Hardcover – Casebound.
CaseBOUND
Hardcover books come in two flavors; Casebound and Casewrapped. The difference has to do with the material that covers the outside of the book.
The older style casebound is what most people think of as a traditional hardcover. These books are covered in book cloth or leather and often feature a foil stamped cover and spine. They are incredibly durable and will last for generations of readers.
Although rugged and handsome, a book cloth covered hardback book will not be as flashy as its casewrapped cousin. Being understated isn’t always a bad thing but when it comes to catching someone’s attention at the bookstore, many authors will prefer to have a printed cover.
This is where a printed dust jacket comes in. You can have your cake and eat it too – enjoying the benefits of book cloth and all of the visual appeal of a casewrapped book.
See the options below for more information about cover materials and dust jackets.
Cover Materials
Casebound options include imitation leather, bonded leather, calfskin and several grades of book cloth such as Buckram and C-Cloth.
There are a multitude of color choices within each type of material. Many of these options are produced in batches so please call for availability if you have a specific request.
When it comes to foil stamping, metallic foils such as gold and silver are by far the most requested. Metallics provide great contrast to textured book cloth and leathers.
There are other choices with foils such as pigmented and clear but these should only be used on certain materials and in specific ways in order to be legible.
Give us a call to discuss your project and your needs. We’re here to help.
BUILDING THE CASE
A hardcover book is assembled from three primary components; the case, the bookblock and the endsheets.
The bookblock is essentially a perfect bound book. Check out our Softcover page for more information on this process.
To build the case, three pieces of dense cardboard are used to reinforce the spine and the front and back covers. These are glued to the book cloth in a precise pattern to allow for thickness, overhang and hinge areas. The book cloth is then rolled over the edge and glued to the backside of the case making it ready for final assembly.
Casing-In
Casing-in is the final process in hardcover book assembly. This step marries the case with the bookblock using endsheets.
Endsheets are made of a durable paper and are generally non-printed although printed endsheets are an option.
These sheets are trimmed and folded to match the size of the book block. They are glued to the inside of the case and to the edge of the spine on the bookblock.
The entire book is then clamped and pressed until the glue sets. Once set the book is ready to accept foil stamping and an optional dust jacket.
