This is fascinating!! As someone just starting out, it is easy to dismiss things like grain direction as a small detail, but seeing how you used the grain direction to your advantage to warp that board on purpose was AWESOME! I never thought I could get excited about something like paper grain, but this video has done the job! Thank you for all of your hard work putting these videos together, they are making such a big difference for me. Also, the music was exquisite as always.
Glad you like the videos. Have a good foundation will help with the enjoyment of bookbinding later as you work on more sophisticated projects. Happy binding! DAS
So if I improperly fold long-grained pages into signatures, I'll now have improper short-grained pages. I thank you so very much for being my single most important host of the rabbit warren that is this lovely craft essential for conserving old books as well
A very useful explanation of grain and how to use it to your advantage. Although I was au fait with an understanding of the importance of grain when it came to pasting etc., I had never realised how grain impacted on the page-turning of a book. Unfortunately, these days, with so many texts being printed on digital printers and brought to you for binding, one often has very little control over the grain direction of the text block, one just has to work with it.
I love your videos! So much free info and tutorials that are easy to follow! You have no idea how many apprentices you have all over the world! In this new AI society, you are like an old Japanese master craftsmen who share his craft knowledge with the next generations. I wish you all the best!
Thank you, this was super helpful! I have some paper that I couldn't figure out the grain of using the bounce or tear tests, but the damp test was conclusive 👍
Thank you for showing it on so many kinds of paper and even the fabric. I watched a few other videos about the grain but they didn't show them on so many types. It really made it very clear to see and understand.
EXCELLENT tutorial.... an eye opener in regards to grain direction on paper....thank you for all the tips you gave us to find the grain direction on paper for better book binding. Best wishes to you.... Josefina Mccarty, U SA Florida
Thank you Sir for excellent videos. I came upon your channel while researching about bookbinding ploughs. Your tutorials are covering extensively the subject matter of the art of bookbinding. Although not entirely without some bookbinding experience, I found your comments on bookbinding cloth quite revelatory. It didn't even occur to me to test the grain direction of cloth!
I don’t remember if I demonstrate checking cloth grain direction. It is more about yanking on it to see which direction stretches more. Stretched perpendicular to the grain. Otherwise selvage is your friend.
Yes, in Australia there aren't many easily available short grain A4 papers to make A5 sized books. And the ones available are typical modern printing paper - not much life.
I've heard this before. Is this a particular type of paper? Most machine made wove papers have no noticeable visible indication of grain direction. Laid paper, whether hand made or machine made, the grain direction is usually aligned with the chain lines, but not always, so worth checking too. And of course this approach wouldn't work for opaque card or board. All the best, DAS
Hi. I had to see this video again. I sometimes work with craft paper and the grains are strange in this type of paper. or maybe I am wrong. I have a question: How important is grain direction in boxes made out of board and covered with bookbinding cloth? Because I prefer to cut the materials more in terms of economy instead of grain. Thank you!
Finally. I can’t thank you enough. I’m pretty sure I have this right now. I was using this method but in a different way. If the paper hard bend from top to bottom on the horizontal I knew that the grains were vertical. Same think, I guess, only different. But this showed me, I think, what was short or long grain as well. Say 8”x10. If the soft bend happens on the 10” width bending inward then the grains are short and run vertical up the paper. Is that right? I hope so. And if on the 8” of the paper is soft bending inwards then it’s long grain and the grain runs vertical. Well now I’m confusing myself trying to explain myself. Lol. Thank you for this. If I can only make sure I am getting this right. I think I am. I will watch this a few more times to be safe. Cheers
If the paper is not coated, you can tell the grain direction by how stiff it is. If you pull it along the cross grain, it have some give. But pull it along the lengthwise grain and it has very little give. That is the up and down grain, head to tail grain on the book.
Interesting. Thank you. I knew about the importance of grain in cloth when making clothing. I'd not known of the importance of groin in bookbinding, so appreciate the lesson.
I don't know whether I am more admired by your skill or the generosity with which you share it! One (probably silly) question: Since I have to paste two 2.5-mm boards to have a final thickness of 5 mm, do you suggest gluing the two boards with the grain in the same direction or crosswise?
No, I think cross-lamination is a bad idea. You end up with board that warps in weird ways, often diagonally. I often see people suggest this on the internet and wonder if these people have actually tried it or just recommending untested ideas. 5mm is very thick board.
this is great. learning this all the hard way, after buying materials and doing 4 error filled drafts each worth $100 in materials alone. i wonder if you have a way to handle a book of heavily inked photographic prints. i'm getting ink transferring to the opposite page from dark areas on the other side. i guess i need to use slip sheets until at least after i bind it. i suppose the ink takes a while to fully cure, and the shuffling action to align the pages before binding is a bit rough on the ink. i've never heard anyone mention this little nuance, and had photographers deny it's a problem, but it's definitely a problem on even the most expensive hahnemuhle rag paper made specifically for this purpose.
I don't have a lot of experience with this, except in drum leaf binding video I did recently I kept touching the prints too soon and leaving finger prints on them because they hadn't cured completely yet. It does take longer than one might expect. But once it was dry/cured it was very stable. Good luck! DAS
Good question. There are some board that can be hard to judge. My standard 2.4mm board is very stiff in both directions. If I am going to cut odd shapes out of a full sheet of board I draw pencil lines on it in the grain direction, which I know before cutting because the manufacturer says its long grain. Once it's cut I can use these lines to tell. Let me do some experiments and I might do a very quick video on this. DAS
hello thank you so much, i think this is is one of the reasons if not thee, my books are curling over, KDP have this problem, can you give me advice to explain to them that they are printing my book the wrong way, because both the front cover and back covers of all my books that have been published curl over, badly, can you please give some advice on how to communicate this to them please, it would help massively. Thank you
There are a couple of reasons covers curl. I'm assuming you mean soft covers not boards. Many books have a cover where the outside is printed with an ink that does not allow moisture through and sometimes it is coated in a plastic that also doesn't stretch. When the book goes to an environment with a higher humidity the inside of the covers absorb the moisture and expand. But the outside either can't absorb the moisture, or worse, can't expand. If the grain of the cover is head to tail it will try and form a roll. If the grain is spine to fore-edge the corners will turn out. The best solution is to have the cover printed with an ink that can expand and lets the book breath. Unless you are working with a small printer/publisher you will never get them to consider grain direction. They will use whatever uses the card stock most efficiently. It's all about the money. But you can always ask. Cover and text paper to have paper grain running head to tail.
@@DASBookbinding thank you, I'm using Amazon direct Publishing, you would think that they would have a more professional printing service, I don't know, I'm from the UK and also publishing from the UK. Amazon. I am also talking about 'soft board covers' I don't think it has anything to do with the moisture as much as their printing process, maybe London is way way colder lol, but it shouldn't really make a difference should it,?, obviously I'm joking but, do you think there could be a chance that they're printing it wrong, as in against the grain, 'up to down', 'right to left or vice versa', these are my books, I actually wrote them so you can see how important this is to me, what's your best advice,
I use a copy paper called Idea Work 80gsm for cheaper work and Mohawk Superfine 118gsm for nicer work. If you're in Australia I sell both dasbookbinding.com/shop/ Short grain A4 paper is difficult to get retail. I don't think I know of anyone else in Australia selling it. I have it cut to size in bulk. In the US Hollander's have Mohawk SG in US letter size. All the best, Darryn
@@DASBookbinding Thanks for your quick reply! Unfortunately, I do not live in Australia and to date I just found one online store which sells A4 short grain paper in my country. It seems I’ll have to stick with that.
So how would you make sure to make the binding go inwards to your advantage instead of outwards and screw up the book? Im a beginner and there are so many things I am learning I have to pay attention to and its discouraging.
Don't get discouraged! It might feel like a lot to learn, but once you know it, it's fairly straight forward. Check out my videos on warping boards. Good luck! DAS
I have been using short grain A4 copy paper. The brand is Icon and it can be bought at specialist printing supply sores in Australian capital cities. I get it in A3 and cut it down with a guillotine. But recently I started using Mohawk Superfine eggshell 113gsm. This is fantastic paper. 110-130gsm is a great weight for handmade books. I don't think there is a retail supplier in Australia for small sheets and quantities. I believe letter size can be bought in the US. I buy a ream of the large sheets and have it cut down to A4 short grain. QBG sells it to members at a very good price. If I get my store up and going I'm thinking of selling 250 sheet reams for $100. All the best, Darryn
Hi! I recently stumbled across your videos and I found them extremely helpful! Thank you. I’m also from Australia and i was wondering if I was to print double sided on an A4 copy paper to book bind, would that be ok? Would it affect the condition of the book? I ask this because there’s been a few people saying that it’s not the best paper I could use.
Most (all?) A4 copier paper in Australia is long grain. Short grain paper will produce a book that opens much better. If you want to make an A4 sized book, you are in luck because most A3 paper is short grain. You can use copier paper to bind a book. The super bright white and hard surface doesn't look very hand made. But if you are binding newsletters or something, then copier paper might be appropriate. I sell short grain paper and I have a price list on my website store. For the price of postage I can send you some samples of different papers. If you are interested send me a message through my contact page on dasbookbinding.com Darryn
@@DASBookbinding Hi, thanks for your reply. I meant doubled sided so I could fold the pages to an A6! I was hoping to print on them to bind a book for someone so they could have a physical copy. Going off on that, you’d say I should get A4 short grain to make it more compatible and high quality? Thanks for link, will check your store out!
There are some in the US - don't remember what brands. There is Thai mill that makes a short grain A4 paper called Idea Work www.lyreco.com/webshop/ENTH/idea-work-white-a4-copy-paper-80g-ream-of-500-sheets-product-000000000004955995.html?productBoost=yes_catalogue_001001001 It may only be available in A3 long grain in Australia. I have some stock cut in half to make A4 short grain which I sell, though low on stock. I also sell some specialty A4 short grain papers such as Clairbook and Mohawk Superfine, but only in Australia. Sorry, it is not common.
I used to believe the first number of the dimensions was the grain direct - 298x210 would be long grain. Most consumer papers you just can't tell. From paper merchants there is always some way of telling. The main one I use they put the grain direction in bold for the paper dimensions. DAS
The comparison of two books (even if constructed at the same time) to judge the relationship between wear and grain direction is only illustrative, and not really a valid test. At any rate, one might not have a choice. You have to go with what you can get.
I wasn't using them as a comparison to draw a conclusion. The type of damage illustrated by the book with the wrong grain direction is due to the wrong grain direction in the boards. A common occurrence is that a book with board grain head to tail will fail only on the inside front joint due to wear from use, while the rear inner joint is okay. While a book with the board grain spine to fore-edge, causing the board to warp in the same direction, will often fail at both front and rear inner joints even with little use. The point is that a modern hand bookbinder usually has a choice and if they care about the quality of their work they will ensure correct grain direction. Even in the 19th/20th century trade shop, the binder was responsible for the boards. And if you bind enough books you will still get texts with the grain in the wrong direction. This should influence the design of the binding. With the reduced paper drape a design that includes good spine flexibility is required. Ciao, DAS
@@DASBookbinding Thanks for the lengthy reply. I guess if I want to bind books using a half-letter size I'll either have to buy myself a printer, or figure out a way to talk the copy place into using my paper. Do you know of any copy paper in the US that's short-side grain? At least I can make sure the board is oriented correctly. I suppose that's more important than the text block. I've also noticed that a number of the books I have that are perfect bound aren't available in PDF unless I want to cut them up and do it myself. I do have one of those CZUR contraptions, although it's not the highest resolution. There is one Canadian author (a coauthor of McLuhan's) who has written a number of very important books that weren't recognized at the time. There is only one copy of one of his books in a library in the US, for instance. These are now hard to get through interlibrary loan because of the lockdown, but as soon as I find a copy I'll scan it and make my own copy. This Covid stuff is really crippling my research. Maybe there are more copies of his books in Australia. The author is a fellow named Barrington Nevitt. One of his books is *The ABCs of Prophecy*. There's another one on economic panic.
@@Demosophist Hollanders sell nice Mohawk short grain US letter size. It's hit and miss on asking a printer place to use your own paper. Some are good about and some won't. Yep, everyone in the same boat on research interruption - unless you're researching COVID I guess. No chance you'll find a book in Oz if you can't find it in the US. This is why I spend so much on my library.... All the best, DAS
@@DASBookbinding Thanks. I'm saving up for a printer. BTW, it occurs to me that Yes paste might be quite useful for backing cloth to turn it into book cloth. I use the end of a painter's spatula so I can get a very thin film that stays sticky long enough and won't soak through. It's not nearly a "wet" as either paste or PVC. I'm not sure how flexible it is after drying, though.
@@DASBookbinding I ordered a ream of "Mohawk Loop Smooth Pumice Paper 8.5x11". I couldn't find anything verifying that it's grain short, though. I also ordered a ream of Hammermill 11x17 ledger thinking that if it's grain long I can cut it in half at least.
I’ve just come across another clue. When the manufacturer says a piece of paper is say 25 x 40cm, the grain runs along the last mentioned, the 40; it’s what they call long grain paper. But if it’s sold as 40 x 25 then you know it’s short grain, the grain runs with the 25 dimension. As long as everyone sticks to the convention and understands there is one, we’re laughing!
That would great, except some people use the first dimension to indicate the grain direction, many don't follow a convention at all. Some put the grain direction in bold, One of my main suppliers is really good in that use the grain direction last and put it in bold, except they had it wrong in their catalogue for a paper I bought 2 cartons of...... DAS
![how to make 𝑠𝑜𝑓𝑡 handmade paper • tips & tricks in diy papermaking [tutorial]](/img/n.gif)
This is fascinating!! As someone just starting out, it is easy to dismiss things like grain direction as a small detail, but seeing how you used the grain direction to your advantage to warp that board on purpose was AWESOME! I never thought I could get excited about something like paper grain, but this video has done the job! Thank you for all of your hard work putting these videos together, they are making such a big difference for me.
Also, the music was exquisite as always.
Glad you like the videos. Have a good foundation will help with the enjoyment of bookbinding later as you work on more sophisticated projects. Happy binding! DAS
So if I improperly fold long-grained pages into signatures, I'll now have improper short-grained pages. I thank you so very much for being my single most important host of the rabbit warren that is this lovely craft essential for conserving old books as well
A very useful explanation of grain and how to use it to your advantage. Although I was au fait with an understanding of the importance of grain when it came to pasting etc., I had never realised how grain impacted on the page-turning of a book. Unfortunately, these days, with so many texts being printed on digital printers and brought to you for binding, one often has very little control over the grain direction of the text block, one just has to work with it.
I love your videos! So much free info and tutorials that are easy to follow! You have no idea how many apprentices you have all over the world! In this new AI society, you are like an old Japanese master craftsmen who share his craft knowledge with the next generations. I wish you all the best!
Thank you, this was super helpful! I have some paper that I couldn't figure out the grain of using the bounce or tear tests, but the damp test was conclusive 👍
Thank you for showing it on so many kinds of paper and even the fabric. I watched a few other videos about the grain but they didn't show them on so many types. It really made it very clear to see and understand.
Thanks! Some papers are just tricky. Marbled paper that you don't want to damage can be very hard, especially if has been rolled up. All the best, DAS
EXCELLENT tutorial.... an eye opener in regards to grain direction on paper....thank you for all the tips you gave us to find the grain direction on paper for better book binding.
Best wishes to you.... Josefina Mccarty, U SA Florida
Thank you Sir for excellent videos. I came upon your channel while researching about bookbinding ploughs.
Your tutorials are covering extensively the subject matter of the art of bookbinding.
Although not entirely without some bookbinding experience, I found your comments on bookbinding cloth quite revelatory. It didn't even occur to me to test the grain direction of cloth!
I don’t remember if I demonstrate checking cloth grain direction. It is more about yanking on it to see which direction stretches more. Stretched perpendicular to the grain. Otherwise selvage is your friend.
Yes, I realise that grain direction does not really apply to a cloth, but some kind of a ``give`` there surely is.Thank you again for your videos.
Really useful video. I find it hard to get paper with grain in the righ direction and with 'life' . . but I get there!
Yes, in Australia there aren't many easily available short grain A4 papers to make A5 sized books. And the ones available are typical modern printing paper - not much life.
It’s pretty easy to hold it to the light to see it
I've heard this before. Is this a particular type of paper? Most machine made wove papers have no noticeable visible indication of grain direction. Laid paper, whether hand made or machine made, the grain direction is usually aligned with the chain lines, but not always, so worth checking too. And of course this approach wouldn't work for opaque card or board. All the best, DAS
Happy New Year 🥂🍾🙂
Thank you for sharing your knowledge !!!
So interesting and helpful, thank you Darryn!
Very informative video. Thanks for sharing🤗
Hi. I had to see this video again. I sometimes work with craft paper and the grains are strange in this type of paper. or maybe I am wrong. I have a question: How important is grain direction in boxes made out of board and covered with bookbinding cloth? Because I prefer to cut the materials more in terms of economy instead of grain. Thank you!
Finally. I can’t thank you enough. I’m pretty sure I have this right now. I was using this method but in a different way. If the paper hard bend from top to bottom on the horizontal I knew that the grains were vertical. Same think, I guess, only different.
But this showed me, I think, what was short or long grain as well.
Say 8”x10. If the soft bend happens on the 10” width bending inward then the grains are short and run vertical up the paper. Is that right?
I hope so.
And if on the 8” of the paper is soft bending inwards then it’s long grain and the grain runs vertical.
Well now I’m confusing myself trying to explain myself. Lol.
Thank you for this. If I can only make sure I am getting this right. I think I am. I will watch this a few more times to be safe.
Cheers
If the paper is not coated, you can tell the grain direction by how stiff it is. If you pull it along the cross grain, it have some give. But pull it along the lengthwise grain and it has very little give. That is the up and down grain, head to tail grain on the book.
Fantastic channel.
Really, really helpful. Thanks.
Interesting. Thank you. I knew about the importance of grain in cloth when making clothing. I'd not known of the importance of groin in bookbinding, so appreciate the lesson.
Really useful video thankyou. Also I really enjoy how you present your videos, I'm definitely learning a lot from you 🤗🤗
I don't know whether I am more admired by your skill or the generosity with which you share it!
One (probably silly) question:
Since I have to paste two 2.5-mm boards to have a final thickness of 5 mm, do you suggest gluing the two boards with the grain in the same direction or crosswise?
No, I think cross-lamination is a bad idea. You end up with board that warps in weird ways, often diagonally. I often see people suggest this on the internet and wonder if these people have actually tried it or just recommending untested ideas. 5mm is very thick board.
@@DASBookbinding It's a hefty book. Is PVA or starch paste better?
this is great. learning this all the hard way, after buying materials and doing 4 error filled drafts each worth $100 in materials alone. i wonder if you have a way to handle a book of heavily inked photographic prints. i'm getting ink transferring to the opposite page from dark areas on the other side. i guess i need to use slip sheets until at least after i bind it. i suppose the ink takes a while to fully cure, and the shuffling action to align the pages before binding is a bit rough on the ink. i've never heard anyone mention this little nuance, and had photographers deny it's a problem, but it's definitely a problem on even the most expensive hahnemuhle rag paper made specifically for this purpose.
I don't have a lot of experience with this, except in drum leaf binding video I did recently I kept touching the prints too soon and leaving finger prints on them because they hadn't cured completely yet. It does take longer than one might expect. But once it was dry/cured it was very stable. Good luck! DAS
Any more suggestions on determining grain direction on .098 Davey board? I’m having an awful time figuring it out. Thank you this important video.
Good question. There are some board that can be hard to judge. My standard 2.4mm board is very stiff in both directions. If I am going to cut odd shapes out of a full sheet of board I draw pencil lines on it in the grain direction, which I know before cutting because the manufacturer says its long grain. Once it's cut I can use these lines to tell. Let me do some experiments and I might do a very quick video on this. DAS
hello thank you so much, i think this is is one of the reasons if not thee, my books are curling over, KDP have this problem, can you give me advice to explain to them that they are printing my book the wrong way, because both the front cover and back covers of all my books that have been published curl over, badly, can you please give some advice on how to communicate this to them please, it would help massively. Thank you
There are a couple of reasons covers curl. I'm assuming you mean soft covers not boards. Many books have a cover where the outside is printed with an ink that does not allow moisture through and sometimes it is coated in a plastic that also doesn't stretch. When the book goes to an environment with a higher humidity the inside of the covers absorb the moisture and expand. But the outside either can't absorb the moisture, or worse, can't expand. If the grain of the cover is head to tail it will try and form a roll. If the grain is spine to fore-edge the corners will turn out. The best solution is to have the cover printed with an ink that can expand and lets the book breath. Unless you are working with a small printer/publisher you will never get them to consider grain direction. They will use whatever uses the card stock most efficiently. It's all about the money. But you can always ask. Cover and text paper to have paper grain running head to tail.
@@DASBookbinding thank you, I'm using Amazon direct Publishing, you would think that they would have a more professional printing service, I don't know, I'm from the UK and also publishing from the UK. Amazon. I am also talking about 'soft board covers' I don't think it has anything to do with the moisture as much as their printing process, maybe London is way way colder lol, but it shouldn't really make a difference should it,?, obviously I'm joking but, do you think there could be a chance that they're printing it wrong, as in against the grain, 'up to down', 'right to left or vice versa', these are my books, I actually wrote them so you can see how important this is to me, what's your best advice,
@@osirus18 They don't care. What is cheapest is most important. When books are shelved with good pressure you won't notice.
I love your chanel! May I ask which paper you use? Because I find it very hard to find A4 paper with short grain.
I use a copy paper called Idea Work 80gsm for cheaper work and Mohawk Superfine 118gsm for nicer work. If you're in Australia I sell both
dasbookbinding.com/shop/
Short grain A4 paper is difficult to get retail. I don't think I know of anyone else in Australia selling it. I have it cut to size in bulk. In the US Hollander's have Mohawk SG in US letter size. All the best, Darryn
@@DASBookbinding Thanks for your quick reply! Unfortunately, I do not live in Australia and to date I just found one online store which sells A4 short grain paper in my country. It seems I’ll have to stick with that.
What does head to tail mean? Should grain direction be parallel or perpendicular to the spine of the book?
Head is the top and tail is the bottom. Grain should go parallel to the spine.
@@DASBookbinding Thank you!
So how would you make sure to make the binding go inwards to your advantage instead of outwards and screw up the book? Im a beginner and there are so many things I am learning I have to pay attention to and its discouraging.
Don't get discouraged! It might feel like a lot to learn, but once you know it, it's fairly straight forward. Check out my videos on warping boards. Good luck! DAS
Would love to know where you get your A4 paper to make A5 books please? Also what is the best gsm for making a printed book?
I have been using short grain A4 copy paper. The brand is Icon and it can be bought at specialist printing supply sores in Australian capital cities. I get it in A3 and cut it down with a guillotine. But recently I started using Mohawk Superfine eggshell 113gsm. This is fantastic paper. 110-130gsm is a great weight for handmade books. I don't think there is a retail supplier in Australia for small sheets and quantities. I believe letter size can be bought in the US. I buy a ream of the large sheets and have it cut down to A4 short grain. QBG sells it to members at a very good price. If I get my store up and going I'm thinking of selling 250 sheet reams for $100. All the best, Darryn
Lovely thank you. So good to find a fellow Australian to help with supplies in Australia. Good luck with your store.
Hi! I recently stumbled across your videos and I found them extremely helpful! Thank you.
I’m also from Australia and i was wondering if I was to print double sided on an A4 copy paper to book bind, would that be ok? Would it affect the condition of the book? I ask this because there’s been a few people saying that it’s not the best paper I could use.
Most (all?) A4 copier paper in Australia is long grain. Short grain paper will produce a book that opens much better. If you want to make an A4 sized book, you are in luck because most A3 paper is short grain. You can use copier paper to bind a book. The super bright white and hard surface doesn't look very hand made. But if you are binding newsletters or something, then copier paper might be appropriate. I sell short grain paper and I have a price list on my website store. For the price of postage I can send you some samples of different papers. If you are interested send me a message through my contact page on dasbookbinding.com
Darryn
@@DASBookbinding Hi, thanks for your reply. I meant doubled sided so I could fold the pages to an A6! I was hoping to print on them to bind a book for someone so they could have a physical copy. Going off on that, you’d say I should get A4 short grain to make it more compatible and high quality? Thanks for link, will check your store out!
Nice video, but I'm still lost as to why the grain is important and which one is best :(
You want the grain vertical so the book opens well and the paper and boards don't warp horizontally. Happy binding. DAS
That blue marbled paper is gorgeous. I almost wanna eat it.
which copy paper brands are short grained?
There are some in the US - don't remember what brands. There is Thai mill that makes a short grain A4 paper called Idea Work
www.lyreco.com/webshop/ENTH/idea-work-white-a4-copy-paper-80g-ream-of-500-sheets-product-000000000004955995.html?productBoost=yes_catalogue_001001001
It may only be available in A3 long grain in Australia. I have some stock cut in half to make A4 short grain which I sell, though low on stock. I also sell some specialty A4 short grain papers such as Clairbook and Mohawk Superfine, but only in Australia.
Sorry, it is not common.
Do paper manufacturers ever state on their packaging, which way the grain runs?
I used to believe the first number of the dimensions was the grain direct - 298x210 would be long grain. Most consumer papers you just can't tell. From paper merchants there is always some way of telling. The main one I use they put the grain direction in bold for the paper dimensions. DAS
@@DASBookbinding As I'd hoped. The premium paper does have that information.
we miss him...
The comparison of two books (even if constructed at the same time) to judge the relationship between wear and grain direction is only illustrative, and not really a valid test. At any rate, one might not have a choice. You have to go with what you can get.
I wasn't using them as a comparison to draw a conclusion. The type of damage illustrated by the book with the wrong grain direction is due to the wrong grain direction in the boards. A common occurrence is that a book with board grain head to tail will fail only on the inside front joint due to wear from use, while the rear inner joint is okay. While a book with the board grain spine to fore-edge, causing the board to warp in the same direction, will often fail at both front and rear inner joints even with little use. The point is that a modern hand bookbinder usually has a choice and if they care about the quality of their work they will ensure correct grain direction. Even in the 19th/20th century trade shop, the binder was responsible for the boards. And if you bind enough books you will still get texts with the grain in the wrong direction. This should influence the design of the binding. With the reduced paper drape a design that includes good spine flexibility is required. Ciao, DAS
@@DASBookbinding Thanks for the lengthy reply. I guess if I want to bind books using a half-letter size I'll either have to buy myself a printer, or figure out a way to talk the copy place into using my paper. Do you know of any copy paper in the US that's short-side grain?
At least I can make sure the board is oriented correctly. I suppose that's more important than the text block. I've also noticed that a number of the books I have that are perfect bound aren't available in PDF unless I want to cut them up and do it myself. I do have one of those CZUR contraptions, although it's not the highest resolution.
There is one Canadian author (a coauthor of McLuhan's) who has written a number of very important books that weren't recognized at the time. There is only one copy of one of his books in a library in the US, for instance. These are now hard to get through interlibrary loan because of the lockdown, but as soon as I find a copy I'll scan it and make my own copy. This Covid stuff is really crippling my research. Maybe there are more copies of his books in Australia. The author is a fellow named Barrington Nevitt. One of his books is *The ABCs of Prophecy*. There's another one on economic panic.
@@Demosophist Hollanders sell nice Mohawk short grain US letter size. It's hit and miss on asking a printer place to use your own paper. Some are good about and some won't. Yep, everyone in the same boat on research interruption - unless you're researching COVID I guess. No chance you'll find a book in Oz if you can't find it in the US. This is why I spend so much on my library.... All the best, DAS
@@DASBookbinding Thanks. I'm saving up for a printer. BTW, it occurs to me that Yes paste might be quite useful for backing cloth to turn it into book cloth. I use the end of a painter's spatula so I can get a very thin film that stays sticky long enough and won't soak through. It's not nearly a "wet" as either paste or PVC. I'm not sure how flexible it is after drying, though.
@@DASBookbinding I ordered a ream of "Mohawk Loop Smooth Pumice Paper 8.5x11". I couldn't find anything verifying that it's grain short, though. I also ordered a ream of Hammermill 11x17 ledger thinking that if it's grain long I can cut it in half at least.
I’ve just come across another clue. When the manufacturer says a piece of paper is say 25 x 40cm, the grain runs along the last mentioned, the 40; it’s what they call long grain paper. But if it’s sold as 40 x 25 then you know it’s short grain, the grain runs with the 25 dimension. As long as everyone sticks to the convention and understands there is one, we’re laughing!
That would great, except some people use the first dimension to indicate the grain direction, many don't follow a convention at all. Some put the grain direction in bold, One of my main suppliers is really good in that use the grain direction last and put it in bold, except they had it wrong in their catalogue for a paper I bought 2 cartons of...... DAS
Oh bother! Well thanks for putting me straight, I was just about to buy a pad of Ingres paper on the back of that info!
hrmmmm… (me thinking)