Rant: The big book fair in Portland made me stop using pre-cut boards

I was at the Northwest Book Arts Fair in Portland about six months ago, and I saw a binder there using a simple board shear to cut everything by hand. Everyone else at my table was talking about the convenience of buying pre-cut binder's board, but this person's work just looked better. The edges were cleaner and the fit was perfect. I came home and tried it myself on a small journal project, and it took me three tries to get it right. But now I won't go back, even though it adds maybe 15 minutes to my process. Has anyone else switched from pre-cut to hand-cut boards and stuck with it?

2 comments

2 Comments

michaela162mo ago

Three tries to get it right" is the real story. I read a blog post once that said the extra time with a board shear isn't just cutting, it's getting your eye used to the work. Makes total sense now.

david_henderson62mo ago

That blog post got it right. What kind of work were you doing that made it click?