Though the process of BookBinding today is usually mechanized  , some books are still bound by hand . The pages of a book are printed on large sheets of paper called sections , or signatures .When folded , section usually make  8 , 16 , or 32 pages . To assemble hand -  bound hardback book , The binder first places the folded section in the correct order within the endpages  . Next  , he  or  she sews the section together along the spine edge using strong threads and then pastes them with gluefor extra strength . After trimming the pages  , the binder puts the book in a press and hammers the spine round it . The binder then glues one or case , comes last . To make this , The bookbinder sticks cover boards to end pages , front and back , and then covers them with cloth or leather .