Thank you so much for such a detailed video. I'm going to try this for the first time with my books and you definitely make it look less intimidating. Ironically it was my own copy of Fairy Tale that finally motivated me and seeing what size protector you used for it was very reassuring.
Thank you very much for your helpful guidelines and your calm delivery, love your voice! I’m now about to embark on covering several book jackets, some of them quite tatty but the covering will greatly extend their life.
Thanks for this. I was so afraid to crease the mylar itself and your video gave me the confidence to just give it a go. And now my books look gorgeous.
I use a clear book cover that call "Bro Dart" its made in the usa its plastic for the outer and has white paper inside the jacket its logo Bro Dart made in the usa in black letters. It's like the way library does their books. Ur plastic cover sleeves for hardcover jackets is the same kind i already used. I used go to a book dealer in the neighborhood that had a shop but he's no longer there, not enough customers it got bored so he quit his shop, but anyway it's were i first started to see how they were used i bought from him sometimes. I will have to order my own in the future. Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you for this video. It's very helpful. I'm just getting started on collecting hardcover books by a few favorite authors. I'd love to protect the dust jackets. This is great!
I'm so glad! Thanks for the comment. It's definitely worth taking the time to cover your jackets. Not to mention how shiny and fresh it makes them look on the shelf!
Hi! Thanks for the question! No big differences that I'm aware of. And Brodart and Demco each release multiple types of Mylar protectors, with various "sheens," thicknesses, etc. It's whatever your personal preference is! For me, I placed an order years ago directly from Brodart, found their prices good, and had a good overall experience with them, so I've stuck with them (creature of habit). But Demco is also a great company to work with!
Great Video. It was very Informative. I am looking to start protecting my Stephen King Collection and this is a great starting point. Do you have suggestion of where to purchase Brodart in Canada or another Archival and Acid Free brand Mylar similar to Brodart with individual paper backing?
Thanks for the comment! I have used Brodart's website directly. That would be a great place to start. I would imagine they ship to Canada. You could also drop by your local library and ask where they source their Mylar from. Libraries have the connections!
Thanks for this! Is it a big deal that the very top of the dust jacket does not have paper backing underneath it, since there is a gap between where you fold it ? The 1 inch or so of the top dust jacket is still protected by mylar but doesn't have the paper backing that the rest of the book has. I figure there will always be a gap if you want to avoid the white lines at the top, but it seems like some people try to get it exact. I've looked at my books and I guess you can't see that edge from the book's exterior unless the book is stark white, and then you have to squint. Just wondering what your take was.
I think it's up to your preference. At the library where I work they use Mylar with no backing at all - it just folds over the top and bottom of the jacket, but leaves the back of the jacket "exposed" against the book. Since they tape the jacket to the book for library purposes, it's not easily noticed. I think the most important part is covering the outside, to protect it from rubbing and wear. Without a paper backing, you end up with a sleeker, less bulky covered look overall, which some prefer. Thanks for the question!
I buy the Brodart Justafold iii 10” by 300 foot roll. $55 from Brodart. Justafold i is not archival quality, and dont like applying the justafold II. Don’t mind mild wrinkle. Justafold III is 1.5 mm thick Mylar, with bottom loading which I prefer for most jackets. Demco is $72 for equivalent troll at website, so more expensive but probably same thing. You use justafold I style it appears to me. That style very hard to have fold with the jacket edge, not sticking higher up. Any stiff hard folded new jacket, or overly soft old jacket will be nigh on impossible to align edge with that Brodart style. Good point to never buy from Amazon reseller, usually a 5 - 10x upsale in price.
Excuse the ignorance: I am a long time collector but have never yet jumped into Mylar. It seems the brodart sheets have varying width as well as height. Do you find a specific width works always or do you purchase varied widths?
That's a great question! One of the nice things about buying rolls of Brodart is that you can trim them to the exact length you need. I would roll out a bunch, lay the jacket on top, make a little mark, then use a table-top paper cutter to cut it to size. But the sheets are more convenient in that they don't require that special trimming - and the two rolls I've purchased both ended up creased and "crumpled" towards the middle where the roll was extra tight, causing me to throw parts of the rolls away. That said, for most standard trade hardcovers, I usually get the 10" x 23" sheets. It's long enough to cover MOST of the jacket, even on large books. In this video, I applied a 23" long sheet to the jacket of Fairy Tale, which is a fairly thick book, and it covered the entire jacket with room to spare. The thicker the book the longer the jacket will be, so it's possible that some sheets don't cover the entire jacket. I'm mostly worried about protecting the outside of the jacket, so if the flaps are uncovered a little bit I don't really mind. The convenience of the sheets outweighs the imperfect fit in my opinion. Thanks for asking, and good luck with your Mylar journey!
Thanks for the detailed reply. I intend to try this out in the near future. I’m not sure why, but I’ve always found the process a bit daunting, mostly because I was reluctant to order sheets and have them end up being the wrong size. I really need to dive in, though. More and more slipcases are being made with the expectation that the customer will wrap the jackets in Mylar.
Thanks! The ones on Amazon are usually just people who purchase these and resell them for a higher price. I'm unsure about whether Brodart or other companies ship to India, but you could always try! Eliminate the Amazon middle man, and you'll end up paying less overall.
They do not. The protect from scratches and wear to the jacket, but UV protection on windows or just limiting the amount of light in your library in general is the best bet for protection against fading. Thanks for the question!
The video is intended for people who have never covered a book jacket before, or who have never done it successfully. So, I talk about the types of covers there are and things to consider, and then slowly demonstrate covering the jacket, so that folks can follow along. If you are a seasoned book jacket coverer, this video may not hold your interest. Thanks for the comment!