What is useful? What is beautiful? What has tactile interest? These are the questions I ask myself when designing a new book. I love paper and I often start with a specific paper as my inspiration and constraint. I carefully plan out the paper sizes available so there is minimal waste. Paper grain, the direction of the paper fibers, all need to run parallel to each other for each element of the book so there is no warping.

The old wood shop adage applies here too, as controlling waste is important at Studio Pienza. Book sizes are designed with common paper sizes in mind. Memo pads are yielded from remnants of larger sketchbooks. Tiny scraps are made into pulp for handmade paper. We’re virtually a zero-waste operation.

Books are made of bundles of paper called signatures. The signatures are folded and then punched with an awl. Signatures are sewn together on the fold with linen thread. Glue is added to the spine for durability and the endpapers are glued to the signature block. This type of binding lays flat which is comfortable for writing or drawing and the pages will not easily fall out.

The cover is comprised of three pieces of a dense cardboard called davey board. There is a board for the front and back covers and one for the spine. To protect the pages inside, the boards are slightly larger than the pages. The boards are covered in bookcloth which protects the boards and the gaps between the covers and spine function as a hinge.

When the book is fully assembled it’s placed under pressure in the book press for 24 hours to dry and to minimize warping. Blotting papers absorb the moisture and plastic sleeves protect the interior pages. This is a beautiful Arnold Grummer press I bought several years ago.

OK, as you can imagine, I LOVE all kinds of paper goods. And I will be the first to admit that I have a hoarding issue when it comes to actually using my most favorite sketchbooks and stationery. What am I saving them for?! So, here’s to using them and enjoying them. Are you with me?