Spent 6 months using a bone folder wrong before a binder at a workshop in Portland called me out on it

I always thought you were supposed to really press down hard with the bone folder to get those crisp creases. Turns out I was just compressing the paper fibers and killing the hinge strength. This older guy at a workshop saw me doing it and was like "hey you're gonna break that spine in a year". He showed me to just glide it with lighter pressure. Felt like an idiot but my joints are way stronger now. Anyone else have a basic tool they used wrong for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisa82017d ago

lol "gonna break that spine in a year" feels like a bit much. I doubt a single crease is gonna kill your book that fast.

sage_rodriguez16d ago

Wait, have you ever actually seen what happens to a book after a year in a middle school classroom? I'm not joking, that crease might not kill it tomorrow but it's the start. Once that spine gets cracked even a little, it's like the book just gives up. Pages start falling out way faster because the whole thing starts getting loose. Ngl, I've seen perfectly good paperbacks turn into a pile of loose pages in like six months just from one bad crease in the wrong spot.