Question about how long you let your book press sit before opening

I left a rebind in my press for almost a week last month and the pages came out way flatter than my usual overnight. Does anyone else experiment with longer pressing times or is that just overkill for most projects?

3 comments

3 Comments

max4153d ago

Did the two-week press change anything about how the spine moved when you opened the book?

dakotawood10d ago

Three days was my sweet spot. I left a 400 page fantasy novel in the press for a whole two weeks once because I forgot about it. Honestly best mistake I ever made. Pages came out like glass, completely flat and smooth. Now I aim for a week minimum on anything over 300 pages. Overnight never did it for me either, the spine always wanted to fight back.

butler.finley10d ago

Whoa hold on, two weeks? That is insane to me. I get nervous leaving a book in the press overnight. I’d be worried the thing would start molding or something. But you’re telling me the pages came out like glass after two weeks? That’s almost hard to believe. I mean, I’ve left a paperback in a car on a hot day and it came out wavy, but never flat and smooth. I might have to try pushing my own press time past three days after hearing that, but I don’t know if I have the guts for a full week.