Anyone know where I can turn a PDF into a single hardcover or softcover book with lay-flat binding? Like RepKover or O'Reilly books back in the day. Obviously it's not going to be cheap but as far as I can find, there aren't any options.
There's several options depending on how simple to
If you want it as a reference that gets thrown around, you could do a simple saddle stitch. This is commonly used for zines. But this doesn't work well if there are over 30* or so pages as it gets too thick. https://youtu.be/PncuvEajyWI
If you want it looking a little bit better with a hard cover, check out this link. It is still the same basic saddle stitch, but then adds a cover and a lot of finishing work. https://youtu.be/BfW0OiAFLkU
If it's longer than 30 or so pages, you will probably need multiple signatures. A signature is basically 30 pages stitched together and then the signatures are stitched together. There are a ton of options at this point. You could even get into the non-stitched bindings that just use glue, like a drum leaf. I recommend the videos at https://www.youtube.com/@DASBookbinding for a lot of options.
If you want something beautiful and you don't want to make it yourself, I'd recommend finding a local book artist who can make it for you. Or one online. Call you local art centers and ask around.
* The actual number is dependent on the the paper, the method, the tools available, etc. But 30 isn't a bad average.
Interesting. I don't think DIY is an option for me then. I'll have to find a service to pay to do it. I'm talking about 300 pages. I'm looking to bind computer books and technical reference information so I can read and use the computer comfortably without accelerating damage to my eyes. I guess large e-readers are another option but they're not a quick, comfortable or satisfying to flip through. Thanks!
