Synchronizing the Folded Line

black and red Pockets Folder by Paula Beardell Krieg — Perfectly Folded Pockets

This is a reference, nuts-and-bolts kind of post about how to create an even fold across the length of a piece of paper. This is a detail of paper-folding and bookmaking that is so valuable that it deserves to be looked at all by itself. I’m not going to explain how to make the accordion folds for the book above, but between this post and my accordion book tutorial page, you can put the info together and make something like what I’ve pictured. Now, on to folding up edges!

Pockets Folder in progress w — This is the look that I’m going after: the bottom edge of the paper has been evenly folded up to create a Pocketed Book

The paper in the above photo is 24 inches (61 cm) long and it was 10 inches (26 cm) high before I folded up a 3 inches (8 cm) flap to create a pocketed book. There is a specific, absolutely-essential-to-know, bordering-on-magic, completely-impressive, impossible-for-bookmakers-and-paperfolders-to-live-without-knowing technique that makes this seemingly impossible fold possible and easy to accomplish.

Here’s what to do to make sure that you fold the paper evenly across the length of the page.

Start in the middle of the paper
Focus on the folded line
Curl the paper up making sure the folded lines are lined up with each other exactly
Make sure that the folded lines are lined up with each other exactly (yes, I know I just said that, but it’s worth saying again)
Holding the paper so that the folded lines exactly line up, slowly slide your fingers across the curl of the paper to create a crease

As you approach the next set of folded lines, make sure that these lines are lined up with each other exactly.
Holding the paper so that the folded lines are lined up exactly, slide your fingers across the curl of the paper to create a crease.

As you approach the next set of folded lines (which, in the case of the photo above, is the last set of folded lines) make sure that these lines are lined up with each other exactly.
Finish off the fold, then return to the center of the paper and repeat going in the opposite direction.

And there you have it, again, a perfectly even fold across the length of the paper!