Heard a binder at the shop say he never uses PVA for endpapers

I was at a workshop last Saturday and this older guy who's been binding since the 80s said he thinks PVA is too stiff for endpapers and only uses wheat paste. I use PVA for almost everything because it dries fast and I'm impatient. But after he said that I tried wheat paste on a small journal I was finishing up and the endpapers actually laid down flatter with no wrinkling. It took longer to dry though and I had to wait overnight before I could close the book. I'm still not sure if the extra wait is worth it for a cleaner result. Has anyone else switched methods and stuck with one or the other long term?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannahj491d ago

Oh man, I feel you on the impatience thing! I tried switching to wheat paste for endpapers once but ended up sitting there staring at the book like a weirdo waiting for it to dry. In the end I went back to PVA because my schedule can't handle that overnight wait, even if the result was a tad flatter.

sethm581d ago

I read a study a while back that talked about how PVA actually has a different moisture expansion rate than paper, which is why it can cause wrinkling on thin endpapers. Wheat paste shrinks more evenly as it dries so it stays flatter. @hannahj49 mentioned the overnight wait being a pain and I get that completely. I switched to wheat paste for endpapers about a year ago after reading that and never looked back, even though it takes more planning. The trick I picked up was to brush the paste thin and let the paper sit for a couple minutes before I put it in the book. That initial tack helps hold everything flat while it dries.

laura_wilson1d ago

Did you try letting the paste sit for a few minutes before using it? That tack makes a huge difference. I had the same wrinkling problem until someone told me to let the paper rest after brushing. Overnight drying is annoying but the results speak for themselves. Your endpapers will thank you.