This week we were discussing the X-Book structure from “Making handmade books : 100+ bindings, structures & forms” by Alisa Golden.

The video below gives a good overview of how the book is made – basically a “one sheet, 8 page ‘zine” with turn ups to provide pockets in which to tuck things.

As with most structures in book binding the structure is both beautifully elegant and tricky to get a completely accurate fold so the pages align due to the additional bulk of the pockets.

If you modify the folding process so that you do not create the last pocket securing tuck until the book has been fully folded you can get all the edges neatly aligned.