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How to print a children’s board book?
A simple board book made with common materials. It's fairly durable, and even if it's torn to shreds, it's easy to replace. So How to print a children’s board book?

How to print a children’s board book?

A simple board book made with common materials. It's fairly durable, and even if it's torn to shreds, it's easy to replace. So How to print a children’s board book?

 Step 1: Cut the Board

Cut 5"x5" boards from pressed cardboard. I used Bienfang illustration board, but any pressed (non-corrugated) cardboard about 1/16" thick will do. You need enough inside pages, plus front and back covers, two corners.

 Step 2: Print the inner pages

Usually for book printing the artwork need to leave bleeding place. Print 10-1/2" x 5-1/2" images on self-adhesive paper, one folio per pair. The first image will be the inside of the cover and front page; next will be the second and third pages, and so on. I use the Avery full page tab for this. The outer 1/4" of the image will be trimmed off, so keep anything away from the edges. Cut each sheet to roughly the size of the image.

Step 3: Install the inner pages

Remove the backing from the first sheet and place it face down. Place two planks on top, aligning them with the center of the sheet.

 Cut off excess tape with a sharp knife.

 Go ahead and install all the inner pages, using the back of the previous page as the front of the next page.

 Step 4: Print the cover

Measure the thickness of the book. It should be about 1/16-inch x number of pages. The size of the cover image is 10 inches, plus the thickness of the book, plus any borders. The image should be the back cover, spine and front cover from left to right. Print the image on self-adhesive paper. Crease the paper along the edge of the spine.

If you can't print a single image large enough to fit the entire cover, you can print it in two parts, over lapping the spine.

 Step 5: Install the cover

Peel off the backing of the cover and place it face down. Cut two strips of thick paper (card stock), each as wide as the spine. Press them onto the sticker, one along the spine and one next to it on the back cover.

 

Place the book on the cover, aligning the spine. Wrap the front and back of the book. Cut off excess paper. When opening the book, the front cover should pull away from the book along the narrow strips of the spine and back cover.

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