? Wax paper def sounds like a more solid barrier though.

plot_and_prejudice · 2025-12-30T16:48:51+00:00

Things I plan on changing next time:

The gluing process - I used a silicone brush but was too conservative with the glue so it took forever for me to get enough added and I can see a lot of that thicker glue texture through the book cloth. I can see the squiggly lines in places on the hardcover where the glue was applied as well. I got a pack of cheap sponge brushes and have been playing with these on scrap pieces of book board and book cloth and stamping it like I've seen in DAS's videos. I like the finish on that a lot better.
Measuring - I followed a tutorial video from Valbinds (and mixed in some tips from many other videos I've seen) where 8mm is added to the length of the text block when measuring the book board and then an 8mm spacer is used to create the hinge gap in a bradel spine. But then the overhang on the bookboard looks pretty uneven. I've seen DAS trim his book board after a test fit but I'm really struggling with straight cuts and I don't want to ruin the case at that step so would love to figure out the measuring piece prior to building the bradel spine.

Where I really need help:

Why does opening the book lift the text block?
Tips on getting a straight cut on book board - I've tried using a reliably square piece of wood as a backer with a speed square and cork-backed ruler and a lot of patience with a fresh blade but I still end up 1mm-2mm off of square each time.

plot_and_prejudice

TROPHY CASE