Perform highly skilled hand finishing operations, such as grooving and lettering to bind books.

Other names for Bookbinders: Binder, Bindery Worker, Book Binder, Book Conservator, Book Cutter, Book Finisher, Book Mender, Book Repairer, Bookbinder, Bookbinder Apprentice, Bookmaker, Books Binder, Custom Bookbinder, Cutter, Hand Bindery Assembly Worker, Hand Bookbinder, Paperback Machine Operator,

• Perform highly skilled hand finishing operations, such as grooving and lettering, to bind books.
• Cut binder boards to specified dimensions, using board shears, hand cutters, or cutting machines.
• Cut cover material to specified dimensions, and fit and glue material to binder boards manually or by machine.
• Establish production procedures based on job orders.
• Place bound books in presses that exert pressure on covers until glue dries.
• Glue outside endpapers to covers.
• Trim edges of books to size, using cutting or book trimming machines or hand cutters.
• Repair, restore, and rebind old or damaged books, including rare books.
• Apply glue to backs of books, using brushes or glue machines, and attach cloth backing and headbands.
• Attach endpapers to tops and bottoms of book bodies, using sewing machines, or glue endpapers and signatures together along spines, using brushes or glue machines.
• Compress sewed or glued signatures to reduce books to required thicknesses, using hand presses or smashing machines.
• Meet with clients, printers, and/or designers to discuss job requirements and binding plans.
• Design original or special bindings for limited editions.
• Insert book bodies in devices that form back edges of books into convex shapes and produce grooves that facilitate attachment of covers.
• Imprint and emboss lettering, designs, or numbers on covers, using gold, silver, or colored foil, and stamping machines.
• Pack and weigh books, and stack them on pallets to prepare them for shipment.
• Fold and sew printed sheets to form signatures, and assemble signatures in numerical order to form book bodies.
• Apply color to edges of signatures, using brushes, pads, or atomizers.
• Make boxes or specialty items such as binders and photograph albums.