I just saw a bookbinder in Seattle using a kitchen pasta roller to flatten signatures

They were cranking folded sections through it before sewing, saying it made the spines super tight. But doesn't that risk damaging the paper grain over time? Has anyone else tried this kind of tool hack?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamie_garcia254mo ago

Guess my pasta maker's about to get a second job as a book press.

david_price503mo ago

Seen that stress mark problem too?

ivan8404mo ago

Yeah I used a cheap hand crank pasta roller for a few projects. It does give you a really crisp fold line, but I stopped because it felt like it was crushing the paper fibers. For thinner paper it was fine, but anything with a bit of weight started to show stress marks along the crease after a few years. Now I just use a bone folder and a lot of patience, the old way.