Will bindery workers be replaced by AI?
Updated
Bindery workers score 16 of 100 for AI exposure. 74% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 5% today and speed up another 21%.
- 5% AI can do it
- 21% AI helps
- 74% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 87% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 25 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 1 of them today, speeds up 5 and leaves 19 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Maintain records, such as daily production records, using specified forms. Filling standard production record forms is routine digital data entry. | 70% AI can do it |
| Read work orders to determine instructions and specifications for machine set-up. AI can extract specs from work orders, but setup is hands-on. | 45% AI helps |
| Train workers to set up, operate, and use automatic bindery machines. AI can draft training materials, but hands-on coaching stays human. | 30% AI helps |
| Design original or special bindings for limited editions or other custom binding projects. AI can generate design concepts, but craft execution stays manual. | 30% AI helps |
| Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions or to determine whether adjustments are needed. Sensors and software can flag faults, but a person must respond. | 25% AI helps |
| Meet with clients, printers, or designers to discuss job requirements or binding plans. AI can prep briefs and notes, but live client talks stay human. | 22% AI helps |
| Examine stitched, collated, bound, or unbound product samples for defects, such as imperfect bindings, ink spots, torn pages, loose pages, or loose or uncut threads. Visual and tactile defect checks on physical samples need a person. | 12% Needs a person |
| Cut binder boards to specified dimensions, using board shears, hand cutters, or cutting machines. Physically cutting binder boards with shears and cutters. | 10% Needs a person |
| Punch holes in and fasten paper sheets, signatures, or other material, using hand or machine punches and staplers. Physically punching and stapling paper sheets at machines. | 10% Needs a person |
| Install or adjust bindery machine devices, such as knives, guides, rollers, rounding forms, creasing rams, or clamps, to accommodate sheets, signatures, or books of specified sizes. Physically adjusting knives, guides, and rollers on machines. | 8% Needs a person |
Show the other 15 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Trim edges of books to size, using cutting machines, book trimming machines, or hand cutters. Operating trimmers and hand cutters on physical books. | 8% Needs a person |
| Stitch or glue endpapers, bindings, backings, or signatures, using sewing machines, glue machines, or glue and brushes. Physical stitching and gluing of books at machines. | 8% Needs a person |
| Set up or operate bindery machines, such as coil binders, thermal or tape binders, plastic comb binders, or specialty binders. Physically setting up and running coil and comb binders. | 8% Needs a person |
| Set up or operate machines that perform binding operations, such as pressing, folding, or trimming. Physically setting up and operating folding and trimming machines. | 8% Needs a person |
| Cut cover material to specified dimensions, fitting and gluing material to binder boards by hand or machine. Hand or machine cutting and gluing of cover material. | 8% Needs a person |
| Set up or operate glue machines by filling glue reservoirs, turning switches to activate heating elements, or adjusting glue flow or conveyor speed. Physically filling glue reservoirs and adjusting glue machines. | 6% Needs a person |
| Imprint or emboss lettering, designs, or numbers on book covers, using gold, silver, or colored foil, and stamping machines. Foil stamping and embossing on machines needs hands-on setup. | 6% Needs a person |
| Form book bodies by folding and sewing printed sheets to form signatures and assembling signatures in numerical order. Physical folding, sewing, and assembling of printed signatures. | 6% Needs a person |
| Repair, restore, or rebind old, rare, or damaged books, using hand tools. Restoring rare books is hands-on conservation work. | 6% Needs a person |
| Prepare finished books for shipping by wrapping or packing books and stacking boxes on pallets. Physically wrapping, packing, and palletizing finished books. | 5% Needs a person |
| Insert book bodies in devices that form back edges of books into convex shapes and produce grooves that facilitate cover attachment. Physically loading book bodies into backing machines. | 5% Needs a person |
| Bind new books, using hand tools such as bone folders, knives, hammers, or brass binding tools. Hand bookbinding with bone folders, hammers, and knives. | 5% Needs a person |
| Compress sewed or glued signatures, using hand presses or smashing machines. Physically pressing signatures in hand presses or smashers. | 5% Needs a person |
| Lubricate, clean, or make minor repairs to machine parts to keep machines in working condition. Physical lubricating, cleaning, and repairing machine parts. | 4% Needs a person |
| Perform highly skilled hand finishing binding operations, such as grooving or lettering. Skilled hand grooving and lettering requires manual craft. | 3% Needs a person |
How bindery workers compare
All occupations (923)
Production (107)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $42,290 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 33,180 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -17.5% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Set up and adjust automatic binding machines from work orders
- Hand grooving and lettering for limited edition bindings
- Train operators on automatic bindery machines and safe use
- Estimate binding jobs in Trade Bindery Software Bindery Estimating System
- Diagnose machine faults and make minor repairs manually
Safer roles nearby
3 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about bindery workers and AI
Will AI replace bindery workers?
Partly. About 2 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly maintaining production records and reading work orders for machine setup. Hands-on machine setup, hand finishing, and physical packing stay with people because they need a person at the machine and in the bindery.
Which bindery tasks is AI taking over?
Recording production data scores 70 on exposure, the highest of any task, because filling standard record forms is routine digital data entry that AI handles well. Reading work orders for machine setup scores 45, since AI can pull specifications from the paperwork, though the setup itself stays hands-on.
Which bindery tasks stay with people?
Hand finishing such as grooving and lettering scores 3 on exposure, because it needs manual craft. Bookbinding with bone folders and hammers, and pressing signatures in hand presses, both score 5, since the work depends on physical hands on the book.
How can bindery workers stay valuable?
Learn to set up and adjust automatic binding machines, since sensors can flag faults but a person must respond. Train new operators on the machines, estimate jobs in Trade Bindery Software, and keep hand finishing skills sharp for limited edition work that needs a skilled hand.
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