Bindery workers are in charge of fastening — or binding — stacks of paper together, and different types of documents require different types of bindery jobs. Because it only involves stacking and punching the paper, regular document binding is one of the easier bindery jobs. Because the workers need more technical knowledge to organize the pages, bookbinding requires a slightly higher level of skill. Repair binding is the process of replacing worn bindings on rare books and other documents. Hand binding is the most skilled job because it is done without the use of machines.
Reports and other printed documents are bound in many print shops. This is one of the bindery jobs that requires little technical knowledge and uses relatively simple machines. A bindery worker’s job entails ensuring that the pages are organized, though this is usually done by the printer as it outputs the document. After the paper’s edge is punched through, plastic or metal bindings are pushed through the holes to keep the document together while it’s being used.
Book bindery jobs require more technical knowledge than regular binding. The binding process is often similar to that of traditional bookbinding, though the machines may be slightly more difficult to operate. The real challenge is organizing the sheets, because the worker frequently has to take one large sheet containing all of the pages and fold or cut it in a specific way to ensure that the book pages are in numerical order.
Repair bindery is the only bindery job that only works with previously bound documents. A bindery worker’s job entails repairing worn binding and, in some cases, completely replacing it. Because of the specialized nature of this type of binding and the high cost of doing so, it is usually reserved for extremely valuable documents. Binding machines are typically used to make binding more convenient for the worker.
Hand binding is the pinnacle of technical knowledge and specialization. This bindery job does not require the use of machines, and workers must be familiar with book stitching and other complex binding techniques. This method of binding is very expensive, but it can be used to bind rare books and important documents. The worker doing this may also repair worn bindings, but the main difference between this and ordinary repair binding is that hand binding uses only manual techniques.