B
Book Binding
Casebound
Pages are sewn into a hard cover with endpapers. Maximum book sizes are 430mm for landscape and 500 x 430mm for portrait.
Perfect Binding
Pages are glued within a soft cover. Allowing for a fast turnaround, this binding method is used typically for soft back books, catalogues, magazines and brochures.
Layflat Binding
Pages are glued back to back to allow the book to open completely flat. Books can either be casebound or softcover. Maximum book sizes are 350mm landscape and 360mm portrait.
Turkish Binding
The cover and spine of a hardback book is grooved to allow it to lay flat. The book block inside can either be thread sewn or layflat.
Swiss Bound
The page block is bound to the back cover, allowing the spine and front cover to open flat.
Otto Bound
Pages glued to a strip of cloth rather than the cover, allowing the book to lay flat.
Sussex Bound
Hard cover boards glued to a soft cover.
Leather Binding
Case bound books bound in high-quality leather.
Saddle (Spine/centre) Sewing
Pages are bound into a cover by thread stitching along the spine.
Side (stab) sewing
Stitching through the book from the front to back cover.
Zig-zag sewing
A form of side sewing with a zig-zag stitching pattern.
Japanese sewing
A form of side sewing with decorative stitches that loop around the spine.
Section sewing
Pages are folded as sections, gathered and sewn together though the spine.
Naked (exposed) sewing
Stitches of a section sewn book remain exposed rather than being case bound.
3 or 5-hole sewing
Pages are hand sewn through the spine, using either 3 or 5 holes, depending on the book size.
B
Box Making
Clamshell boxes
A hinged outer case holding front and back inner trays for housing books and other items.
Drop back boxes
A type of clamshell box where the spine and the back of the box lay flat when open.
Lid and base (2-piece) boxes
A shoebox-style box with a separate lid.
Magnetic closures
Any box with integral magnetic fixtures for a seamless closure.
Presentation boxes
Any box with an inner tray. Features include ribbon pull-out mechanisms, compartments or drawers.
Slip cases
An enclosed sleeve that leaves the spine of the book or books it houses exposed.
F
Finishing Techniques
Hand foiling
Metallic or pigment foils are applied by hand using a heated metal die. Ideal for single books or short runs.
Embossing
An engraved metal die creates embossed (raised) or debossed (recessed) impressions.
Hot stamping
An engraved metal die is heated and then applied with pressure to create impressions, with or without foil.
Round cornering
Trimming the book block to create rounded corners. Single sheets may also be trimmed in this manner for invitations, etc.
Duplexing
The sandwiching together of two heavyweight sheets. Maximum size 580mm width x 1,000mm length.
P
Presentation Formats
Screw Post Binders
Hole-punched cover boards and single pages are screwed together, allowing pages to be added or removed.