The debate over rounding corners vs keeping them square in bookbinding

I hit 1,000 books bound this month and it got me thinking about the tension between speed and quality. My first 500 I rushed through and had a 12% rejection rate, but the last 500 I slowed down and it dropped to 3%. Is it better to produce more faster or focus on fewer better ones for a portfolio?

2 comments

2 Comments

avery_fox934d ago

That 3% rejection rate is solid but you might be missing something with the speed vs quality thing. Rounding corners actually saves time in the long run because it prevents dog-earing and edge wear, so you don't have to go back and fix corners later. Slowing down to 3% rejection is great, but if you're spending extra time on square corners that are more likely to get damaged in shipping or handling, you're just creating more work for yourself down the road. Keep the pace but switch your focus to the parts that really matter like spine alignment and glue consistency.

derekgibson4d ago

Funny you mention corners, my uncle used to say a book with sharp edges is just asking for trouble. He ran a library and swore by rounding, even if it meant a few extra seconds per book.