Edge treatments on books and brochures

The term “edge treatment” summarizes operations carried out on trimmed book blocks or brochures that improve the functionality of the product. In the first place they serve to improve the aesthetic appearance of the overall product. The edge treatment processes are:

•Edge staining/coloring (the application of a colorant or a metal foil on one or three cutting surfaces of the book block to improve the aesthetic appearance and/or to protect the block).

•Attaching a bookmark (one or more fabric ribbons are glued to the block spine and inserted between the leaves of the blocks).

•Rounding spine (bringing the bound sheets or leaves in a position so that the block spine becomes a part of a cylindrical shape).

•Adding headbands (adding a thin strip of cotton or silk to top and bottom of the block spine is referred to as headbanding).

Case making

The term “covering” (or cover) stands for a design element that is a durable integral part of graphic products. They are connected inseparably or separably with a “block.” In contrast to the cover, packaging is solely conceived as protection for the product during dispatch.

The purpose of covers is:

• protection of the block without fundamentally affecting the usability of the printed contents;

• to describe the contents (e.g., title, author, abstract);

• as an advertising medium for the book or other products;

• as an object of art which represents an aesthetic image in harmony with the internal and external design of a product.

Book finishing

The book finishing process contains the assembly of partial products (book and brochure blocks, book covers, inserts, jackets), which have been produced separately from one another, into the end product. The process steps are:

• joining of book block and cover to a fixed binding;

• joining of finished supplement products into cases, blocks, or books;

• inserting enclosures;

• attaching book jackets.

Casing-in is the colloquial description for the adhesive binding of book blocks and book

covers. Traditional description: Inserting is the joining of block and cover by adhesive binding of the outermost endpaper and the covers. The casing-in of books is defined as the adhesive binding of a hardcover to the book block. The outermost endpapers must be glued to the covers ( gluing ). Adhesive binding of the bound multi-layer brochure block to the cover is described as the casing-in of brochures.

Smashing (pressing) describes the stabilization of the adhesive binding through surface

pressing after the casing-in operation.

Forming a hinge fold. Through a heated shaping tool, the openinghinge of the book block on the cased-in bookcover is shaped such that the book cover can be openedexactly and with minimal actual service conditions.

The following operations are carried out with hardcovers and brochures:

Inserting inserts (in the inserting inserts operation, pre-finished information or advertising materials areinserted into the bound book. The inserts are positionedbetween the endpapers or placed in defined orundefined points in the book block. Inserting inserts isof particular importance in newspapers and magazines).

Jacketing (attaching the cut and folded or creased jacketaround hardcovers or brochures).

Packaging

Packages have three basic functions to fulfil:

• Protective function. The finished printed product should be especially protected from mechanical strain (impacts, pressure), climatic influences (dampness, temperature variations, light), and soiling (dust, grease).

• Logistics function. Packages are working means for transportation, trans-shipment, and storing. The shape of the package and the packaging of the transport units have an important influence on the efficiency of shipping.

• Information function. Packages must contain information (pictures, text, machine readable data) that serves the purposes of identification, assignment, advertising, and so on.

Types of packaging material used are:

• plastic films for individual products, product piles, and pallets;

• strapping paper for individual products and leaf piles;

• collapsible/folding cartons made of corrugated board for product piles.

Mailing and distribution are also important postpress operations.

 

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY

 

Words and Word Combinations

 

1. trimmed sheets

2. cuttings

3. folded sheets

4. hardcovers

5. brochures

6. assortment of sheets

7. packing material

8. cutting

9. die-cutting

10. trimming

11. folding

12. buckle (knife) fold principle

13. forwarding

14. insert

15. loosely inserted

16. gathering

17. endpapers

18. glue

19. signature

20. bend-resistant paper

21. assembling

22. blocks binding

23. inserting

24. thread-stitching

25. perfect binding

26. thread-sealing

27. wire-stitching

28. edge treatment

29. rounding spine

30. adding headbands

31. case making

32. covering

33. book finishing

34. casing-in

35. smashing

36. adhesive binding

37. forming a hinge fold

38. jacketing

39. packaging

40. distribution

 

 

ACTIVITIES