book binding service for old books

Custom Bookbinding and Restoration

REBINDING BOOKS

Whether it is a bible, personal prayer book, siddur or other holy book we ’ll give it a new life.  we take pride in handling your book at the highest level of respect obliging to your tradition., books repairing start from $299.

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* Receive 10% off when restoring three books or more

Standard Material

Pricing for standard material book cover restoration starts at $70 per book. New book covers or spines come in black, brown, tan, burgundy, dark red, green, dark blue, and light blue. Other colors are available upon request.

Imprinting & Embossing

Book imprinting starts at $15 per line (one line is approximately two words). We currently imprint in block, cursive, and old English fonts, other fonts may be available upon request. Gold and silver are our most popular color options, other colors may be available upon request.

In a rush? If you need to make arrangements for faster book restoration service, we can expedite your project for a faster turn-around time. All rush orders will be subject to a 25% price increase. {Fill out the shipping form.}

Mail us your book for repair and restoration.

After your book(s) is received we evaluate and call you with your restoration options and prices. Once we receive your approval on specific repairs and pricing, your book will typically be finished within 3-6 weeks. Payment is required prior to return shipment.

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Paying for your book repair and restoration.

We accept check (preferred), money order, or credit card payments via PayPal. You don't need to create a PayPal account to pay with credit card.

Give new life to your personal bibles and family books.

Book Repair 101: How to Repair a Broken Book

Jesse Doogan

Jesse Doogan writes about food, faith, books, and DIY projects, and sometimes even puts these things on her blog . She works in publishing and lives near Chicago with her cat. She tweets about all these things at @jadoogan .   Blog Twitter: @jadoogan

View All posts by Jesse Doogan

The worst has happened! Okay, maybe not the worst, but a pretty bad thing has happened: your beloved book is damaged. You didn’t mean to! It was an accident! A moment of carelessness! A beloved pet’s pointy misstep or chewy miscalculation. Or, worst of all: one of the above, but it happened when a friend was borrowing your book. Now, you’re left to pick up the pieces—literally—and try your hand at some book repair. 

First, you’re going to need the right supplies. If you’re a crafty person, you might already have some of these things at home, but if not, you buy any number of book repair or bookbinding kits, like this one or this one . 

What You’ll Need for Book Repair

You want a glue that dries clear and is flexible when dried. Elmer’s Glue works just fine, but PVA craft glue is a better bet if you want your book repair to last. 

You’ll actually probably want a few different tapes for different jobs. For torn pages, you’ll want something like this document repair tape . For loose bindings, you’ll want binding repair tape . If you want a budget option, plain masking tape is okay, too, but make sure it’s acid-free . 

To Repair a Ripped Page or Jacket

Oh no. You’ve ripped a page in your book. Never fear! You already stocked your book repair kit! 

You’ll need your fine paint brush, glue, wax paper, and bone folder. This also works for a torn book jacket. 

1: Place a piece of wax paper underneath the ripped page. 

2: Using your fine brush and just a tiny amount of glue, paint the glue over the tear. 

3: Place another piece of wax paper over the tear, and press the bone folder over the tear to make sure the glue gets good contact and to get rid of any bubbles.

4: This is optional, and will make the tear more noticeable, but you can put a tiny bit of tape over the edge of the page to reinforce it and make sure the tear isn’t re-opened. You’ll want to rip the tape gently, rather than cut it, so that the feathered edge of the tape blends into the page. 

To Repair a Sagging Book Block/Loose Spine or Missing Pages

Does the inside of your book seem to want to throw off its clothing and run free? This is an easy fix. You’ll need binding repair tape . If the pages of your book are coming out in one whole chunk (that whole chunk is called a book block) or in individual pages, this is what you want to do. You’ll want binding tape and a bone folder. 

To Repair a Broken Cover

Has your cover completely fallen apart, or do you fear it may soon? You’ll want to get out your book binding repair tape. This isn’t pretty, but it will keep your book in your collection for a while. Transparent binding tape means you’ll still be able to see the title or spine decoration. 

To Reattach a Book Spine

This typically only happens with older books, but it happens to the older books on my shelves quite often. I have a baggy full of spines just waiting to be reattached to their books. You’ll need binding tape, a bone folder, glue and paint, and something soft to wrap the book in, like a T-shirt or a non-adhesive bandage or wrap. 

How to Protect Your Books

Now, the very best thing you can do to repair your books is to prevent them from getting damaged in the first place, but if I had led with that, you’d have closed the tab and hated me forever, and I’d have deserved it. But I can’t let you leave without some tips for how to protect your books. 

A Book Buddy

These cushioned slipcovers prevent your books from being dinged up when you throw them in your purse or tote bag. 

Jacket Covers

Cover the jackets of your hardcovers (especially antiques) in acid-free, UV-blocking covers .

Acrylic Cookbook Stand

While using cookbooks, gardening books, or other reference books on potentially messy topics, put them in an acrylic cookbook stand like this one with a splash guard. 

Stake Your Claim

If you want to try to ensure you see your books again, you should mark your books as yours in some way. You can use an Ex Libris sticker or an embossing tool, or, if you just hate to mark up your books, you might consider lightly writing your name in pencil. This can be erased when the book returns safely home to you.

For more tips on protecting  your books, check out these Book Riot articles:

8 Ways to Waterproof Your Summer Reads

How to Clean Books

How to Save a Wet Book

How to Remove Stickers from Books

How to Care for Old for Valuable Books

How to Fix Book Binding

Thanks to the YouTube channel from the Bodleian Social Sciences Library at Oxford University. Their book repair videos were invaluable in researching this post.

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Azalea Bindery

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Book Repair and Restoration: NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

Due to high demand for new books, we are currently unable to accept book repair jobs. We recommend you contact Light of Day Bindery or Judith Beers Books . Judith can also be contacted by phone at (828).285.9282

There are some books that are just too precious or rare to simply replace. Many of these books travel along with their owners, with some being transferred down through generations, leading them to become tattered or worn. Family Bibles often fall into this category, as do antique and rare books that are considered heirlooms. At Azalea Bindery, we are a full-service bindery providing book repair to carefully and lovingly restore your old and damaged books.

1849 Family Bible With Broken Cover & Red Rot

1849 Family Bible With New Goatskin Cover

Repaired 1849 Family Bible With Protective Box

Will my book lose value if repaired.

For books that are valuable, antique, rare, or sentimentally priceless, it’s important that you have them repaired or restored by a specialist.  Repairing or restoring books in a way that retains their usefulness and value requires expertise and a long apprenticeship.  Although not a professional conservationist, I have bound new and repaired old books of all kinds for twenty years.

Azalea Bindery is a full-service bindery that provides book repair and restoration. We will evaluate your book, assess the damage, and advise on how it can be repaired. We also offer hand marbled paper end sheets to replace old end papers that show wear and tear. We are experienced in repairing books and Bibles of all sizes, materials, and levels of disrepair. We are available to serve both local and on-line clients.

1844 Family Bible With Lost Cover & Red Rot

1844 Bible With Damaged Marbled Paper Endsheet

Replaced Goatskin Cover & New Hand-Marbled Endsheets

What are common reasons for needing book repair.

There are many ways that a book can become damaged and need repair. Some of the most common types of book damage include:

• Books often break at the joints because of the repetitive action of opening and closing the covers. 
• Cover materials can become worn out and cracked, causing the fabric to fail around the corners and the book board to swell.
• Frequently, one or both covers become detached from the book and are missing or badly damaged. 
• The text itself can break apart, sometimes in large chunks. Pages tear, fall out, and are lost. 

Kipling Book Missing Back Cover & Spine 6x9

Damaged Front Cover & Spine

New Goatskin Retaining Original Front Cover

These types of damage may be common but repairing them requires the application of techniques and special mending materials that are used by a professional book binder. Some of the standard services provided for book repair include:

• Rebinding/sewing
• Paper restoration

We are able to delicately handle and restore torn pages, or we can rebind your beloved book by hand-sewing the pages back together. You may choose to have your damaged book or Bible recovered using new cloth or leather materials, or have a book changed from a softcover to a sturdier hardcover. Whatever the repair or restoration, we are committed to preserving as much of the original book as possible.

Little Women, Miss Minerva Detached Covers & Torn Pages

Little Women, Miss Minerva ReBound & Pages

How do you decide whether to repair or rebind.

Typically, it’s preferred to repair books rather than rebind them in order to keep as much of the original material and appearance as possible. This is especially true of rare, antique, or collectible books that may lose value when original material is replaced. However, when the spine is weakened, torn, or otherwise damaged, it may be necessary to rebind it. Professional book binders are often able to match the original material of a binding with a largely similar material, which helps preserve the majority of the original binding material. Depending on the extent and location of the damage, the spine label of a book can sometimes be removed from the original spine strip and then attached to the new spine to further preserve as much of the book’s originality as possible.

How Long Does It Take to Repair a Book?

The length of time that it takes to repair a book depends on the degree of damage it’s sustained. There are various things that can affect how long it takes, including the condition of the pages, whether a new cover is needed, if there has been water damage, the type of cover material that was used, and other variables. Typically, the book repairs that we see can take several days to complete. However, we often have work scheduled out for a couple of months. So, unless you have a hard deadline that we are able to accommodate, plan about 4-6 weeks to complete the repair.

1902 Shipping Register Damaged Cover

Name of Vessel, Captain, Place of Origin

New Bonded Leather Cover With Gold Titling

Are azalea bindery book repairs archival.

Yes, all mending materials used, from paper to cloth, board, and adhesives are of the highest quality and are guaranteed to be archival.

What Is the Cost of Book Repair?

If you need book binding repair or restoration services for an important book or bible, please fill out this request form . We will contact you in 5 business days with an estimate and when we can put you on the bindery schedule. The bindery has had an increase in requests in the past few years so we are scheduling new jobs no less than 6 months from now.

Bible Pages Detached From Spine

Worn Bonded Leather Bible Covers

Recovered With Bonded Leather & Original Titling

Available services in our book repair line.

Repair a Book Cover Reattach a Book Cover Repair Broken Joints and Hinges Repair Split or Broken Spine Reattach Loose Pages Repair Torn Pages Retitle Cover and Spine Protective Box for Rare & Valuable Books

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Vrbas Book Binding and Restoration

Our mission at vrbas binding is to honor the history of your books. don't bury them, bring them back to life with a new binding or restoration.

Beautify Your Old and Worn Books

Bible Rebinding

Here are some of the most asked-for categories for rebinding a Bible, here at Leonard’s. Clicking on one of these pictures will show you several types of Bible covers we would recommend in each of the categories.  We use genuine leathers , standard bookbinding cloth, or imitation leather cloth, but never bonded leather.  If you’d rather browse the various leather types, see our Leathers and Grains page.

Our prices generally include raised ribs and “Holy Bible” on the spine or the front (unless the leather wouldn’t allow for that), leatherette end pages, and one new ribbon marker. Return shipping and handling is extra and depends on where you live and how you would like the Bible shipped back to you. When you’ve decided on the style you want, just proceed to our ordering page . There are prices for extras there, such as more ribbons or additional imprints. If you’ve seen something on our website, but don’t see the price on our “Ordering” page, you can include it on your order form, or just ask .

• Leonard's Bible Lovers Links
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The Best Bookbinding Services: A Comprehensive Overview

If you’re looking to self-publish a book or just want to create a beautifully bound manuscript, researching potential bookbinding services is an important step toward achieving your goal. A high-quality binding service can enhance the overall presentation of your work and make it stand out in a crowded market.

Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from an ordered stack of paper sheets that are folded together into sections or sometimes left as a stack of individual sheets. The binding itself can take different forms, from spiral binding to perfect binding to case binding. Each type of binding offers different benefits, and the best bookbinding service for you will depend on your specific needs.

Here’s everything you’ll need to know about printing and binding your book — including how to find the best bookbinding service.

What Is Bookbinding?

Bookbinding is the process of combining multiple pages or sheets of paper into a single unit that can be bound together to form a book. The purpose of bookbinding is to make sure that the papers are held together securely and that the book can be opened and closed easily. There are several types of bookbinding techniques, each of which serves a specific purpose.

Regardless of the method that is being used, bookbinding is an essential process in producing books, and it helps to ensure that books are durable and will last for long periods of time while remaining visually pleasing and comfortable to read.

Today, many authors and companies will turn to a book printing service for professional bookbinding.

Why Bookbinding is Important

Bookbinding holds great benefits that cannot be overemphasized. Not only does it make a piece of work appealing to the eyes, but it also creates an impression of the author in the mind of the reader. Binding also prolongs the book’s shelf life — no pun intended!

Bookbinding is important for almost every type of book you can imagine, including hardcover books, comic books, textbooks, photography books, poetry books, yearbooks and coloring books.

Here are other benefits that bookbinding has brought to the world:

• If you ever lost your homework, you know how easily loose leaves are easily misplaced or lost. Bookbinding keeps the pages of a book together and helps prevent loss.
• Bookbinding services give you the option to use an attractive binding cover and embossed titles, giving your book a more professional look and an air of gravitas.
• Bookbinding is fairly inexpensive and more effective compared to punching holes in documents to put them in files and folders.

Types of Bookbinding Options

You can choose from a number of bookbinding alternatives. Print Bind Ship bookbinding services offer these options.

Saddle Stitching

With saddle stitch binding — best for printed material with pages ranging from 4-64 — sheaves of folded paper are fastened together in the center using staples. The metal frame is saddled by the paper to line up the paper spine under the stapler. It is usually done for.

The best option for catalogs and booklets of small sizes, its simplistic, attractive and effective nature makes saddle stitching an ideal choice for binding booklets, catalogs, programs and large brochures. When designing content that will be saddle stitched, you must take “creep” into consideration for the piece.

Since the paper pages must be placed inside each other, the creep causes the inner pages to protrude gradually across the edge as more pages are added. The more pages, the more creep allowance is needed. For a professional commercially printed saddle stitched product, the pages are trimmed to have a flush edge finish after assembly is done.

Perfect Binding

Perfect binding is a widely known method of bookbinding often used for paperback books, magazines and catalogs. It’s cost-effective and visually sleek, so you can consider using it for your next printed materials. Perfect binding involves a process where several pages of paper are bound together with the use of an adhesive, creating a clean, hard and skillfully printed material.

One or more sheets grouped in sets are printed and laid out such that once the sheet is folded, it creates a group of pages called signatures. These signatures are stacked at the edge, forming the spine, and are toughened to improve adhesion. Then, adhesive is added to the spine before wrapping a cover around it. Three sides are trimmed to form the finished publication.

Spiral Bound

Considering its efficiency and cost, spiral-bound printing is perfect to use for short-term and non-retail books. The pages are printed using digital printing technology on high-quality paper, giving it a professional finish throughout. They are stacked with holes punched in them; a spiral or coil is put into the holes to hold the book together.

Books with spiral bound can be laid flat and crisp over each other, making it an attractive, lifelong choice for business, home use and education. It is a perfect fit when printing materials such as recipe books, employee manuals, journals and directories.

Wire O-Binding

This binding is used in more formal, ordered and professional printing. Like spiral binding, the pages can turn 360 degrees (to show front and back) without causing damage to the spine. This type of binding is less sturdy. A malleable, professional-looking metal wire is used, making it fit for business reports and fine art photography calendars.

In this binding, single sheets of paper are printed on both sides, trimmed to size and collated according to the page number. Known as wire comb, twin-loop or double-loop binding, the wire has two small wire loops running along a comb-like c-shaped spine. These loops are put inside each already punched holes on the printed book’s cover’s edge and pages, allowing the pages to align perfectly. A wire tightens the spine, and the cover and pages are secured. Depending on the project design, the binding can be on the left or top of the pages.

Case Binding

Popularly known as hardcover binding, this type of book printing is the highest-quality binding method you can choose. Books with case binding are impressively presented, highly durable and bulky. Typically the most expensive type of binding, the pages inside are sewn together into sections that are glued to the last papers, which are in turn glued to the cover’s spine. The covers can be made from attractive paper, leather and a wide array of customizable options. Case-bound books lay flat on the table whenever they are open.

Although time-consuming and costly, this method is ideal for books with long shelf life or consistent use. 

Which Bookbinding Option Should You Choose?

Choosing a bookbinding option is a delicate one and requires taking a number of factors into consideration because binding plays a vital role in a printed booklet’s appearance and performance. The following factors are taken into consideration:

• Function of the printed material
• Number of pages
• Desired material quality
• Printing budget

Print Bind Ship, as a bookbinding service, provides all available binding options to fulfill your bookbinding needs. If you’re unsure which bookbinding method will work best for your needs, our experts are available to give you the advice you need to make the right choice.

How to Find the Best Bookbinding Service

With so many options available, it can be an overwhelming process to choose the right one for your needs. Here are a few steps to help you find the best bookbinding service.

1. Determine Your Bookbinding Needs

Some of the best bookbinding services offer a range of binding options, including perfect binding, saddle stitch binding and coil binding. It’s important to choose a service that not only offers the type of binding you need but also has the expertise to ensure that your book is well-bound and looks professional.

2. Compare Prices and Services

To find the best bookbinding services, start by researching and shortlisting a few providers that have a proven track record of delivering high-quality services. Next, compare pricing and services offered to see how each company stacks up against the others. Some companies may offer value-added services like customized book covers or design services while others may specialize in niche binding techniques like Japanese binding.

Print Bind Ship specializes in all types of bookbinding and is one of the leading book printing and fulfillment companies in the U.S. and Canada.

3. Select the Best Bookbinding Service

An ideal bookbinding service should offer a variety of binding techniques, as well as a range of paper stocks and binding materials. They should also possess the skills and expertise required to determine the most appropriate binding method for your needs. A well-established bookbinding service is likely to have top-of-the-line tools and equipment to cater to orders of all sizes and should be able to accommodate custom orders and specific requirements.

At Print Bind Ship, we take the integrity of our equipment seriously. We only source the highest quality binding tools to get your order right every time.

Print Bind Ship: Holding It All Together

Bookbinding is a crucial step in determining the success and acceptance of printed material. Print Bind Ship can help walk you through each phase. We have 60 years of recorded success as a Printer.

Consult Print Bind Ship for your self-publishing , printing and binding needs. When you need a professionally bound booklet without breaking the bank, bring it to the experts at Print Bind Ship. Contact Print Bind Ship for a free consultation.

There are various types of bookbinding, including perfect binding, saddle stitching, spiral binding, case binding and wire binding, among others.

Yes, many bookbinding services offer customized binding options such as foil stamping, embossing/debossing and specialty paper options. Get in touch with Print Bind Ship to learn about customized solutions.

The cost of bookbinding varies depending on the type of binding selected, the number of books being bound and customization required. Prices typically range from a few dollars per book to several hundred dollars for larger, more complex projects. Contact Print Bind Ship for an estimated quote for your project.

More From Binding

Book binding: the pros & cons of each type, print a coloring book: key steps from design to distribution, how to make a book: 3 steps for diy book binding, hard cover with dust jacket printing: comprehensive guide, get a quote.

Get a free quote, learn how you can scale your business, cut unnecessary costs, and be confident in your fulfillment.