Whether you are looking for a fine bespoke binding for a treasured book, would like a beautifully presented photo album or set of journals, have a book which needs restoring, or simply want to get your thesis bound, the Otter Bindery has the skills and flair to produce something to suit you.
Besides simply binding books, we also offer a printing and publishing service for individuals and organisations. Book printing is offered from a single book to a large publishing run.
Hardcover bindings are made to a high standard and at competitive prices. For those wishing a high specification leather binding, we offer a full bespoke book binding service. There are many styles to choose from varying from a traditional leather bound book with raised bands and gilt edges decorated in the style of the Arts and Crafts movement or earlier, to more contemporary designs.
The Otter Bindery has extensive experience in photo album making. Commissions include memorial books, wedding albums, christening books. If you wish we can digitally layout and print your photos and other content prior to binding to create a totally professional package. A book bound to commemorate a special occasion creates a unique personal touch and shows thought and added care when presented as a gift. If you are having a document printed as a special one off, ask about our range of beautiful European handmade papers. There are many creative opportunities for customers who would like to add their own artistic flair to a binding. Equally we would be delighted to guide you in making your dream book a reality.
Other services include a full book restoration and repair service, and a fast turnaround Dissertation and Thesis binding service. We also offer business publishing for example of tender reports for contracts or the binding of Minutes of meetings. The price structure for any work of this nature will be the same as that of the Thesis Binding service. Finally, we offer bookbinding classes and tuition. Please have a look and see the classes that we are offering. Updates are regularly added.
For more information about our services, please follow the links on the left.
Otter Bindery News
Our recent bookbinding workshop with Royston Hayward of the British Library was a great success. We learned to do an Ethiopian Codex style of binding, using Cedar Wood boards and plaited leather clasps, and by the end of the weekend everyone had a completed book to go home with.
In a first for The Otter Bindery, Marysa de Veer has produced a fine wooden board binding in partnership with her partner Marcus Sly. Marcus is a cabinet maker, and together they have made a binding for The St Brides Notebook (printed by the Incline Press) using a combination of contemporary and traditional Coptic techniques.
The book is sewn on leather tapes using the link stitching method - otherwise known as French sewing. Because the spine is exposed, the book is able to lie flat at whichever point it is opened. The wooden boards have been prepared by chamfering the spine edge to take account of the swell of the book and thereby fit the book perfectly. The tapes are fed through sunken in channels in the wooden boards and are then fixed in place. The endpapers are made with green suede and Dutch recycled guilder notes. The wooden boards are made of quartersawn brown oak with a shellac finish.
For more pictures click here.
Ten books were bound for the Producer of the popular Richard and Judy Book Club show. The books were re-bound from off the shelf ready bound books. The newly bound books were given hand marbled endpapers, over cast sewing, gilt edges and full leather covers with marker ribbons and headbands. The finished books then had slip cases made especially to fit each book.
