Everything to Know About Using Case Binding

The majority of the books, as found in recent times, are soft-backed. Paperbacks are all the rage, being simple to mass-produce and eye-catching decorated. Bestsellers and Children’s textbooks, be they on the thinner or thicker side, are also paperbacks.

Comparatively, a case bound book may seem prehistoric.

It is not to say that case binding is no longer available but gets often viewed as an outdated bookbinding method.

What constitutes case binding?

Case-bound books are also called hard-cover books, and we all know the feel of a hard-cover book. The most common space to find these hard-backed books are the shelves of a library. They are probably hidden deep inside the recesses of a least-visited library section.

Apart from a few exceptions, case-bound books are distinctively stiff, with the cover wrapped around the book.

Here is a quick peek at the primary elements that constitute a case bound book.

• The book, the sheets themselves, is sewn into sections and glued together.
• The tight bundle is then fit into a backing material running along the spine of the book.
• The endpapers are attached/glued on either side of the book.
• Headbands are optional ribbon-like decorations that get used at discretion. A headband and tailband are added at the top and bottom of the spine, respectively.
• The entire book gets glued onto a stiff cover, usually called binding boards, with the spine aligned accordingly.
• The casing can be cloth-wrapped or made of decorative materials for a vintage feel.

Characteristics of case binding

Case binding is a process involving numerous other individual creative techniques that finally churn out a handsome looking book. A few characteristics of a case bound book are as follows.

• Case binding is an expensive procedure to avail. It is usually brought into play when the writer or publisher desires his works to last decades longer.
• Books that embellish case binding tend to open out flatter than most other books that get rounded upon opening.
• Case-bound books are sturdy and durable. It is the first thing that anyone notices when holding it in their hands.
• The downside to being sturdily built is the weight that comes with it. This weight equals its worth in shipping charges.
• Case binding is a drawn-out process that takes weeks to complete.
• When choosing to case bind a book, the services of a separate bindery facility get employed. It may seem like a simple process in the above-outlined procedure, but case binding involves complex individual techniques.
• Case binding has certain limitations regarding the book thickness. The book, without the cover, should ideally be 1/8^th inch thick to provide support to the binding boards.

When should you avail of case binding?

The need to case-bind a book differs from the audience to the author to publisher. Some people who collect literature classics always look for the original version in a hard-bound copy. To some others, case binding implies countering heavy usage in the future.

• Case-bound books tend to age well. They neither fray early nor easily and can last efficiently longer no matter the years they are stored away.
• Further, case-bound books exude an impressive appearance. The texture of quality that a case-bound book furnishes does not easily get reproduced through other binding processes.
• Case-bound books may cost several times than what a perfect-bound book may cost. However, the end-costs are more than made up for by the high retail prices that the case-bound book attracts.
• Case binding entails several styles that are coveted by many book enthusiasts merely for aesthetic appeal. Flat-back bound, pressed-in groove, built-in groove, etc., are some examples of coveted manners of case binding.
• Concerning the manufacturing process, case binding furnishes a distinct advantage compared to the in-board structure. In the mechanized process, for a case-bound book, the cover can be decorated effortlessly when off the book.
• Case binding has three primary types of uses: Edition binding, where large print runs are required to be bound. Job binding, where limited quantities of binding get assembled in a customized or hand-worked variation. Library binding, similar to job binding, is usually employed in reinforcing the binding of library books to last longer.
• Case binding is fast gaining ground as the rising old style of the yore. There are multiple cover variations and trends that get creatively employed when designing a case-bound book.

Case binding is a relatively lesser-utilized method of binding due to its palpable limitations. Nevertheless, case-bound books are undoubtedly durable and hold a universal appeal.

In an era where the spine of the book captures the reader’s attention, a case-bound book can be deceptively eye-catching. The distinct benefits that case-bound books furnish in terms of permanence cannot get denied.