A noble appeal of open-spine binding

It is surprising to many that open-spine binding can be applied to a paperback. This is because it is a less common solution. Interestingly, sometimes even the first page of the block can be the cover. This is surprising, rare and rather risky, as the book block is left unprotected. However normally the cover is made of paperboard, just like in the case of conventional softcover books. And you can apply any enhancements to it.

Thanks to suitably selected end papers your publication becomes more complete in terms of aesthetics. In open-spine binding we can use end papers with both hard and soft covers. If you want to read about end paper and its structural purpose, click here.

If the spine is not covered, obviously the threads joining folded sheets are visible. They don’t have to be white. We offer a few colours to choose from, such as black, red or dark blue. If properly selected, the thread colour will emphasise the nature of your publication. We recommend bold colours, because of the scale effect. Threads are just a tiny detail. On a spool, their colour may appear very intense, but when we only see the stitching inside the book it is hard to tell if it is brown, dark blue or black. The colours can be indistinguishable to the untrained eye.

If you want an eye-catching visual effect, we suggest choosing binder board for the cover. Getting rid of the base case will give your book an exceptionally raw feel. Remember that in digital printing the board is not printed directly: screen printing is normally used for this. Does this mean that your cover has to be smooth? Not at all. It can be enhanced using conventional methods, such as hot-stamping, embossing or debossing. The final result will differ depending on the film used. Metallised films, gold or silver, will add refinement, especially when juxtaposed with raw board. Pigmented films, on the other hand, will make any stamped elements more distinctive and legible. Dry embossing creates a subtle effect where the board texture stands out.

The range of design options is indeed vast when it comes to open-spine binding. The end result depends on your imagination only.