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Overview
Bookbinders turn printed paper into books and catalogues using machines, and traditional hand binding methods for specialist books.
Activities
As a bookbinder, these are the daily tasks you could do:
- Set up and feed paper into machinery
- Glue and stitch using hand operated machines
- Cut paper to size using hand and machine cutting tools
- Check the quality of work and meet production deadlines
- Identify issues and report machine breakdowns
- Take away and stack finished products
If you’re a craft or hand bookbinder, you might:
- Use hand tools to make bindings for books and to sew pages
- Use traditional materials to add decoration and clean discoloured pages
- Produce specialist books like family histories or books for libraries and museums
- Repair antique books
Organisations
Retail, Printing and Publishing employers offer the most work in the Black Country for Bookbinders. You could start out as a print room or reprographics assistant and work your way up through experience and taking courses.
Workplaces
You could work in a factory or in a workshop.
Your working environment may be dusty and noisy.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Working Hours
41 to 43 a week you could work some evenings and weekends.
Salary
£18,000 – £30,000 per year.
Predicted trends -11.6% Leading to 2,295 fewer jobs by 2027.
Qualifications
You could start out as a print room or reprographics assistant and work your way up through experience and taking courses. You could apply for an apprenticeship. If you have an EHCP you may be able to apply under the Dfe exemption which allows the apprentice to use Entry level 3 English and Maths qualifications. The apprentice would have to be competent enough to successfully achieve all other aspects of the apprenticeship requirements, become occupationally competent and achieve Entry Level 3 in English and Maths before the end of their apprenticeship You could leave school and start with an Apprenticeship. The following apprenticeships may be relevant to this role:
- Level 2 Bookbinder
- Level 3 Print technician
Some employers may ask for 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent whereas some may be more flexible.