11

Covers a n d jackets
The cover of a book serves (wo roles: to proteet rhe pages, and to indicare (he
Covers and jackets content. 1 wiU examine the first function in chapter 1 6 (Binding), and explore
the second one here. The old adage about not judging a book by its cover is
inherently critical of designers' and iLlustrators' abilities to communicate
content within a miniature poster. A book caver is a promise made by a
publisher 011 behalf of all authar ro a reader. Ir serves as an enticemem to open
the book, or te purchase a copy. This chapter wiU hst the elements that are
likely ro be included on rhe frollt cover, back cover, and spinc, rhen exarninc
a range of approaches to caver designo

Wor ki n g to a clear brief

Covers are frequent1y a cause for CQllCern to authors, publishers, and designers.
The Juthar wants (he cover to represent rhe contellt; rhe publisher must COI1-

sider rhe views of borh rhe in-hollse art director and the marketing manager;
while the designer and i11ustrator take a brief [rom a commissioning editor.
A cJear brief is crucial and the designer should attempt to present the work
direcdy to those who are to make the decision. Cover designs are ofren
required for promotion purposes, often before the writing is completed. The
brief should include a hst of all the typographic elements and a sununary of
rhe issues to be considered in reJation to the imagery and any addirional infor­
marion pertinent ro a series, co-edirions, or rhe publisher's vision for rhe book.

Cover formats: boxes or wraps

When we enrer a bookshop, we expect to be confronred wirh iLlustrared cov­
ers for virtually every subject on rhe shelves. Com.municaring rhe conrents of
the book through both type and image is a strategy that has been adopted by
rhe vasr majoriry of publishers. However, i f we could travel back in time ro a
bookshop in 1 900, virtually all the covers would be typographic, with lettering
embossed into leather or cloth bindings. From the 1 950S to the 1 9 80s, mosr
illllsrrared book covers placed the illustration on the front cover only, wirh rhe
spine and back cover often having very different treatments. Sorne more tradi­
tional publishers continue with this approach. A srandard texr format was often
used for spines, blurbs, and dust-jackets. The inside back flap on a dust-jacket
was used to give a brief biography of the author, frequently accompanied by a
flattering photograph; the inside front flap was characteristically used for
review quores from critics.
Today, the front cover, back cover, and spine work together to seU the
book. Once purchased and stored on a shelf at home, the spine's ride serves as
a data tag, but it is surprising how we search for books on our shelves by
visually recalling the spine colour and designo The range of approach to covers
is ever-broadening, as a11 pubLishers view rhe cover as a marketing device. In
recent years, designers and iUustrators have begun to consider the front cover,
spine, and back cover as a single item rather than as the separate sides of a box.
Viewing the cover as a wrap arollnd the book block provides the art director
with a greater sense of freedom and a larger canvas.
Fron!- and back-cover h i erarchy Below The ISBN number is linked to a barcode
¡rrespective of rhe formar treatment of rhe cover - \Vrap, or rhe more conven­ that is usually printed on the back cover of a
book and that 15 read electronically when the
nonal from cover, spine, and back - the designer generaJly needs to use book is purchased.
imagery and type in a way thar reinforces rhe status of rhe front cover. The
ISBN 1-85669-437-2
fronr cover lIsualIy has a greatcr visual impact rhan rhe back CQver: rhe frollt
cover proclaims, rhe back cover reminds; (he front says 'hello', rhe back 'good­
bye These fUl1ctions relate ro both rhe imagery and rhe hierarchy within rhe
',

'ext. Al,hough the blurb on the back of a book is drawing the po,ential reader
""O a purchase, visually it plays a secondary role to the impact of the title_

The cover, s p i ne, a n d back-cover e l ements

1, is lInlikely that every one of the elements Iisted below will be included
on every cover, though ir is important rhar rhe dcsigner's bríef for the cover

idenrifies all the required elemenrs before rhe design is beglln.

Cover elements Back cover elements The ISBN

- Image - I S8 /barcode This number is reproduced on rhe
-author name in full - regisrercd retaí! price the back of a book as a bareade and
- book title, plus subtitle where - blurb or book descriptioll llsed throllghout rerail packaging as a
required - bullct-point breakdown of set of reproduction reguirements.
- addítíonal cover text issucs covcred
- format and size (may be larger - reviewers' guotes Barcodes
than page size), spine - author biography - must be visible on the back of the
depth, flap lengths, and - list of previous pllblicarions book and not hidden on Oaps or
surfaces avaílable for print inside covers
- prim requírcmelHs, for example, Flaps - musr be reproduced at a size
one-colour, two-colour, four-colollr, - registered reraíl price between 85% and 1 20% of their
special embossing - book description original size ::

- bullet-point breakdown of issues - must be prinrcd in dark solid colour

Spine elemen!s covcred on white, or have a colour-free
- amhor name in full - revlewcrs' qllores frame 2mm from rhe edge of
- book tide, plus subtide where - amhor biography the code
reqllired - lisr of previous publications
- publisher's logo

Aboye Publishers' marks, logos. or Imprints are

charactenstlcally pnnted on the spine 01 the
book. The posltlOn vanes. but the spine symbol
effectlvely reinlorces the brand In the minds 01
the book·buying public.
 Spines
The type 011 a spine 011 most European books rUI1S frcm rop to bottom, rhe
baseline being adjacent to the back cover, alrhough some American publishers
run rhe [ide from bottol11 ro topo Larger books \Virh broad spines occasionalIy
have their titles printed horizontaUy, though trus generaUy means the rype size
has ro be reduced and may cause some difEcult word breaks. For rhe designer,
ir is important to know which way rhe title rUI1S, what rhe relative importance
between titIe and Juthor's llame ¡s, and where rhe Pllblisher's logo or llame
should be positioned.

E n d papers
Endpapers are pasted to the back of the cover boards on hardback books and
are generally of a thicker stock than the book leaves. They may be plain or
decorative. I n older books, (he decorarian nught be marbling or nught feature
a specialJy designed pattern relating to the book's contento Today the endpapers
are ofren four-colouf and make use of phorography or iIJustratioll.

Cover and tille sequence

The relationship between frollt cover, spine, back cover, Jnd rhe prelil11.i nary
pages of a book forms the initial reading experience. It should be carefuUy
crafted by [he designer to form a coherenr whole in l11uch rhe same way as
rhe ritle sequence of a film combines credits and imagery and sers rhe tone for
rhe subsequenr narrarive.

Types of cover
For a designer, it is worth spending some time in a bookshop looking not
only at the books and their various designs but also at the way people browse
and buy books. Cover sryles for different rypes of book reflect their readership.
The business section of a bookshop wiU feature very different covers from the
classical literature or poetry secrions. On looking ar the browsing public, ir i5
likely rhar rhere will be noticeable differences in thcir age, gender, and dress
code, which, without falling into stereorypes, the designer should be aware of.
Different rypes of books cven in an age of multilingual publishing do not rely
on the same cover gen res worldwide. This makes browsing bookshops abroad
exciting, as one realizes rhar book design and covers can reflecr narional and
local culture as welJ as the global vision of multinational publishing groups. It
is worrh examining a number of approaches to covers. First, we consider
covers rhat work to reinforce rhe brand as well as promore rhe individual ticle,
and rhen turn ro rhe applicarion of SOl11e approaches rhar were discussed in
Above The spines of the books opposite arranged chaprer 3 : documentation, concept, and expression.
in chronologtcal order from left to right. Three
key elements are common to all: the author's
na me, the title, and the Pengu i n logo. The hierar·
chy, type orientation, and size and style of the
penguin have changed over time.

-
 Stefan
"THE MOST MOVING BOOK THAT

I I RUSSIA
HAS COME OUT OF NAZI GERMANY"

S U NDAY I X , . I S S

" POET'S PUB I �

I WAS
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PRISO N E R
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P E N G U I N BOOKS

ROOM AT TH E
TO P

John
Braine
Llur�nce Harvq
uJ�Ump'0nlnlhe
Romullll filmofthe book

Aboye Early Penguin books, with orange covers 1-3

and a white bando had their titles and authors set 1936 Poet's Pub by Erie linklater
in the same font; the series brand was very 1939 I was Hit/er's P,isoner by Stefan larant
strong, but the content 01 the individual title was 1942 A Pengum Specia/: Russia by 8ernard Pares
largely dlsguised. Later editlOns had illustrated or 4-6
photographic covers that were reproduced i n 1959 Room al Ihe Top by John Braine
black line or halftone, a n d these worked i n 1962 Thls Sportlng L1fe by David Storey
combination wlth the orange identity and title, 1974 BI/ly Llar by Kelth Waterhouse
 ...... _,_ ...... .
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...,. .... -'"'r _ _ ...w_ _ _ _ _

New Speclafs keeping abreast

of world evenes :

Wh)' Warl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... c. L M. JOAD *

You and the R.fu'ee. . . . . . NOII.MANANGELL.
*
One Han A,alnlt Europe. . . . KONIl.AD
DOII.OTHY fll.ANCES 8UXTON

HEIDI!N

Britaln'l Health . . . . . . ..'E' II.U'OIl.T *

15 �\ lO'<O .... ITO,.,... 1"'101

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Abolle
The back covers of the books shown on the previ o the back cover, though the allgnment of the text
ous page rel/eal how a senes style developed over is vaned: justlfled 4; ranged nght 5; and centred
nearly 40 years. The earhest book, from 1936 1 6. These developments In the use 01 the back
uses the back caver to list all the other Penguin of the Penguln paperback series show how the
paperbacks in pnnt. The back of the 1942 book charactenstic conventions of paperback novels
3 has been used to advertlse a shaving stick - a today were developed. Note the use of the
product enhrely unrelated to the tltle, Russia. The author's portralt and the development of the
more recent books 4-6 have the blurb placed on Penguin logo. which faces both lett and righi.
Covers that promote the brand
Covers rhar work in series serve a daLlble purpose: rhar of promoting rhe
Individual title, and that of alerting the reader to the range of books in the
whole series. Books in a series begin to have a greater shelf presence if [hey
are displayed as a group.
Somc older bookshops wirh traditionally organizcd stock remain [fUe to
{he idea of ordering their shelves by subjcct 3nd aurhar, whcreas others, aware
ofbrand status, are prepared to group a series togcthcr indcpcndcntly of titlc.
This marketing strategy has huge bcnefits for the publisher, as it promotes
instinctive sales and collectables.

Documentation: v i s u a l i z i n g the content

Covers designed frol11 a documcntary position seek, simply, ro record what a
book contains. This might take the form of a typographic title or a selection of
represcntative images from rhe pages; an approach based on 'what you see is
what yOl! get'. The relationship between a book's cover and rhe design of rhe
imerior is an issue the designer must be aware of: the composition of the cover
can pick up on the layout of the sprcads.
PR08lEMS 01 PLANNING
-�----�
Conceptua I covers
Covers rhat are based on conceptual rhinking arrempr to represenr a book's
Above Designer Derek Birdsall applied a concep·
contenr rhrough visual allegory, pUIl, paradox, or cliché in an amusing fusion
tual approach to the Penguln Educatlon covers.
of image and title. The potentia! reader browsing the spines may pull a title off The breadth 01 the series content was held
the shelf and, viewing the cover, expcricnce a frisson of pleasure, a moment of together by two elements: the use 01 a single
typeface (Railroad Gothic), and a cover arrange·
euphoria - whar has becn caBed 'a sm.ile in rhe mind'. a term used as rhe tirle ment that reflected the content 01 individual
of a book abour conceptual design o Thc browser turns huyer, his or her volumes. The range of spine widths and tltle
lengths wlthln the series was accommodated
purchase affirmed by the cover, with reasoning .long the !ines of: 'This book
=
by common allgnment. Here, the tltle The C/ty:
has a wirry cover: 1 recognized its wit becausc I'm intelligent.' As we a11 crect Problems o{ Plannmg is ill ustrated with the 'no

scaffolding to support our own prejudices, it is likely that the buyer will access' road signo

repeat-purchase other books using a similar approach.

Expressive covers
An expressive approach ro cover design is often used in relation to novels and
short stories. The aim is nor ro make a summative visua.l in a conceptual way
bU( ro evoke content, ro hinr ar what is withill and entice the prospective
reader. Covers of rhis kind often make use of drawings, iliustrations, phorogra­
phy, and appropriare images from fine arto The art director or illustrator tries to
make al1 arresting image rhat, in combination with the book titlc, intrigues the
reader and aJludes to an elemenr of rhe srory or attempts to visualize the
emotional heart of the texto The potential reader 1S drawn in by rhe image and
tide in combinarion. Drawing, mark-making, and symbolism are ofren used,
creating a poetic ambiguity and inviting the reader to reflecto This approach
views content as a starting point from which an interpreration is to be made.
A tension exisrs betwecn honouring rhe author's original text and visuaJizing
the designer's individual ideas.
 Covers: u s i ng docu mentary photography

Gernot Gricksch

Die Herren
Hansen erobern
die Welt Po6epT Ban,ep

10 Roma n
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Heinrich Bon
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Wanderer, kornrnst
du nach Spa ...
Erzahlungen

3 4

Above Four CQvers that make use of reportage or the top of the page. 3 This apparently everyday
documentary photography. 1 The angled erop at scene is made poignant as the man on erute hes
the bottom of this photograph echoes the comic has only one leg, The type and the (oad taper to
quiffs and contrasts with the formal centred type. a common vanishing point. 4 The ¡mage 01 the
2 Perspective plays an important part in the boat is locked ¡nta the rectangle of the cover on
composition of this ¡mage. The black band crops the right by cropping and on the left by the moor·
the figure's feet oddly, but is the same distance ing line coming from the boato
from the base 01 the page as the horizon is from
 Covers: a n expressive a p proach

PABLO NERUDA

Fu/sor y '11III'.rI,. dI.'Jooqlll"n Murll'ta

EI>oC..... . ....... ... lh ........ ..........
....(Iu)<.o .,. L..... C............

1
2

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Above A set of CQvers where the photographic

¡mages have been manipulated to evoke the
natufe of the content. The ¡mages are all
3 designed as miniature posters. The text on all
tour 15 centred; in 1 the type is reversed out of a
block. and on 2, 3, and 4 the text appears in a
panel over the ¡mage.
 Covers: expressing i d ea s through i l l ustration

CARlO LUCARELU

L'lSOLA OELL'ANGElO CAOUTO

._.-..... ...... -

1 2

,---- 11 ----,

Didier van Cauwelaerr

La Vie interdite

..
 Covers: u s i n g pattern

1 2

p.lnled matter\drvlt_rk
Opposite four covers that make use of ¡Ilustra·
lion as an approach. 1 The illustration of thls
Pollsh novel is a montage of photography, pamt­
mg, and a three·dlmensional found object. 2 This
illustration by Lorenzo Mattotti is a painting that
forms a graphic red band of blood reminiscent of
a flag. 3 The conceptual illustration by Bruno
Mallar! used on thls cover visual lzes elements of
the book's cantent in an artlst's toolbox. 4 Again,
the Il lustration has a conceptual basis: the small
red symbol of a male figure is trapped somewhat
helplessly between the female's legs.

Abolle and right This page shows three wrap·

around covers tha! make use of pattern. AII three
are for books aboul designo 1 The back cover of
a book about the design group Faydherbe/De
Vnnger, Grafisch Theatre, uses a fine linear gnd.
2 The London College of Pnntlng catalogue from
1998 uses overlapping numbers arranged in such
close proxlmlty that they become a pattern.
3 The wraparound cover of this graphics book.
Prlnted Matter\Drukwerk, featu res Dutch deslgn
and IS decorated wlth overpnnted circles.

o 3
 Typogra p h i c covers

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BODEGOI\'ES

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& Emil Rudor Typographie

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Aboye Typographic covers that do not incorporate two elements would be difficult; irregular posi· the modular nature of type and how as a conse·
imagery are widely used for a vanety of subject· tioning 01 the letters on the cover disguises any quence it forms a grid structure. 4 In contrast,
matter. The title and author na me are played with inconsistency and perfectly reflects the content. the caver of Wolfgang Weingart's My Way ro
experimentally and can be combined with striking 2 The cover of this catalogue for Guillermo de Typography reflects his experimental approach
colours to produce covers with considerable Osma's Galeria is made up of blocks and type to the subject, cropping the text yet retaining
impacto 1 Laurie Rosenwald's New York Notebook labels that surround the central title like a maze. the readability and making use of very strong
uses type i n irregular sizes and overprints the 3 The title of the cover 01 Emil Ruder's book contrasting colours.
cloth binding of the spine with the first letter of Typographie reads easily in reverse. It reflects per·
each word in the title. Perlect alignment of these fectly type before it is printed and emphasizes
M a n u fa ct u re .... ....
 16Binding
Bind ing
This chapter introduces the basic stages of hand-binding a book. The order of
rhese stagcs rcmains largely rhe samc, although rhey are now undcrtaken by
machines. We describe print finishes, caver matcrials, and binding tcchniques.

Traditional h a n d - b i n d i ng processes
The techniques used for binding books were developed in the Mrst century
Be. The processes involved have rcmaincd largely rhe same sillce AD 400.

Binding rhroughout Wesrcrn Europe \Vas undertaken by monks, who made

up parchment, and later paper, books that had been capied or dictated from
scriptllre. The process of writing and illuminating rhe book \Vas slow, and
books wcre borh rare and extremcly valuable. Bindings werc vcry strong and
.
ofren extensively decorated. The book as an arteflcr, as well as rhe message ir
contained, was highly prized by the Church and the aristocracy.
With rhe advent of printing in rhe West, binding increasingly became a
secular activity and a commercial adjunct to the printshop. Letterpress printing
increased the speed of book production, and this had a significant impact on
the nature of binding. The highly decorated leather bindings of the monaster­
ies were replaced by Iighter, less decorative, bindings produced to reduce casts.
Bookbinding remained a hand-craft, but by 1 7 50 binders in England, France,
HolJand, Germany, and Italy were beginnlng to adapt the book's construction.
Many books from this period are madc with cords that are cut into the backs
of the signatures and sewn with a smooth spine as opposed to the traditional
approach of sewing to raised cords.
Type manuf.1 cture and printing technology continued to develop through
the eighteenth century, as a reslllr of technological developmenr, increased
profit margins, and an ever-growing literare public, which spurred on the drive
for efficient book production. Binding, though a well-established business,
cominued to be a labour-inrensive hand-crafr.

The introduction of mach i ne-b i n d ing

It was nor until rhe nineteenrh century thar machines became pan of the
binding process. Machines were uscd for folding printed sheets into signarures,
and large presses capable of exerting enormOllS pressure over a larger surface
began to augmcnr traditional woodcn frames. This improved the binder's
efficiency, as books could be pressed by the hundred rather than in single
figures. Still, the characteristic form of bookbinding until the early pan of the
twenrierh century rcmained hand-srirching. The adoption of mcchanized
perfcct binding using glue and machine-stitching in the twentieth ccntury
finally made the book the product of industrial rather than craft manufacture.
Hand-binding survives as a craft tradirion for limited-edition publications,
short runs, and rhe production of an objects. Single binding machines are
capable of folding the printed sheets, collating, gluing, attaching cavers, and
cutring to size in a continuous process. Some designers and insighrful publish­
ers have showed a renewed interesr in tradirional hand-binding, and mcchani­
cal proeess have been developed ro mimie some of rhe hand-craft finishes.
 B i n d i ng the book

1 Folding the sheets 2 Gathe ri ng and collating 3 Sewing

The tia! pri nted sheets from the printer mus! be The folded signatures must be put into the coro Sewing is the process of stitching the signatures
o
N folded according lo Iheir imposition and made up rect order. in a process known as 'gathering· . together to make the book. The leaves in each
N
¡nlo signatures. When hand·folding, a simple Piles o f signatures are placed i n order on a table, signatu re are joined by vertical stitchi ng tied off
bone folder is used lo crease the sheet; the told· and one is gathered from each pile to make u p with kettle knots. The signatures are bound
ing machine undertakes the same lask more t h e book block. Today. t h i s is a machine opera· together by a series of tapes running across the
quickly. The folds mus! be made precisely, as any hon. When a pile of signatures has been gath· back of the book around which the vertical stitch·
i naccuracy of registration al this stage cannot be ered, the arder must be checked, or collated. The ing is threaded. This matrix 01 vertical stitching
corrected later. This process is cHen termed book beco mes meani ngless if a signature is passing around horizontal cords or tapes pre·
'folding lo print' , as the key relationsh i p is Ihal missing, placed in the wrong sequence, or invert· vents leaves moving in either d i rection.
between the fold and the print rather Ihan the ed. If collation marks are used tOday, they take
fold and the edge of the sheet. The margins fer the form of a small bar on the folded edge of the Cutting back slots
each page should be the same throughout the signature. Each successive mark is printed a frac· In preparation for sewing, slots have to be cut in
signatu re. A misplaced fold has the effect of tion lower than the previous one. The set of incre· the back of the book to accommodate the tapes
shortening one margin and lengthening another, mental steps made by the marks makes collating or cords that connect the signatures. The pressed
leading to irregularities in the position 01 the easy, as any break in the step sequence indicates book is positioned between strawboards and
print area in the bound copy. a missing signature. firmly he Id in a wooden laying press that resem·
bies a vice. A set square is used to mark the posi·
Adding single leaves tion of the cuts. A tenon saw makes a very shal·
Most books are made up of signatures of consis· low cut - less than a millimetre - at each of the
tent size. Occasionally, however, additional sheets marked positions.
have to be incorporated. These might include a
short signature - for example, four pages - or an Pressing
individual leaf. The easiest way of adding single Hand·bound books are pressed before sewing;
leaves i s to 'paste in' - pasting along the edge of machine·bound books are pressed afterwards.
the leaf and attaching it to the appropriate signa· Pressing is used to give the book block solidity
ture. This slightly weakens the binding and occa· and firmness. If a book is well pressed. the fold·
sionally causes cockling (where the paper bub· ed signa tu res form a stable relationship with
bies) if the grain 01 the paper runs across the each other, and the ¡eaves are likely to remain in
page and there is a high moisture content in the alignment for the life of the book. The signatures
paste. The other, more expensive, alternative is must be 'knocked up' square (each signature
referred to as guarding. A thin strip 01 paper 1 2 must be positioned exactly on top of the previous
o r 1 5 m m wide is pasted t o the edge o f t h e lea1, one), as they cannot be repositioned effectively
folded vertically, and wrapped round the appro· after pressing.
priate signa ture. The single leaf can now be sewn
in with the signa tu re.
4 Trimming 5 Gluing 6 Pasting down
A guillotíne ís used to trim the book to size: the Hand·bound books are glued before trimming, The cover material is cut larger Ihan the book lor·
b!ade descends onlo a platen (11al metal sheet) and machine ones alterwards. The glue, which mal to allow for the turnover on the inside caver. �
N
N
lo cut through the paper clamped beneath. The strenglhens the binding, is worked into the back Leather covers involve addllional hand·work. The
foredge 01 the book is cul lirst, lollowed by Ihe 01 the book and creeps between the sections. edges 01 the leather mus! be pared thin lo make
lai! and Ihe head. In the past, some paperback Excess glue is wiped away Irom Ihe binding. il !old neatly around !he cover board, and this is
books were nol trímmed, only lolded; the buyer done wllh a shoemaker's paring knile. The leather
had to open up Ihe slgnatures wlth a paper·knlle Cutting the boards is then pasted down onto the board and the over·
prior to readlng. Thls practice has been revived Cover boards come in many differen! welghts and lap is turned in al the head and fool. The
by designers who enjoy the notion 01 the reader's Ihicknesses. General bindlng previously used yel· tu rnovers are flxed in place wilh temporary twine.
involvement and the beauty 01 the rough loredge. low strawboard, bul thls has now been largely 11 Ihe book has ralsed bands. Ihe deflnltlon can
replaced by greyboard. Where greater weíght and be drawn out wilh special n ippers or grooved
Rounding and backing strength is requlred, the denser and blacker mili· bandsllcks. The book is then reposltioned in a
Hardback books Ihat need lo lall IIat when open board IS used. The boards are smooth·laced bul press and allowed lo dry before Ihe twine retaln·
require an additlOnal process called roundíng and porous, allowing the paste to grip well to the ing Ihe lurnovers is removed. When this lask is
backing. Tradilionally, large·formal books such as lace. JI is important that the paste is applied underlaken by machine II is referred to as 'casing
aliases, lectern Bibles, and music scores are evenly and does nol have a high water content or in'; some machines are capable 01 casing m
designed lo he flaL Other, smal ler, books were the boards will warp. For machine production, 2.000 books per hour.
also bound wilh this facility, bul today many specially adapted guillotines or rotary card cut·
machlne·bound books wlth square spines are ters are used lo cut the heavy book boards.
designed to be read In the hand. Roundíng is the
process Ihat removes the swell (Ihe extra thick· Treating Ihe edges
ness added to Ihe bound edge by sewlng) at the The foredge 01 a book can be gl1ded prior to Ihe
back 01 the book. When hand·blnding, a round· boards being atlached (see page 222).
headed hammer is used to round Ihe back 01 Ihe
book inlo a convex curve. As a consequence 01 Lining the backs
rounding Ihe back, !he loredge takes on a con· The lming is pasted down lo Ihe reverse 01 the
cave curve. Backing involves clamping Ihe book cover elther by hand or machine; the machine ís
belween wooden boards In a press and hammer· also capable 01 applying Ihe head and tall bands.
Ing the outer sections over lo form a return and a
recess In which the covers will siL Rounding and Fixing the endpaper
backing can also be underlaken mechanically by Endpapers line Ihe back 01 the cover board and
a single machlne, using mechanical rollers and lorm the inside join! 01 the book. They may be
olten soltening the back 01 the book with sleam plain, pri nted one side with a patlern, illustrated,
to make 1I more mal leable. photographic. or marbled. They are usually made
01 slightly heavler paper.
 Design i ng the foredge
Traditionally, many hand-bound books have the edges of the page finished
with a colour, marbling, or, in the case of liturgical publications, giJding. Today,
the majority of machine-bollnd books luve no additional finishing ro the edge
of rhe page. Despire the additional cost, many designers have renewed an
interest in rhis elemenr of prodllction. The bllrnished, gilded edge of a page is
exrremely smooth and, in addirion ro its decorarive qllalities, serves as a dust,
lighr, and finger-grease seal, preventing discoloration of the pages.
Coloured staining can be applied to the edges of a book by sizing with
alllm water and rhen wiping on aniline water dyes. The choice of colollr needs
ro be considered in relarion to rhar of rhe board cloth.
Marbling is a multicoloured decorative edge, produced by transferring
colour to the edge of the page. I t gives each book an individual finish.
A book made of full-bleed images wilJ afTect the colour of the page edge. Ir
the bleeds are of a u niform colour and the paper stock soft, the edge will take
on the colour of the bleed. I f the paper stock is less absorbent, the edge will be
made IIp of alternating layers of ink and white paper and will appear as a
lighter tint of the cropped pages. I f the colour range of the full-bleed images is
wide, rhe edge will take on an indistinct colour without a partern.
R.ecognizing the etfect the full-bleed page has on the colour of the edge,
designers can experiment with how the bleed is cropped.

Above The top left corner of every page in Proíect

M (2000) has been folded over at an angle of
45G: text is revealed when the pages are fanned
out.

Above right Stefan Sagmeister's book Made You

Look (2001) has a small border bleeding off the
nght hand of every page. When the book is slight·
Iy bent, the foredge reveals the words 'made you
look'. If the book is viewed from the back cover,
three bones appear on the foredge printed full·
bleed o n the edge of the left·hand pages .
Below The fmish 01 Ihe loredge 01 each 01 Ihese
books has been carelully considered.

1 Yellow ink has been applied lo Ihe edge of a

while page.

2 A red gilt finish has been applied lo the edge 01

Ihe page.

3 A traditional hand·marbled fmish has been

applled, givmg each volume a unique foredge.

4 A matte black ink rolled anta Ihe edge 01 a

whlle page wilh full ·bleed black margins pro·
duces an intense black edge here.

5 The rainbow bands here are created by pnntmg

a Ihin (4mm) slrip on the surface al the page.
Several signatures share the same coloured edge.
The colour is less intense than rolling ink directly
onlo the loredge.

6 The foredge al Stefan Sasmeister's book Made

rou Look (shown opposlte) combines silver glllmg
on Ihe edge and a printed black border with

white inlervals on the surface of the page. These

form Iype on the loredge tha! is jusi visible when
the book is closed.

7 In much the same way as Ihe Sagmeisler book,

an Image is created on thls foredge by pnntmg a �
N
tlny full·colour border on the surface 01 the page. N

The image shows an American landscape when

the book is closed.

2 3 4 5 6 7
H and -fi n i s h i n g
Finishing refers ro a ser o f processes completed after rhe book has been bound
and cased, including embossing, lettering, decorating, and polishing. These
were traditional!y hand tasks and are al! still performed by hand in library
binding. For edition binding, rhese processes are carried out by machi ne.
Blind cmbossing is any impression made in rhe CQver rbar does Ilor contain
ink or gilt infiIJ. Hand [ools are lIsed te make rhe impressions. Blind-cmbossed
lines, called fillet lines, can be of varying widths and can be rolled into the
cover lIsing a heated brass roller. These can be darkened and burnished using
palette [0015 to creare a [wo-tone cover detai!. When rhe cmbossing is infilled
wirh a metal rhis is referred to as gilt finishing.
Hand-lettering is a highly skilled task, as rhe impressiol1 created by a mis­
placed or slight!y uneven letter cannot be repaired and the whole book is then
devalued. Traditionally, the lettering is centred, though it can be aligned
anywhere 011 rhe cover. The hand-Iettering rools luve wooden handles and a
tip on which a single brass wrong-reading letter is raised. The range of fonts
and sizes owned by most binders may be limited and restricted tú letterpress
bookfol1ts. These are specified in points or didots; some fonts consisr only of
capitals and numerals, while many do nor inc1ude a full ser of punctllarion. lf
rhe designer wants to match the cover font wirh rhe rexr fonr inside the book,
a stamp can be made ro emboss rhe whole titIe as one elemento

Machi ne-fi n i s h i ng
Today, the craft-based hand-finishing sk.iLls of the experienced binder have
been replicated mechanically and allgmenred by new technologies, such as
laser-curring, to produce a huge range of cover finishes for mass-produced
books. These indude embossing, foil blocking, die-cutting, stamping, perforat­
ing, thumb indexes, laser-cutting, laminating, shrink-wrapping, and tipping in.

Embossing
Emboss-ing produces an image raised aboye rhe surface of rhe papero The image
can be acid-photúetched 01" die-stamped into a hard plate, which crea tes a
recess that rhe paper is forced into under pressllre when placed on an emboss­
ing press. If rhe image has to be de epIy embossed into rhe surf:lce, additional
heat is required. The acid-erched process is cheaper than hand-engraving, bur
produces a single or set of laye red depths to the etching, whereas the skilled
engraver is able to model delicate details within rhe type 01" image and, if
embossed on fine paper, can achieve beallriflllly crisp results. Blind embossing
uses no ink, only pressure, and raises rhe image aboye rhe surf:lce. Single- or
multÍcolollred engraving raises a printed image above the sllrface. Mosr boards
and papers can be embosscd, although BibJe papers are the exception as they
are simply too thin tú endure rhe process.
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Above The lavishly produced Guide to Ecstacity,

illustratmg the work of the architect Nigel Coates
and designed by Why No! Associates, uses several
machine finishes. The two-colour melallic blue
and bronze boards have been debossed. The type
is foil·blocked in two colours: metallic silver and
matt black. The book is wrapped in a tummy
band Iha! resembles an airline ticket, overprinted
on a thick matt stock and glued to the endpapers.
A coloured book nbbon completes the Impression
of a high-quality publicahan.
 Right A hand·engraved illustration of a bee shows
the fine detall that a skilled engraver can realize
through blmd embossing. The forms within the
image have complex curves that cannot be recre·
ated by machine or etchmg. The deeper the cut in
the engraving pi ate, the greater the definition on
the papero This image featu res very fine details
that rely on appropriate press pressure and a
substantial yet smooth·surfaced paper to retam
the Qual lty when reproduced. Hand·engraving is
expenslve but can provide an eXQuisite mark that
could be used on a title page or chapter opener.

Far right This embossed crown has been foil·

blocked and pressed twice to produce a bur·
nished gold finiSh, in contrast to the very shiny
metallic block on the Guide to Ecstacity cover
shown on the previous page.
Fo i l blocking
When the embossing technique is used in conjunction with a metallic foil -
gold, silver, platinum, bronze, brass, or copper - the embossed surface appears
as a shiny metalJic raised image. Heat and pressure are used to make the adhe­
sive on the back of the foil stick ro the paper.

Stamping

Stamping imprints the text or inlage below the surface. This, Iike embossing,
involves making a die, which, for shorr runs (up to 1 ,000) , can be of magne­
sium or zinc, or, for longer runs on heavier paper, is made of copper or brass.
Bbnd stamping uses no ink. Infi11 foiling makes use of pressure and heat in
much the same way as foil blocking.

Die-tutting
Die-cutting enables the printer to cut shapes out of paper or holes through
papero I t is frequently used ro cut the nets (flat shapes that, when folded, form
three-dimensional boxes) in packaging and point-of-sale items. in publishing,
the pieces that make up a pop-up book are die-cut. The die is very similar ro a
pastry-cutter. A toughened steel blade is set into a block of plywood. if more
than one blade is required, these can be no c10ser than three millimetres ro
one another, defining the minimum cut width. The die is la id on a platen or
letterprcss bed, and the paper or card to be cut is pressed onto the die. When
card is used it is cut in single sheets. Paper can be cut in small batches.

Laser-tutti ng
Laser-cutting is more expensive and slower than die-cutting, but is capable of
exceptionaUy fine cuts. The width of the holes made can be equivalent to the
thickness of the paper. This level of detail means that coarse-screened halftone
images can be reproduced. Lasers can be used ro cut the paper and board, and
innovative designers have made use of this form of cutting on the pages of
books and the covers. Lasers can a1so cut through an enrire book up to 100

mjllimetres thick. As the price of laser-cutting faUs, it is increasingly likely thar

rhis process will be incorporated in less expensive books.

,
Perforating

Perforarions are smaU holes or shapes rhrough papcr that enable it ro be torn,
like a sheet oC stamps. These can be cut into a sheet using perforacing rules.
The rule consists of thin srrips of metal with raised teeth thar are ser in a chase
and laid on a platen press or lerrerpress machine. The paper is pressed anta rhe
rule and the teeth pllncture the paper with a line of small, neat hales. Laser­
cutting can be used to perforare many sheets simultaneously.

Pape, d , i l l i n g
Top left A series of laser·eut portralts of phi loso·
phers designed by Oskar Bostrom. A eoarse �
N
Pape, drilling is used ro cut holes through several sheets of paper at the same halftone dot screen has been used to guide the
N

time. Loose-Ieaf ring-bound file pages use simple pillar drilJs. Drilling holes for laser in cuttmg the clreles. The sereen works in
negative. unlike print, as the largest circles pro·
spiral binding is performcd by machines with multiple bits. As with wood duce the lightest tones.
drills, a range of hole widths specified in millimerres or inches can be cut.
Top centre Hannah Dumphy's book Sheffleld

Thumb indexes
(2003) uses laser·eutting to produce the imagery
and some of the text, although each of the pages
These are usually found in frequently used works of reference such as diction­ is made of very fine·gauge stainless steel. The
choice of material echoes the content, as the
aries, encyclopedias, and Bibles. The thumb cut is a semicircle slightly larger English city of Sheffield is the home of British
(han the average thumb that is cut inta the foredge of a book. The cut is made steel and the portraits are of retired cutlery work·
ers or blades. A similar effeet ean be aehieved by
through all the pages up to the indexed page, allowing the reader very quick
screenprintmg an acid resist onto a metal surface
access. For example, a Bible could be opened at the end of the Old Testament, and etehing the hotes by dipping in aeid. This
\Vith the thumb cuts on the left-hand foredge referring to the books in the process is known as photoetching, and ean only
be used with metal pages.
Old Testament, and those on the right identifying the books of the New
Testalllent. The cut is made down to the exact page and has to be done afrer Aboye Frida Lariou's book Jerogllflcos Mayas los
Nuevos Codificar por Color Como Componer y
{he signatures are bOllnd together. Small tabs of thickcr card, or even Icather,
shows how a laser can be used effectively to heat·
ean bc ripped in at the thumb point to strengthen the page. Today Jllother engrave type and a logo into the surfaee of a thin
approach to making section dividers is to use die-cut tabs with labels that teak sheet.

extend beyond the foredge.

 Cover finishes
A variery of cover finishes can be applied to the cover of a plain-faced or
image-cover. The designer should consider the material aspects of the cover
as thoroughly as the image and rypographic elements.

Laminating
LaITunating a caver adds additional scuff protection. The lam.inatiol1 is usually
a clcar plastic film thar is stretched Qver rhe caver and bonded ro ¡ts surface
lIsing heat and pressure. Laminarían is lIsually applied ro printed surfaces and
is likely ro bubble if bonded ro plain greyboard. It should not be used with
screen-printed images or metallic inks, as rhe heat-sealing distllrbs rhe surface.

;:.._-;'

1
Tummy bands and corner flags
J
'. ,
comer flag .
.

A tummy band, or belly band, is a sheet of paper wrapped around the book.
tummy band
,
l I
This can be broken before the book is opened or, alternatively, it can be folded
¡ I and evcn tipped clown OI1W rhe endpapers 011 rhe inside covers. Sometimes it

11 1
1 is llsed ro announce rhe contents ar a new edition, but, incrcasingly, designers
are seeing chis feature as ycr anorher indicator of quality producrion.
Comer flags are small triangles of paper that are folded but not permanent­
Iy attached to the top right-hand comer of a book to announce a new edi­
tion, a significant date, and so on. They aUow the publisher ro add additional
�
information ro the cover after the book has been bound. The flag can be
N
N
removed and discarded after sale.

Du st-jackets
Dust-jackets are folded sheets of paper that were originaUy designed ro protect
2 rhe binding prior to sale but have become a11 integral part of case-bollnd
....

....--_
·
.. .._-_._.--.-.-•.._---_....
.
books. They give the designer the opportunity tú wrap a fOllr-colollr image
· .
· .
·
·
·
.
.
.
around a case-bound eloth book. Simple jackets are strips of paper, the same
· .
· .
· .
·
·
.
. height as the cover, that are folded around the spine and have flaps of varying
width that are tucked inro the book between the endpaper and the flyleaf.
These jackets are inelined ro tear, as the cut edge of the paper is exposed. An

1.
.
alternative, more durable, approach makes use of a larger sheet. The sheet is
- -. -..," : "
. ..:._____________________________________
:<"",.......-•.....-' divided approximately into three horizontally, each outer section being half
3 the height of the central section, which is the height of the book. The outer
1 The tummy band 1$ a strip 01 paper wrapped sections are folded inward, so that tbe strip is no\V dOllble thickness and has
around the book and tucked inside the covers,
the folds at the head and foot. When it is wrapped around the book, it creates
while the comer flag is a triangle 01 paper folded
over the edge 01 the cover. a f:1 r more substantiaJ jacket.

2 A simple dust-jacket is made up 01 a single

sheet 01 paper folded around the book with the Dro p ping i n
flaps tucking inside the front and back CQvers.
'Dropping in' i s a term llsed for adding any loose additiona.l material into a
The cut edge 01 the sheet i5 exposed to wear and
easily becomes torno book before it is shipped. This could in elude publisher's promotional material,
a postcard seeking the reader's llame and address detaiJs, or an erratllm sLip
3 A thicker and more durable dust-cover is made
by folding a larger sheet so that the head and apologizing for all error or misrepresentation.
foot have a folded as opposed to a cut edge.
Tipping i n
This is the process o f pasting i n additionaJ illllstrations by hand. This \Vas a
comI11on practice when type was printed by letterpress and images l.ithograph­
ically. A letterpress caption was printed on a blank page and the appropriate
lithographic image, printed on a separare sheet and trimmed to size, was tipped
in above it. FOllr-colour books printed offset lithographically have removed
(he need for chis form of [ip-in, bU( designers' interese in attaching separare
e1ements to pages Jnd covers for aesthetic reasons has ensured rhar rhe practice
continues. Pop-up books nearly aJways involve some hand [ip-in work to glue
che various moving elcmcnts te rhe card pages.

Lenticulated i mages
A lenticulated image creates an impression of Illovement as rhe eye moves
across rhe pagc. They are frequently used in kitsch postcards but can be incor­
porated inco books as tip-ins or pasted onto rhe frollt of CQvers. An object is
drawn or photographed from several positions. The sequential images are then
divided into strips, which are positioned alternately to make a single image.
The lenticular lens is a series of triangular prisms made from thin plastic strips,
which is bonded 011 top of the image. As the eye moves across the image,
altemate parts are visible and the image appears to change.

Left A lentlculated
image 01 the EiHel
Tower has been tlpped
in on the front cover 01
this book of Parisian
photographs.

PARIS i n 3D
 H o l ogra p h i c i mages
These images appear te have a three-dimensional quaJity. When the viewer
moves his or her eye across the page, the image appears to turn, as though the
viewer were walking around a three-dimensional object. Holographic images
are difficult and expensive to create. They are frequently used in security print­
ing, bllt have also be en successfuUy used as book and magazine covers. The
image cannot be of a moving object (or Living creature), as any movement
during the process of Iaser capture wiU destroy the holographic potential.
More than 300 laser images are recorded onta a mjnute ridged and grooved
sheet. The object must be [he sallle size as it is to appear in the final hologram:
the present maximum size is a [ 50-mülimetre square. Colour cannot be lIsed
within the object, bllt the viewer is aware of a speCCrllITI of colollrs appearing
Abolle The cOller of The Art 01 Money by Dallid
to emanare from rhe hologram as rhe eye moves arollnd it.
Standish features a holographic strip that, like
the detailed engrallings, reflects the nature of
banknote design and security printing. B i n d i ng mater ia ls
A huge variety of cover materials is available for binding, all of which offer the
designer different finish qualities. It is useful ro build up a collection of sample
bookbinding marerials, cover cloths, book ribbons, boards, and headbands.
Leacher covers are associaced \Vich high-qllaliry bindjng and are prodllced
in a wide range of colours, weiglus, and finishes. Morocco is rhe binder's rerm
for goatskin, which is pleasant ro rouch and pliable and does not easily soi!.
Pigskin is rraditionally more suited ro heavy binding as it is less pliable, while
sheepskin is cheaper bllt more inclined te split. Today many manufacturers
produce artificial skins resembling leather rhat provide a cheaper alcernacive for
mass-produced books.
C1oth-cover, woven fabries are usually callee! greige (pronounced 'gray') .
.
The f,bric is bleaehed ro remove aU impuriries before being impregnated with
starch or pyroxylin. The starching process, traditionally referred te as sizing,
gives the f:,bric a stiffness and resistance to creasing, but it is inclined te absorb
moisture in a damp atmosphere. Starched cloth is eheaper than pyroxylin­
......·M.·...W..
..,,,
. )
") •• impregnated cloth. Pyroxylin is a type of liquid plastie thar is stronger rhan
starch and has waterproofing qualities. Pyrox)'lin c10th is versarile and can be
••••••• IIIIIIIIIU.UII ...... UI.l finished in many difl'erent ways.

Abolle The functional strength and tactile quali·

tles of binding and cOller materials can be felt
and considered in relatlon to the weight of the
paper, size of the page, style of the type, use of
colour, and content 01 a book.
Cover mate r i a l s

1 2

DUI'I' .U (tille "ElH(R

. 1 ··
III.I� 11111 �I' 11

I t..1't IL.I
..
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11

t
1 The vinyl back cover of Pathfinder a/way/ 4
through/swiss/graphlx (2002) is machine·embroi·
dered wlth black eoUon to create a
series of barely legible words and patterns.

3
2 The illustrator Laura Carlin (2004) bound her
book Le Berét rouge In red felt with a stalk pro­
truding from the cover.

3 Bent Ply by Dung Ngo and Eric Pfeiffer (2003)

15 a book that celebrates the way plywood has

been used in interiors and furniture. The plywood

boards are glued to the stlft cloth cover.

4 Spoon (2003) 15 a book that features contempo·

rary product deslgns. The metal cover is bent tike
a spoon and embossed wlth the tltle.
N
�
N

Abolle Soon: 8rands o, Tomorrow by Lewis

Blackwell (2002) uses a conceptual approach to
the cover fmish. Thermoreactive ink responds to
the heat of your hand when touched, changing
the black cover whlte to reveal the type as though
the cover Itself were a portal to the future.
Paper covers
Paper coverings are less expensive than either leather or wovcn fabrics and can
be divided inro three types: paper, reinforced paper, and synthetic fibres.
Paper is the weakest of a11 cover materials in its unfinished form, but can be
strengthened by caating the surfacc wirh acrylic, vinyl, or pyrox)'lin. Binding
papers are c1assified either by weight, specified in grams and pounds, or by
rhickness, speci6ed in 'paints'. The paper poinrs have no relationship to rhe
typographic system of measurement; there are 1 ,000 paper poines to the inch.
CharacteristicaUy, paperback novels use covers of between 8 and r 2 paper
poines in rhickness.
Reinforced paper contains additional elements to add strength. These can
be polymers or resins added during the manuf.:1cturing process, in addition ro
coatings of pyroA,'¡in. These papers are llsed in larger-format paperback books
in paper point thicknesses of 14, 1 7, 20, 22, and 25. Thinner reinfoI,"ced papers
are used as coverings on case-bound books, where the thickness is characteris­
tically between 8 and 1 0 paper points.
Synthetic papers are made from acrylic fibres, spun into threads, and then
bonded togethcr in hot presses to produce sheets or roUs of grainJess paper,
which is therefore less likely ro tear. The sheets can be coated and have a very
high natural whireness, making rhcm idea] for four-colour printing.

Styles 01 b i nd ing
For sales purposes, books are often divided imo hardbacks and paperbacks (also
known as softbacks). These C0111mon rerms do nor differenriate the sryles of
binding, but onJy make reference ro rhe cover material. For the purpose of
binding, the styles can be broken down imo library binding, case or edition
binding, perfect or adhesive binding, and loose-Ieaf binding.

library bind i ng
While any book may be fOllnd in a library, this term refers to a particular
approach to binding that is designed for longevity and heavy use. Library
binding is charactcristically undertaken by hand. The covers are often mill­
board rather than the lighter grey- or strawboards. The vertical stitching runs
rhe length of each signature and is tied into the saw ClltS with kettle knoes.
Over time, individual binders have dcveloped many difTerent sewing patterns,
but most thread the stitching around the cords or tapes. These may be raised
above the spine as bands. The cords are laced throllgh holes in the boards that
extend beyond the page and are glued to the covcr. The cover material can be
leather or c1oth. The book is rOllnded and backed. On a library-bollnd copy,
the heavy boards do not run quite into the joint but form a French groove (a
gully rllnning vertically down the cover of the book that is formed by the
cover material extending beyond the cover board ro make a hinge). The edge
of the pages may be gilded and the title hand-stamped imo the cover.
 Case-binding

Case-bound books are sometimes stiU produced by hand but have become {he
main form of machine-produced hardback. This type of binding is often
referred ro as edition binding. The case is made up from three sections of
board: front coyer, back cover, and spine. The sections are sticched rogerher in
boch hand and machine versions, though machine-sewn books are not stitched
down the length of each signature but in short sections. The back may be
square or rounded and backed. The board may be covered with cloth or a
printed paper and is glued to the book by a strip of crash or muslin. The end­
papers are pasted down over the Iining of rhe grey coverboard. The case may
overlap the book leaves in the form of a square or be cut flush without an
overlap. The ticle is printed, machine-embossed, or hot-stamped to the cover,
which may be wrapped in a protective dust-jacket. Many of the hand-finishing
processes associated with case-binding have been replicaced by Inachine:
square, foil embossing, edge-finishing, adding headband, and book ribbons can
aU be performed mechanically. The appearance and production yalues are
extremely high for what is a mass-produced producto

Perlect binding
Pertecr or adhesive binding is the binder's term for a paperback binding. This
is the fastest and cheapest method of bookbinding. Neither the binding nor

Opposite coyers are stitched, relying on the adhesive for strength. The pages are glued te
1 KEN. a small book in part written and designed a strip of muslin and rhen to the cover. The cover material is lIsllally heavier
by Lucy Choules, takes the lorm 01 a lolded map
than the book and does not require endpapers. Paperback books are cut flush
and cover rather than a bound book.
(the covers do not extend beyond the book), but, confusingly, perfect-bound
2 A perfect·bound book 01 paper samples
books can have a hard cover.
designed by North makes use 01 a paper cover
that has perforations running around the spine on
to the back cover. Concertina books or broken-spine binding
Concertina books, often described as Chinese or French binding, can be
3 Substantial pig rings (a ring that can be
opened and passed through a series 01 holes i n a bound with a wrap-around cover that enables the pages to be opened like a
concertina so that they can be viewed as a single sheet. I n chis case, the coyer
page) have been used to bind the loose folded
sheets lor this thick catalogue tor the Royal
College 01 Art Degree Show, 1990. is a single folded card or cloth-covered board that makes up back cover, spine,
and from cover. The concertina pages are glued to che inside back cover bllt
4 A book about the florist McQueens uses a
not to the inside front cover. Concertina books of this type may also be
simple paperback cover that is stitched through
trom the tront. described as having a broken-spine binding.
Paperback b i n d ings

1 2

4
 Experi menta l hardback b i n d i ngs

1 Matilda Saxo's design and bindmg 01 the clas­

sic book by Robert Louis Stephenson, The Strange
Case of Or Jekyl/ and Mr Hyde, has a single short
fold down the centre 01 each page. These are
supported by a thicker board attached to the
front and back covers. The short central !old is
about the width 01 a conventional calumn interval
and is printed in green but ,ises vertical ly. The
physical form 01 the book reflects the narrati ve 01
the main character's split personal lty.

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2 2 The book Self·organization in Neural Networks as
Model for the Oevelopment o( Motorcontrol uses
hard covers, machine-stitchmg, and gluing, but
has no spine panel, revealing the raw red stitch·
ing on the spine - perhaps reflecting the neural
networks of the tit/e.
 3 Designer Francesca Prieto !ook the poems 01
Nicanor Parra and se! them in a small hardback
\ landscape book with a dust·jacket. Each page fea·
tured broken fragments 01 the poems se! al a
strange angle. Only when the pages are removed
!rom the book, falded, and slipped ¡nta one
another. is a polygon created, making the poems
readable. This imaginative binding reflects the
nature 01 the poetry, which advocates left-wing
ideas bu! was written under a right·wing regime.
1I could therefore nol be published in its enti rety,
3
bu! had lo disguise its real contento

4 The binding 01
Gordon Matta·Clark. a C;O�DOH MAlTA_ClA�1l
book 01 the scul ptor's
work, has a panel cut
out 01 the spine,
revea ting the machine·
stitching. Matta·Clark's
work involves cutting
holes through floors of
disused buildings and
photographing the
results from many
angles. The cutaway
case binding of the
book reflects this
process on a smaller
scale: the buildi ngs
and the book are sub·
jected to the same kind
of 'carving'.

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4
 Saddle-wire stitching

This is rhe primer's term for stapling. Ir is principally used to bind magazines,
Frederic Manning pamphlets, and catalogues. Thin publications can be saddle-stitched, while
(,,,,1,,-bt those wirh greater bulk have to be side wire-stitched. In either case, rhe book
is not made up of sections but is coUated as a single signature.
The saddle-stitched booklet, once collated and folded, is hung over a saddle
at rhe centre spread and wires are punched through frol11 rhe back. The wires
are automatically turned Qver and rhe pages are secured. The booklet is rhen
trimmed Dush top, bottom, and foredge.
Books of greater thicknesses have be wire-stitched from [he side. Side wire­
stitching does not aLlow the book to be opened nat bllt to be read in hand.
The greater the nUll1ber of pages, the less each spread can be opened without
dall1aging the book and an extra aUowance may luve to be made in the gutter.
To hide the stitches, these books are often finished with covers that are glued
directly to the back.

Spiral binding

Spiral-bound books allow the page to lie absolutely Dat and are often used for
ll1anuals that readers may have to read when their hands are fulJo The leaves are
individual, rather than signatures, and are driIJed on the binding edge with a
series of holes that match the pitch (angle of the screw thread) and the width
Above A Dutch hardback copy of Frederic
Manning's Geslacht is shrink·wrapped to protect
of the spiral binding. The spiral wire is rotated through the holes and turned
the cloth binding and to prevent the 50ft matt over at either end to prevent the leaves slipping off.
printed cover from scuffing.

Loose-Ieaf binding

Loose-leaf binding is often associated with stationery binding, ring files, and
Filofaxes, but is used within cOl11ll1ercial publishing as weIJ. The sryle aUows
the reader to rell10ve a particular piece of informatÍon so that the whole book
does not have to be carried. In part-work publishing (series sold in monthly or
weekly issues that build into a complete work), a file is used to store the col­
lectíon of magazines. The holes can be round or square-cut depending on the
binding mechanism. In legal publishing, loose-Ieaf is used to update a work:
new or replacel11ent material can be added as the law changes.

Shr i nk-wra p p i n g
Shrink-wrapping seals books into a polythene o r cellophane tube from which
the air is sucked out and the ends heat-sealed. This wil! protect vulnerable ele­
ments of the book [rom being damaged. Most pop-up books are sealed in this
way to prevent potential buyers playing with the copy on the shelf. Many
bookshops open a single copy as a sample.