Book binding

Book binding is the process of making a book from loose pages. There are various techniques in use today, and historically even more have been used.

Books bought today tend to be of one of these three categories:

• Hardcover

A hardcover book has hard covers and is stitched in the spine. Looking from the top of the spine, you can see that the book consists of a number of signatures bound together. If you open the book in the middle of a signature and look, there should be a thread.

• Paperback

A paperback book consists of a number of loose pages glued together in the spine.

• Cardboard article

Cardboard article looks like a hardcover at first sight, but it is really a paperback with hard covers. It is not as durable as a real hardcover; often the binding will disintegrate after a little use.

• Sewn book

A sewn book is constructed in the same way as a hardcover, except that it lacks the hard covers. The binding is as durable as the hardcover.

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