Notebooks Fact-File An Introduction to Book Binding
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History of Book Binding
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The Introduction of Paper
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Historical Forms of Binding
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Essential information for Book Binding
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Format 07 Stock 12 Book Binding 16
Book Binding Terms 22
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An introduction to Book Binding History of Book Binding The Introduction of Paper Historical Forms of Binding
History of Book Binding. Western books from the fifth century onwards were bound between hard covers, with pages made from parchment folded and sewn on to strong cords or ligaments that were attached to wooden boards and covered with leather. Since early books were exclusively handwritten on handmade materials, sizes and styles varied considerably, and there was no standard of uniformity. Early and medieval codices were bound with flat spines, and it was not until the fifteenth century that books began to have the rounded spines associated with hardcovers today. Because the vellum of early books would react to humidity by swelling, causing the book to take on a characteristic wedge shape,
the wooden covers of medieval books were often secured with straps or clasps. These straps, along with metal bosses on the book’s covers to keep it raised off the surface that it rests on, are collectively known as furniture. The earliest surviving European bookbinding is the St Cuthbert Gospel of about 700, in red goatskin, now in the British Library, whose decoration includes raised patterns and coloured tooled designs. Very grand manuscripts for liturgical rather than library use had covers in metalwork called treasure bindings, often studded with gems and incorporating ivory relief panels or enamel elements. Very few of these have survived intact, as they have been broken up for their precious materials, but a fair number of the ivory panels have survived, as they were hard to recycle; the divided panels from the Codex Aureus of Lorsch are among the most notable. The 8th century Vienna Coronation Gospels were given a new gold relief cover in about 1500, and the Lindau Gospels (now Morgan Library, New York) have their original cover from around 800.
Luxury medieval books for the library had leather covers decorated, often all over, with tooling (incised lines or patterns), blind stamps, and often small metal pieces of furniture. Medieval stamps showed animals and figures as well as the vegetal and geometric designs that would later dominate book cover decoration. Until the end of the period books were not usually stood up on shelves in the modern way. The most functional books were bound in plain white vellum over boards, and had a brief title hand-written on the spine. Techniques for fixing gold leaf under the tooling and stamps were imported from the Islamic world in the 15th century, and thereafter the gold-tooled leather binding has remained the conventional choice for high quality bindings for collectors, though cheaper bindings that only used gold for the title on the spine, or not at all, were always more common. Although the arrival of the printed book vastly increased the number of books produced in Europe, it did not in itself change the various styles of binding used, except that vellum became much less used.
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The Introduction of Paper. Cai Lun (ca. 50 AD – 121) improved the first significant improvement and standardization of papermaking by adding essential new materials into its composition.
In the 8th century Arabs learned the arts of papermaking from the Chinese and were then the first to bind paper into books at the start of the Islamic Golden Age. Particular skills were developed for Arabic calligraphy, miniatures and bookbinding. The people who worked in making books were called Warraqin or paper professionals. The Arabs made books lighter—sewn with silk and bound with leather covered paste boards, they had a flap that wrapped the book up when not in use. As paper was less reactive to humidity, the heavy boards were not needed. The production of books became a real industry and cities like Marrakech, Morocco, had a street named Kutubiyyin or book sellers, which contained more than 100 bookshops in the 12th century; the famous Koutoubia Mosque is named so because of its location on this street. Because the Qur’an itself was considered a sacred object, in order to beautify the book containing the holy scripture, a culture of calligraphy and lavish bookbinding developed.
Further Development. With the arrival (from the East) of rag paper manufacturing in Europe in the late Middle Ages and the use of the printing press beginning in the mid-15th century, bookbinding began to standardize somewhat, but page sizes still varied considerably. With printing, the books became more accessible and were stored on their side on long shelves for the first time. Clasps were removed, and titles were added to the spine. Leipzig, a prominent centre of the German book-trade, had in 1739 20 bookshops, 15 printing establishments, 22 book-binders and three type-foundries in a population of 28,000 people. In the German book-distribution system of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the end-user buyers of books “generally made separate arrangements with either the publisher or a bookbinder to have printed sheets bound according to their wishes and their budget�.
The reduced cost of books facilitated cheap lightweight Bibles, made from tissue-thin oxford paper, with floppy covers, that resembled the early Arabic Qurans, enabling missionaries to take portable books with them around the world, and modern wood glues enabled the addition of paperback covers to simple glue bindings. Within the printed side of publishing, all magazines, books, reports, brochures etc are all bound together in a certain way to keep the pages held together, in order and readable. In order to do this there are lots of different techniques to bind products together. A bind within a book often gives it an overall aesthetic or can add to the style and design of a publication if thought through well from the beginning. Most people would think that the binding of a product would be the last thing to worry about and think about, but really it should be one of the first, as the type of bind used within a product is dependant of the overall style and design of the product.
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Essential information for Book Binding Format Stock Book Binding
Format.
Standard paper sizes provide a convenient and efficient means for the designer. It enables the designer and printer to communicate well and know that the design will be printed to the correct specifications.
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Paper Sizes. Standardised paper sizes provide a all round ease of selecting paper and which size to use, having the different paper sizes which all together make it way for a designer to plan what sizes they need to use for a design, also when printing you can print multiples and set it up easy.
ISO The ISO standard provides a range of standard paper sizes, so that it can cater for all common printing needs. The ISO range of paper is split down into 3 categories; A , B and C sizes, each category is used for a different purpose: • A Format: This series of paper sizes is used for all print matter. It is used to print anything from posters and technical drawings to magazines, office paper and postcards.
Book Sizes. Books come in a wide variety of sizes, to provide a range of different formats to suit different types of content that will be used within books. A book format is determined by the size of the original sheet of paper used to print on.
Folio editions are formed from signatures once folded to make the separate booklets. Quarto editions are made from signatures folded twice and Octavo made from signatures folded three times. Each edition and book size is based on the standard ISO and RSA paper sizes, so they will have a relation to one of the paper sizes within those series.
• B Format: This series of paper sizes are used for printing books. • C Format: This series of paper sizes are used for printing envelopes to fit A sizes. Also known as DL.
A8
A8
A7
A6
A4
A5
A3
A2
A0 A1
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Throw-outs & Gatefolds. Throw-outs and gatefolds are different methods you can use to add extra pages within a publication. These pages create an oversized page and are typically used to show large images or visual elements.
Gatefold A gatefold is made up of four panels that are the same size as the publication. It is bound into the publication down the middle with the two fold out pages either side of the spine. This is often used in magazines to provide extra space.
Throw-out A throw-out is made of of three panels. The first two panels are the same size of the publication and the third is slightly smaller. It is bound into the publication between I the first two panels, giving one side an extra panel to fold out. The fold out panel must be slightly smaller so that it can fold and sit within the main page of the publication.
Tip-in & Tip-on. A designer can add odd sized pages to publication by using a tip-in or tip-on.
Tip-in A tip-in is an extra page/spread that is added to a publication, but the size of this spread is much smaller that the publication. It is bound into the publication like the rest of the pages. As is these pages are smaller than the publication they use be aligned either to the top or bottom edge.
Tip-on A tip-on is when a page or other element is placed within a page in the publication. This can be placed anywhere within the publication and is normally something that is temporary; the viewer would take it out.
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Stock.
When printing a design or job the designer must select the stock to be printed on, this must be selected right as it can change the appearance and feel of the printed work. The designer must think about the design and objective of the work and make sure the stock will support and enhance the work.
Stock Qualities. When selecting and using a stock for printing you must look at the physical characteristics of the paper; the GSM, grain and paper direction.
GSM Stands for grams per square meter. This is a weight measuring system that is part of the paper specification; it is based upon the weight of the paper for a square meter. The higher the GSM value is, the thicker and heavier a piece of paper will feel.
Paper Grain Paper produced on paper machine has a grain because the fibres from which it is made line up during the manufacturing process in the direction that it passes through the papermaking machine. The grain is the direction in which most of the fibres lay. This characteristic means that paper is easier to fold, bend or tear along its grain direction.
Direction The direction of fibres in printing paper for laser printers typically have a grain that runs parallel to the long side of the paper. This is so the paper can pass through the printer easier.
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Paper Types. Many different types of paper stock are available for any designer to use. Using a variety of paper stocks within one design can add to it and make it more interesting.
Coated paper Paper with clay or other coating applied to one or both sides. Coated papers are available in gloss, silk, or matt finish and are used for projects requiring a fine finish. Coated paper generally produces sharper, brighter images and has better reflectivity than uncoated paper. Used to print brochures, leaflets and posters. Typically used for high volume print runs.
Uncoated paper Paper that doesn’t have any kind of coating applied is uncoated paper. Through not having a coating this stock is not as smooth as a coated page. There are many different finishes, colours and weights available with this type of paper and is generally a more absorbent stock. Used for business stationery and in laser printers. Uncoated papers are usually used in conjunction with coated paper, to add extra texture to a project or on its own, as it is more cost effective.
Antique A high quality paper with a clay coating on both sides, leaving the paper with a textured finish. The stock is available with a rough or matt surface and is typically used to add texture to a design or publication. This stock would be good for halftones or a design that have a lot of definition and detail.
Artboard Uncoated, stiff board. Typically used as a cover stock for publications.
Bond This is a economic, uncoated woven paper, often used for copying or in laser printers. A high quality bond stock would be used for letterheads
Cartridge A thick white paper, with a stiff feel. This stock is used a lot with artists and mainly within sketchbooks as ink and pencil drawings are produced well on it. The stock has a textured finish to it. Used mainly for sketchbooks, stationery and annual reports
Newsprint Made primarily of mechanically ground wood pulp, this is the cheapest paper than can withstand standard printing processes. It has a short life span and reproduction of colour is low quality. Used for newspapers and comics.
Greyboard Lined or unlined board made from waste paper. It has a rough texture, good bulk and is grey in colour. Used for packaging material or covers for publications.
Wove Paper made on a closely woven wire roller or mold. It has a faint mesh pattern within the grain of the paper. This paper type is popular for stationery and book publishing.
Laid Laid paper is a premium quality paper stock with a textured pattern of parallel lines within the grain. Commonly used for business stationery.
Chromo A waterproof coating is applied to one side of this stock to allow for embossing and varnishing processes to be used. This stock can be glossy or matt. Used for labels, wrappings and covers.
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Book Binding. Bookbinding is a variety of processes in which produce a finished book.
Book Binding Terminology. Within the book binding there are many elements and terminology which binders use to describe certain parts that make a book.
Head and Tail bands Head and Tail bands can be patterned or coloured, depending on the fabric selected.
End pages These are the pages that secure the text block to the boards of the cover. They are typically made from a strong stock such as cartridge paper.
Flaps Flaps are an extension of the cover or dust jacket, which fold back into the publication. These keep the dust jacket attached around the publication and usually will hold information about the author, a synopsis on the work, or any other information. The flaps can be any size but 75mm is considered enough for the dust jacket to grip into the book.
Bulk The dust jacket spine measurement needs to take into account the book block bulk, when depends on the number of signatures, with the addition of 3mm for the boards. As a rule, the spine will measure whatever the bulk measures plus an extra 6-7mm.
Text Block The text block of book block is comprised of the printed signatures or sections that will form the pages of the publication.
Dual binding Some publications feature dual bindings where two or more separate book blocks are united into one publication such as the z-bind.
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Binding Types. Binding is a process in which the pages of a publication are gathered and held together so that it can function as a book /publication.
Perfect Bind The backs of sections are removed and held together with a flexible adhesive, which also attaches a paper cover to the spine and the fore edge is trimmed flat.
Saddle Stitch Signatures are nested and bound with wire stitches;w applied through the spine and along the centerfold.
Singer Stitch A binding method whereby the pages are sewn together with one continual thread.Examples of this are: Japanese and Coptic binding.
Comb bind A spine of plastic rings that bind and allow a document to open flat.
Spiral Bind A spiral of metal wire that winds through punched holes allowing the publication to open flat.
Belly Band A printed band that wraps around a publication to hold it together.
Open Bind A book without a cover to leave an exposed spine.
Elastic Bind An informal bind which an elastic band holds the pages together, it nestles in the center fold.
Clips and Bolts A fastening device that holds loose pages together. This usually requires the insertion of a punched or drilled hole for the bolt or clip to pass through.
Case Bind A common hard cover bookbinding method that sews signatures together, flattens the spine, applies endsheets and head and tailbands to the spine. Hard covers are attached and the spine is usually rounded.
Canadian A wiro-bound publication with a wrap-around cover and an enclosed spine. A complete wrap-around cover is a full Canadian and a partial wraparound is a half Canadian.
Thermabind A binding method that uses a fabric tape strip which wraps around the binding edge and folds onto the front and back covers of the book. It uses a strong adhesive glue to stick to the book stock.
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Folding Types. Folding encompasses a range of methods which turn printed sheets into a more compact signature.The majority of folding techniques make use of the basic valley and mountain folds to create a series of peaks and troughs.
Valley Fold A valley fold has a central crease at the bottom with the panels rising upwards to form the paper sides.
Mountain Fold Held horizontally, a mountain fold has a central crease at the top with the panels falling downwards.
4 Page Single Fold
6 Page Gate Fold
6 Page Concertina Fold
6 Page Roll Fold
8 Page Parallel Double Fold
8 Page Concertina Fold
8 Page French Fold
8 Page Parallel Over & Outer Fold
8 Page Parallel Map Fold
8 Page Reverse Map Fold
10 Page Concertina Fold
12 Page Standard Letter Fold
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Book Binding Terms. Within bookbinding there are many terms which binders use to describe certain elements and parts of book within the process of binding a book.
1. Leaf Typically has two pages of text and/or images, front and back, in a finished book. 2. Recto The recto side of a leaf faces left when the leaf is held straight up from the spine (in a paginated book this is usually an odd-numbered page). 3. Verso The verso side of a leaf faces right when the leaf is held straight up from the spine (in a paginated book this is usually an even-numbered page). 4. Bifolium A bifolium ( is a single sheet folded in half to make two leaves. The plural is bifolia.
5. Section A section, sometimes called a gathering, or, especially if unprinted, a quire, is a group of bifolia nested together as a single unit.In a completed book, each quire is sewn through its fold. Depending of how many bifolia a quire is made of, it could be called: • Duernion – two bifolia, producing four leaves; • Ternion – three bifolia, producing six leaves; • Quaternion – four bifolia, producing eight leaves; • Quinternion – five bifolia, producing ten leaves; • Sextern or sexternion – six bifolia, producing twelve leaves. 6. Codex A codex is a series of one or more quires sewn through their folds, and linked together by the sewing thread.
7. Signature A signature, in the context of printed books, is a section that contains text. Though the term signature technically refers to the signature mark, traditionally a letter or number printed on the first leaf of a section in order to facilitate collation, the distinction is rarely made today. 8. Folio Folio, quarto, and so on may also refer to the size of the finished book, based on the size of sheet that an early paper maker could conveniently turn out with a manual press. Paper sizes could vary considerably, and the finished size was also affected by how the pages were trimmed, so the sizes given are rough values only.
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9. Folio Volume A folio volume is typically 15 in (38 cm) or more in height, the largest sort of regular book. • A quarto volume is typically about 9 in (23 cm) by 12 in (30 cm), roughly the size of most modern magazines. A sheet folded in quarto (also 4to or 4º) is folded in half twice at right angles to make four leaves. Also called: eight-page signature. • An octavo volume is typically about 5 to 6 in (13 to 15 cm) by 8 to 9 in (20 to 23 cm), the size of most modern digest magazines or trade paperbacks. A sheet folded in octavo (also 8vo or 8º) is folded in half 3 times to make 8 leaves. Also called: sixteen-page signature. • A sextodecimo volume is about 4 1⁄2 in (11 cm) by 6 3⁄4 in (17 cm), the size of most mass market paperbacks. A sheet folded in sextodecimo (also 16mo or 16º) is folded in half 4 times to make 16 leaves. Also called: 32-page signature.
• Duodecimo or 12mo, 24mo, 32mo, and even 64mo are other possible sizes. Modern paper mills can produce very large sheets, so a modern printer will often print 64 or 128 pages on a single sheet. 10. Trimming Trimming separates the leaves of the bound book. A sheet folded in quarto will have folds at the spine and also across the top, so the top folds must be trimmed away before the leaves can be turned. A quire folded in octavo or greater may also require that the other two sides be trimmed. Deckle Edge, or Uncut books are untrimmed or incompletely trimmed, and may be of special interest to book collectors.