Kettlestitch
Account Start a book

Kettlestitch, a bindery in Sheffield. Thread sewn books from 50 copies.

Books sewn with linen thread, so they open flat and stay together for decades.

We print, fold, sew and case books for publishers, museums, architects and studios. Send a PDF and a run length; a blank dummy made from the real paper is in your hands within five working days.

  • Runs of 50 to 5,000 copies
  • 6 to 9 weeks from approved files
  • From £6.80 a copy at 500
Start a book See how a book gets made

How a book gets made

One thread runs through every book we make, from the first email to the pallet. You see a dummy or a proof at each stage before we go on to the next.

  1. Brief

    2 working days to a spec

    You send files, the run length and the date you need books.We reply with a spec and post a blank dummy in the real paper.

  2. Paper

    14 papers, 80 to 170 gsm

    Text stock is chosen for opacity and tone, not price per tonne.Most are uncoated, so the dummy you weigh is the book you get.

  3. Printing

    B1 sheets, 16 pages a side

    Sheets are printed offset on a B1 press two streets away.We check wet sheets against your proof under D50 light.

  4. Folding and gathering

    16 page sections, pressed 12 hours

    Sheets are folded into 16 page sections and pressed overnight.Gathered by hand; a stepped mark on the spines shows any gap.

  5. Sewing

    18/3 linen, 4 to 6 stations

    Each section is sewn through the fold with unbleached linen.Kettle stitches at head and tail link them, so it opens flat.

  6. Casing and delivery

    Pressed 24 hours, boxed in fives

    The block is rounded, backed, lined and cased in cloth or paper.Every copy is checked by hand, boxed in fives and sent tracked.

Recent commissions

Three books from the last year, with the numbers that shaped them. Each one was sewn in sections on the same bench and pressed for a day before it was cased.

BookBindingPagesCopiesWeeks
Weight of LightPorter Brook Gallery, exhibition catalogueCloth over boards, 120 gsm uncoated, foil title on the spine1921,5008
Twelve HousesMarsh and Pell Architects, monographSewn paperback with 200 mm flaps, 150 gsm matt3208009
Specimen FourRivelin Type Foundry, type specimenExposed sewn spine, 90 gsm book wove, two inks962,0006

Start a book

Send a PDF, a page count and a run length. We reply with a spec and a price within two working days, and a blank dummy within five. Press time is held with a 30% deposit and the balance is due when the books leave.

Book a studio visitSee recent commissions
Lead time
6 to 9 weeks from approved files
Run length
50 to 5,000 copies
Sewn paperback
From £6.80 a copy
Cloth hardback
From £14.20 a copy
Based on
500 copies, 192 pages, 120 gsm uncoated, four colour throughout