Binding Basics

Binding Tips Valued for their durability, casebound products are designed to not only last for decades of frequent use but also to provide a beautifully crafted published work with seemingly endless possibilities.

Case Binding Case binding is a binding method used for hardcover books which involves encasing sewn or perfect-bound book blocks in covers of various materials. Valued for their durability, casebound products are designed to not only last for decades of frequent use but also to provide a beautifully crafted published work with seemingly endless possibilities. Assembly required The industrial construction of a casebound publication varies between machinery and binderies, but the basic process is as follows. Different binding methods can be finished with a hardcover to become a casebound product, but the most widely used process for casebound products is Smyth case binding. In this method, signatures are sewn together to create a book block. The book block undergoes nipping or smashing to compress the spine of the book and shape the spine to fit into its cover effectively. Adhesive is applied to the spine of the book block in the gluing off process and bracket tape is used to reinforce the spine’s binding and shape. An inline three-knife trimmer is then used to trim the three unbound edges of the book block to the final trim size. At this stage, a variety of embellishments can be added, including edge treatments, headbands and bookmarks. Edge treatments include enhancements like edge printing,

staining and gilding, where dye, colorants or gold leaf is applied to the non-spine edges of the book block. Headbands are strips of decorative cotton or silk that are attached to the top and bottom of the spine, and bookmarks are cords or ribbons which are attached to the top of the spine to serve as ornamental placeholders. Covers and endsheets are each prepared separately before the final assembly of a casebound book. Although there are many ways to design covers, the process of making covers consists of a few key steps. If the cover material is able to be printed on, such as paper or linen, the cover is preprinted before it is trimmed to size. Covers are cut to be larger than the case and cuts or fold marks are made on the corners to ensure the cover folds around the case cleanly. Some cover applications, such as lamination or UV, are applied to the cover before casing in, while others, like hot foil or embossing, are applied after casing in. In case binding, casing in is the operation of gluing endsheets of a book to the case and inserting the sewn and trimmed text pages into the cover. During the process of casing in, a three-paneled board is trimmed and fed into a case making machine, which attaches a backlining over the boards a cloth backlining over the board. This board is usually made of cardboard or chipboard and can come in various weights. The inside of the cover is then coated in glue and pressed onto the base board. The excess cover material is folded around the board and secured in place with glue.

Binding Basics

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