PSA: an old binder in Portland told me to stop pressing my signatures flat, and I finally get why
I used to crank my nipping press down as hard as it would go because tighter felt better. A retired binder named Ruth at a guild meetup in Portland watched me do it and said, "You're not pressing paper, you're crushing the spine swell." I ignored her for about 3 months until a batch of 40 sewn signatures came out with the text block shifted and the rounds flattened. I tried her way, just firm pressure, two light passes, and my spines finally hold that nice shoulder. Now I'm wondering how much of my past work has that squashed look and I never noticed. Anyone else been pressing too hard for way longer than they'd like to admit?