Binding

Binding refers to the process of assembling multiple printed sheets of paper into a single volume and attaching a cover to them. The process of binding is essential in the world of bookmaking to complete a finished copy of a book.

Shown above is an image of a scroll, one of the earliest forms of books. Scrolls were found to be very inconvenient for reading, since it required unrolling the entire thing in order to read one section from it. The development of the codex was a huge advancement, and it not only made reading easier, but it paved the way for the early forms of binding. In modern times, binding is an essential part to the making of a book.

History

Binding is a necessary process in book-making, allowing the book pages to be organized, protected, and long lasting. In the era of the Industrial Revolution, the process of binding was advanced, resulting in easier and faster methods. Instead of the original wood-and-leather to create covers, which were hand-made and bound to sheets of paper, binders experimented and used cheaper materials, such as lower-grade leathers and card or cardboard. However, these new materials for covers were found to be highly acidic, resulting in the deterioration and browning of the paper pages inside.

The origins of bookbinding did not start until after the invention of the codex, which was invented to make reading scrolls easier. Some of the earliest books were bound in leather, and books used to be sewn by hand in order to keep the pages together. During the Middle Ages, the invention of the sewing frame made it easier and faster to sew the pages of a book together. After the invention of the Gutenberg Press, binders shifted away from sewing and moved to gluing the book pages together, which was a much quicker process and was crucial to supply the demand of books at that time. Overall, bookbinding was and still is an art that has been passed down and made better throughout history.

Many different binding techniques were used in early Chinese printing, around the year 618-907. These techniques influenced how books were bound during this time. The variety of techniques includes, but is not limited to:

• Pothi: Derived from India and used for Buddhist scriptures.
• Butterfly: Especially used for Chinese codices.
• Wrapped-back: This binding technique solved the problem of visible blank pages in a butterfly-bound book by reversing the way the sheets of paper were folded.
• Concertina: Also known as ''sutra'' binding, this common technique was folded in a zig-zag form, functioning like a codex.
• Whirlwind: This technique combines codex and scroll elements into one.

Present Day

Shown above is a binder. He uses different binding tools to attach the book's cover to its pages. Some of the tools used for this process include, but are not limited to: a bone folder, a bookbinding knife, scissors, an awl, a book press, and many other tools that make the process of binding easier and efficient.

In our modern world, ebooks have been a major part of reading and publishing culture. With this in mind, ebooks have taken away some of the value in the art of binding and designing books (aka book packaging). Publishers now have to keep up with current book design trends in order to appeal to their audience. It is a very real challenge that publishers face, and it is crucial that they keep appealing to those who love physical books and try to appeal to those who read ebooks. Additionally, books can be bound in paperback or hardcover, though paperback is more common for most mass produced books.

Book binding is an art, one that holds a lot of history and culture. It is a crucial part of the publishing process, and one that must stay alive and continue to be a part of society today.

Notes

1. Robinson, Solveig C. (2014). The Book in Society. Broadview Press: 65-68
2. Wu, X., & Cai, Z. (2022). Evaluation of the design of “Shape” and “Meaning” of book binding from the perspective of deep learning. Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience : CIN, 2022 doi:https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/1314362
3. “Bookbinding.” Wikipedia, 12 Nov. 2025. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bookbinding&oldid=1321811469.
4. Jasrotia, Amitesh. “A History of the Fading Art of Bookbinding.” BookJelly, 17 Sept. 2023, https://bookjelly.com/the-fading-art-of-bookbinding/.