by Florence O. Bean - Assistant in Manual Arts - Boston Public Schools
Published by School Arts Publishing Company 1914
This portfolio consists of two foundation pieces of news board,
covered and lined with paper and joined by a back of vellum. Let
the size and shape of these covers be determined by the use to
which they are to be put. They may be for drawings, maps,
compositions, etc. The size of the news board will practically be
the size of the finished portfolio, and should be somewhat larger
than the papers it is to hold. Plan the back, which consists of two
pieces of vellum, wide enough to allow for the space desired
between the covers, and also to lap onto each cover at least one
inch. One piece of vellum should be long enough to lap over the
ends of the news board about 1/2 an inch, and the other piece
should be about 1/8 of an inch shorter than the news board.
Plan the cover paper to be large enough to allow for 1/2 inch lap
to fold over the three free edges, but remember to allow a margin
of vellum to show at the other edge. Plan the lining paper to be
small enough to allow the foundation to extend beyond it at least
1/8 of an inch on all sides.
and cut all parts. (See Plate XXXVI.) Place the news
board foundations on the short piece of vellum the
proper distance apart, with equal amounts of vellum
extending under each. The news board, of course,
will extend at each end a trifle beyond the vellum.
When the proper position is determined, draw
pencil lines lengthwise of the vellum indicating the
edge of each cover. Put paste on the vellum and rub
down well onto the news board forming the inside
of the hinge. To make sure that the upper and
lower edges of the covers are in a continuous
straight line, place a rule or straightedge against
one cover, extending across and beyond the vellum;
place the second cover against the rule and the
edges will be in a straight line. (See Plate XXXVII.)
Paste the second piece of vellum onto the outside
and turn the projecting ends over the news board,
pasting them down.
Properly place one foundation piece on the cover
paper, allowing the vellum to show where it laps
onto the news board, and draw around it. The
amount of vellum which is to show is a problem in
space division. Just how much will look well on the
particular cover under consideration should be
carefully thought out.
Apply paste to the cover paper, noting that it
requires more skill to spread paste uniformly on a
heavy paper than on vellum or lining paper. Place
one piece of news board on the paper as previously
marked, turn them over and rub down. A piece of
cloth held in the hand and used for rubbing the
surface prevents finger marks; or the rubbing may
be done on a piece of paper laid over the surface.
The paper should cling firmly to the foundation at
every point, and this should be assured before
proceeding. Apply paste to the projecting laps, fold
them over and rub down. Treat the other half in the
It is desirable to tie the portfolio together on one side at least.
For this purpose secure tape of harmonizing color and 3/8 or 1/2
an inch in width. About 1/2 an inch from and parallel to the front
edges cut a slit through both paper and news board of the same
length as the width of the tape. (This needs to be done with a
knife or, better yet, with a chisel.) Insert a piece of tape from 6 to
9 inches long in each slit and securely paste at least 1 inch to the
inside of the news board, allowing the greater length to project
from the outside. Paste the lining paper on the inside of each half
and this will cover the pasted end of the tape. The portfolio is then
complete.
(B). By a different arrangement of tape the same kind of portfolio
may be used as a magazine holder or cover for a paper book or
-pamphlet. Plan the news board foundations to project 78 of an
inch beyond the book on three sides. The space between the two
pieces of news board should be at least an inch greater than the
thickness of the book so that the covers will lie flat when the book
is inside. It will be seen that with so wide a space the inner edge
of the news board will not extend as far back as the back of the
book, and in planning the news board it should actually be
narrower than the book. Make dimensioned sketches of all pieces
and lay d'ut and cut all parts. .
Construct the covers as for the portfolio, but insert the tape as
follows: About %' of an inch from both upper and lower edges of
the back cover, and just where the cover paper laps onto the
vellum, make slits of the same width as the tape and parallel to
the edges. Push one end of the tape through from the outside and
paste, with the end turned toward the edge. Carry the tape over
the adjacent edge along inside of the cover and over the opposite
edge where it should be inserted in the second slit and pasted on
the inside as at the other end. A little slackness of tape is not
objectionable. The lining paper may come to the edge of the tape,
or, with more difficulty, be slipped under it.
When one cover of the book has been placed under the tape, it
should hold it securely. (See Plate XXXVIII.) If desired, there is
application of a cover design. This may consist of
simple straight line borders in lower grades, or of
more elaborate designs in upper grades. (See
Plate XXXIX.) Lettering also may be used either
singly or combined with decorative figures. The
design should be carefully planned before any
attempt is made to place it upon the finished
cover. Erasures are always noticeable and
should be avoided. It is recommended that
straight lines should be drawn with a rule, and
the distance of the border from the edge
measured either with a rule or a piece of paper.
The decoration may be applied with ink, crayons,
or water color. Common ink diluted gives the
effect of a darker tone of the color of the paper
and as it is easily obtained it is on the whole a
satisfactory medium. (See Plate XL)
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