Binding guide
Tunnel and flag book guide
Tunnel and flag books treat the zine as a spatial sequence. Accordion supports separate panels or carry attached flags, allowing photographs, text and cut shapes to overlap in depth.
How tunnel / flag book works
A tunnel book fixes layered panels between two accordion-folded side strips. A flag book attaches individual panels across alternating mountain and valley folds of an accordion spine.
Neither uses ordinary booklet imposition: the production file is a set of panels, supports, tabs and fold positions arranged for cutting and assembly.
When it is a good fit
Choose these forms for exhibitions, narrative objects and small editions where movement, depth or changing image relationships matter more than conventional reading.
They are especially effective for panoramic scenes, architectural images and sequences that reveal themselves as the structure opens.
What to watch before printing
Build a paper dummy first. Panel width, accordion depth, attachment tabs and viewing apertures interact in ways a flat screen cannot fully predict.
Mark folds and cut lines clearly, keep glue out of moving joints, and allow tolerances for hand assembly.