Brief 3 / Book Binding and Folds

For the book that I am creating, the actual binding of the book will be as important as the design of the book, to make a book that is interesting and stands out from other books with a similar purpose. I don't really know much about book binding, so I need to bare this in mind when choosing a way of binding my book together, but it is also a skill I plan to improve on. I want my book to look hand made in terms of being interesting and enjoyable to interact with, but I want it to be high quality and look professional.

Here are some of the folds that I would like to try (found via google image search)

French Folds

Here the binding is as good to look at as the design, and this unusual type of binding allows for something to be featured on the inside pages, which could allow for a creative outcome.

Concertina

This is an easy fold to do and one I have done before, but these examples show how it can look really good, especially if there is a particular purpose for it being a concertina book. These examples have also reminded me that I do need to consider how the cover will be made and how it will support the binding.

Stitched Binding

http://laurenkidner.tumblr.com

Book binding doesn't have to be boring, these examples show how very decorative creations can be made to suit the purpose of the design.

I don't know if this type of binding would be suitable for the purpose of the book, but it is something I do want to try at some stage, as the binding of the book makes what could otherwise be a plain cover interesting. 

Spiral Bind

I think this would be quite relevant to the product I am trying to create, and would look clean and professional. The possibilities of adding in envelopes and pockets could mean making my book interactive, so the students can add their own notes to it.