Block

Summary

The block is the large mass of pages that form the center of the codex. These are considered distinct from the endpapers and the cover and typically contain the bulk of the book's contents. Most books are made from a collection of peciae, or 8/16/32-page bundles of paper that are put together to form the book itself. These are formed from a series of folios, which are whole sheets of paper folded in half. These folios are often nested into groups of three and then stacked on top of one another to form the book block. This is why some of the pages near the back of some books are blank, because they need to reach the quota in order to be printed.

History

The invention of the book block coincided with the emergence of the codex. Early Christians used these more compact and referential texts for religious pamphlets and as source material for their missionaries and services. Codexes were far more practical, space-efficient, and compact than scrolls or tablets.