Binding: Keeping It All Together

Binding is a term used in the publishing industry that refers to how the pages of a book are held together. There are several types of binding, such as case bound (hardcover), adhesive bound, and mechanical bound (spiral or comb). In addition, there may be subcategories. Within case bound, for example, there are McCain and Smyth, which refers to the specific construction. For novels, however, the two primary types of binding are case bound and adhesive bound.

Before any book is bound, the pages are printed on a form called a press sheet. Each press sheet contains several pages of the book, usually in multiples of eight, with 32 being the most common. The order in which the pages appear on the press sheet is called the imposition. The press sheet is then folded so the pages are in order, and this folded sheet is called a signature, or sig for short. A printed book will likely be composed of several sigs. All of the sigs are then gathered so all pages of the book are in the correct order. The sigs are now called folded and gathered sheets, which in the industry is shortened to f and g’s. The f and g’s are then sewn together. Several additional operations are undertaken to prepare the spine for receiving the cover.

Hardcover binding is technically called case binding. The case is constructed of pasted board with a printed sheet laminated to it and wrapped around the edges. This laminated sheet is what you see as “the cover.” The sewn f and g’s are trimmed to final dimensions before being glued into the case.

Soft cover binding is technically called adhesive binding. There are three basic types of adhesive binding: perfect, notch, and burst. The spine of the book is prepared either by grinding (perfect), notching, or perforating (burst). This is done to receive glue and to ensure all pages are embedded in the glue. The printed cover is wrapped around the spine, and then the book is trimmed to final dimensions.

Tin Whiskers Publisher is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). IBPA’s mission is “to lead and serve the independent publishing community by providing advocacy, education, and tools for success.” IBPA is a not-for-profit membership organization serving and leading the independent publishing community. Founded in 1983, it is the largest publishing trade organization in the United States. IBPA members pledge to uphold the organization’s code of ethics.