How do I get a 30 year old thesis bound?

June 6, 2021 7:17 PM

Mr. Darling has his master's thesis in paper form sitting in our closet and I would like to get it bound for him for Father's Day. All of the places I am seeing online have joined the 21st century and ask me to upload a PDF .... which I don't have. Are there any services that can bind the old school paper version?
posted by tafetta, darling! to Grab Bag (9 answers total)

You want a local print shop. Possibly a FedEx Office location could do this for you, depending on exactly what you're picturing by "bound", but it's been a while since I've used them.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 7:21 PM on June 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

What kind of binding are you looking for? It would be extremely easy for them to put in one of those plastic “comb” bound spines at a local print shop or Staples
posted by raccoon409 at 7:23 PM on June 6, 2021

Response by poster: I'm looking for something more like book binding.
posted by tafetta, darling! at 7:25 PM on June 6, 2021

There might be bookbinding / rebinding shops that could do this.
posted by nickggully at 7:27 PM on June 6, 2021

Best answer: MeFite ikahime runs a bindery and conservation business called The Vespiary. You’ll have to mail your manuscript to Montana.

They did a lovely job binding my dissertation.
posted by janell at 7:30 PM on June 6, 2021 [6 favorites]

Best answer: According to their website, the Grimm Bindery will bind one-offs, using your own paper, and ship them. It was so much easier in the dark ages of 2002!
posted by girlbowler at 7:31 PM on June 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

Is this the only copy? photocopy it. Stuff happens.
posted by theora55 at 8:23 PM on June 6, 2021 [14 favorites]

Any local bookbinder worth their saltpeter will be able to do this.
posted by turbid dahlia at 9:17 PM on June 6, 2021

I could get you the name of a binder on the UWS of Manhattan, if you MeMail me. No guarantees getting it done by Father's Day though.
posted by JimN2TAW at 9:04 AM on June 7, 2021