Coptic Binding

Background
The Coptic binding or Coptic sewing is a bookbinding method used by the early Christians in Egypt, the Copts, and used as early as the 2nd century AD to the 11th century. They were the first true codices. There are many variations on the stitched patterns, and it is a useful binding if you need to lay your book completely flat on a table.

​Daniel Essig (NC) is a book artist who creates elaborately gilded and tooled historic book structures with a personal, narrative twist.

Examples in ASU Rare Books & Collections
Kit Materials
  • Paper for 12 signatures of 5 sheets each at 5.5"x17" 
  • 5 5/8"x 8 5/8" book board
  • Thread and curved needle
  • Book cloth and scrim material for hinge
  • 2 small cut offs of book board for cutting corners

Your Supplies
You will need to supply your own end sheet paper, and any wrappings for decorating the signatures.
    Historic and Contemporary Artists' Examples

    ​Single-Needle Coptic with a Flexible Hard Cover

    Guidelines
    1.
    Prepare your signatures. We are creating 12 sets
    of signatures of 5 sheets using 90 lb. paper. 
    Remember that the more sheets per signature, the
    fatter the signature will be and the wider your
    coptic stitch will be. If you want a tighter, finer
    stitch, create thinner signatures. You might
    consider covering each signature with decorative
    paper or alternating colored sheets to give your
    spine more interest.
    2.
    Design your stitch pattern on your spine. If you’re
    creating straight stitch lines, you can punch the
    holes for your sewing stations using a paper jig as
    usual, but if you would like to create diagonal or
    zig-zag patterns, it’s helpful to lightly draw using a
    ruler on the spine itself. Remember to include a
    straight line about 1/2” on the top and the bottom
    regardless of design. Be sure to jog the book block
    and weight it down using a brick or weight of
    some kind. You can also tighten it in the book
    press in the book studio. If your design is straight
    across in one direction, you can use a coping saw
    or knife blade to ever so lightly cut across the tips
    of the signatures. If your stitch pattern changes
    direction, like a chevron, for example, you will
    need to use a paper jig to line up the sewing
    stations on each signature.
    3.
    Cut two pieces of board about 1/16” wider than
    your signatures. Using a pencil, design your
    flexible joints on the front cover. Make sure to
    make the first one a straight line, no closer than
    3/4 of an inch from the spine edge. Number each of
    the cut pieces and cut them apart. Then use PVA to
    glue them onto a piece of tarlatan cloth,
    leaving a board’s width or 1/8" between each piece.
    ​    Make sure to line the top edges against a
    straight edge as you glue them to keep them even.
    Trim the length of the hinged cover to match that
    of the back cover.
    4.
    Use a book cloth with strong thread grain to cover
    the boards. When gluing the flexible cover, lightly
    place the book board side face down on the cloth,
    then flip it over and quickly work from left to
    right, articulating each joint by burnishing into
    the groove with your bone folder. Then finish the
    trimming and gluing corners as usual.
    5.
    Cut two pieces of paper for the end sheets, approx.
    one 16th of an inch shorter than your covered
    boards on all sides. Glue them down using PVA.

    ​6.
    Poke holes in the covers to correspond with the
    holes in the signatures. If your holes are straight
    across horizontally, each board will have holes in
    the same place. But if you’ve created an
    asymmetrical design, be particular about measuring
    the holes to correspond to the first and last
    signature. The holes should be approx. 1/4” in from
    the spine edge.
    7.
    After all your holes are pokes and drilled, measure
    your thread using the following formula: measure
    the height of the book by the number of signature,
    plus two for the covers, and add a comfort zone. Do
    ​not double the length, this is a single-needle stitch.
    8.
    Thread your needle and start on the inside of the
    first signature. Sew out of the first hole. Sew into
    the first hole in the cover. Sew around it twice,
    continually adjusting the cover’s position so that
    its edge is even with the signature’s spine. Work
    until you think it’s perfect. Snug up the tension.
    9.
    Sew back into the first hole of the signature. Tie a
    knot with the loose end.
    10.
    Sew into the next hole in the signature. Repeat the
    process of sewing twice through the cover and
    back into the signature, and snug up the tension.
    11.
    Continue until the sewing is finished at the last
    hole in the cover. Rather than return to the first
    signature, add in a new one into the corresponding
    hole for that signature 
    12.
    Sew up through the next hole in the signature and
    start the link or chain part of the Coptic stitch.
    Skip the stitch between the cover and the second
    signatures, and sew under the stitch between the
    cover and first signature. 
    13.
    Continue until all the holes are sewn. At the end of
    a signature, add a new signature, and continue
    sewing, repeating the process. Continually snug up
    the tension. Smooth and even is the desired
    tension. 
    14.
    To add the back cover, sew it on just like the front
    cover. Lay it next to the last signature, and sew
    through the corresponding hole twice. Rather than
    sewing back into the signature, do the link or
    chain part of the Coptic stitch. Sew under not your
    last stitch, but the one before it, and back into the
    last signature. Repeat until you’ve sewn through
    all the holes in the back cover. Sew into the last
    signature one more time, and tie a knot. Now trim
    the ends.
    Class Demo