7/21/2023 0 Comments Hardcover vs library binding![]() It will teach you why you should do things certain ways and the history surrounding the craft. Older books are dense and barely illustrated, but will teach you what you need to know about bookbinding. Those are neat, and can be useful, but they really don't teach you the ins and outs of bookbinding. Make this accordion fold book, or make this CD case etc. Newer books will have nice photos, but I feel are more project-oriented. There are a handful of books, some of which you may be able to check out at your local library. I have actually never dissected a trade hardcover to figure out why the spine sag is so significant, but it seems they don't properly reinforce the spine. On a smyth sewn book, linen tape or cords are often sewn into the spine of the text block to lend it strength when attaching it to the cover. When doing a case binding, a fabric mesh known as a mull is glued along the back of the text block, which is used to later adhere the block to the cover boards. The text block still looks mostly square. The Easton Press book is probably over a decade old and is handling this much better. On Sanderson's book this is deforming the entire spine, and the book isn't even two years old yet. The weight of the text block on large books that are cheaply made can cause the spine to pull down in the center as the pages in the middle of the book succumb to gravity. On hardcover books, there is generally a gap between the text block and the edge of the cover board when the book is set upright. Here is a picture of Brandon Sanderson's monstrous Words of Radiance, published by Tor, next to Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, published by Easton Press. I went ahead and grabbed two books to demonstrate the low quality binding I discussed above. And books bound in this fashion will generally cost $100 or more. Unfortunately, only a small number of boutique publishers make books like this anymore. A smyth sewn case-bound could last centuries. Generally, a library will take a trade paperback (which has a perfect binding) and rebind it by cutting along the spine to form groups of signatures and sewing them together.Ī good quality book should not only use acid free materials, but have a high-quality binding. Books used to be sewn along the spine as well (using a technique known as smyth sewing), but that is rarely seen on mass-produced books.įinally, people will also refer to library bindings at times. Most modern hardcovers are bound using a technique known as case binding where pages are gathered into folded signatures then glued together along the spine. This is actually the same binding as the mass market paperback, but the trades are larger and use better paper, glue, etc. The next step up would be a trade paperback, which is generally bound using a technique known as perfect binding. The lowest quality book one can buy is the mass market paperback, which is printed on low-quality paper and is not really meant to last for an extended period of time or through multiple readings. In general, all mass-produced books printed these days are of low quality. I collect books and occasionally bind books as a hobby. The mods are somewhat flexible with the rules as long as the OP explains in the comments. Please remember to abide by Reddiquette.To make it easier for the community to help, also include your budget (if any) and what country you are buying in.Ħ please be descriptive with your posting, posts must include the products brand, years owned or date of purchase, circa the decade is acceptable on items older than 1990Ĩ /r/BuyItForLife is not a place to advertise your business or sell your product. Requests Must be flaired with the request flair and if you are satisfied with the answers please mark the post as such.Ģb be sure to first use the search bar and check the sidebar before making a request. ![]() Products that are well-made and durable (even if they won't last a lifetime) are accepted.Ģa Requests are posts where you are looking for help/recommendations on a certain type of a product or Opinions on a certain item. For practical, durable and quality made products that are made to last.ġ This is a subreddit emphasizing products that are Durable, Practical, Proven, and Made-to-Last.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |