The process of combining printed sheets into finished products such as books, magazines, catalogs, folders, and directories is known as "binding." When a publication or advertising supplement has been printed, it must then be folded, glued, stitched, stapled, or otherwise turned into the finished product that will be seen by the public. Bindery workers set up, operate, and maintain the machines that perform these various tasks, while bookbinders perform highly skilled hand finishing operations.
Job duties depend on the material being bound. Some types of binding and finishing jobs consist of only one step. Preparing leaflets or newspaper inserts, for example, requires only folding. Binding of books and magazines, on the other hand, requires a number of steps. Bindery workers first assemble the books and magazines from large, flat, printed sheets of paper. They then operate machines that first fold printed sheets into "signatures," which are groups of pages arranged sequentially. They then assemble the signatures in sequence and join them by means of a saddle-stitch process or perfect binding (where no stitches are used). In firms that do "edition binding", workers bind books produced in large numbers, or "runs."
In libraries where repair work on rare books is needed, bookbinders sew, stitch, or glue the assembled printed sheets, shape the book bodies with presses and trimming machines, and reinforce them with glued fabric strips. Covers are created separately and glued, pasted, or stitched onto the book bodies. The books then undergo a variety of finishing operations, often including wrapping in paper jackets. In establishments that print new books, this work is done mechanically.
A small number of bookbinders work in hand binderies. These highly skilled workers design original or special bindings for limited editions, or restore and rebind rare books. Some binders repair books and provide other specialized binding services to libraries.
Bookbinders and bindery workers in small shops may perform many binding tasks, while those in large shops tend to specialize. Tasks may include performing perfect binding or operating laminating machinery. Others specialize as folder operators or cutter operators, and may perform adjustments and minor repairs to equipment as needed.
Work environment. Binderies often are noisy and jobs can be strenuous, requiring considerable lifting, standing, and carrying. Binding often resembles an assembly line on which workers perform repetitive tasks. The jobs also may require stooping, kneeling, and crouching, but equipment that minimizes such activity is now widely available.
Bookbinders and bindery workers normally work 40 hours per week, although weekend and holiday hours may be necessary if production on a job is behind schedule. Many large printers operate around the clock, so some bindery workers may work on shifts. Part-time workers made up 11 percent of this occupation in 2006.
| 1. | Read work orders to determine setup specifications and instructions. |
| 2. | Examine stitched, collated, bound, and unbound product samples for defects such as imperfect bindings, ink spots, torn or loose pages, and loose and uncut threads. |
| 3. | Start machines and make trial runs to verify accuracy of machine setups. |
| 4. | Set up, or set up and operate, machines that perform binding operations such as pressing, folding, and trimming on books and related articles. |
| 5. | Move controls to adjust and activate bindery machines. |
| 6. | Observe and monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions and to determine whether adjustments are needed. |
| 7. | Install and adjust bindery machine devices, such as knives, guides, rollers, rounding forms, creasing rams, and clamps, in order to accommodate sheets, signatures, or books of specified sizes, using hand tools. |
| 8. | Maintain records of daily production, using specified forms. |
| 9. | Fill machine paper feeds. |
| 10. | Lubricate and clean machine parts, and make minor repairs in order to keep machines in working condition. |
| 11. | Feed books and related articles such as periodicals and pamphlets into binding machines, following specifications. |
| 12. | Remove printed material or finished products from machines or conveyors, wrap products in plastic, and stack them on pallets or skids or pack them in boxes. |
| 13. | Clean work areas, and maintain equipment and work stations, using hand tools. |
| 14. | Stock supplies such as signatures, books, or paper. |
| 15. | Punch holes in paper sheets, and fasten sheets, signatures, or other material, using hand or machine punches or staplers. |
| 16. | Set machine controls to adjust lengths and thicknesses of folds, stitches, or cuts, to synchronize speed of feeding devices and stitching, and to adjust tension on creasing blades and folding rollers. |
| 17. | Record production sheet information such as the amount of time spent on specific tasks. |
| 18. | Fill glue reservoirs, turn switches to activate heating elements, and adjust flow of glue and speed of conveyors. |
| 19. | Secure reels of stitching wire on spindles, and thread wire through feeding, cutting, stitch forming, and driving mechanisms to load stitcher heads for stapling. |
| 20. | Stitch or glue endpapers, bindings, and signatures to attach them. |
| 21. | Open machines and remove and replace damaged covers and books, using hand tools. |
| 22. | Mount and secure rolls or reels of wire, cloth, paper, or other material onto machine spindles. |
| 23. | Crease or compress signatures before affixing covers; then place paper jackets on finished books. |
| 24. | Stop machines, cut threads that connect books, and stack separated books. |
| 25. | Remove broken wire pieces from machines, and load machines with new spools of wire. |
| 26. | Train workers to set up, operate, and use automatic bindery machines. |
| 27. | Thread spirals in perforated holes of items to be bound, using spindles or rollers. |
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