Case Bindings

"Western Codex"

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Flat Back Case Binding

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Long Stitch Bindings

These can involve soft, flexible covers or hard rigid covers, and may be stitched on single signatures or use fancy stitching involving more than one signature at a time.

flexible fabric cover, brown paper pages

fabric pocket inside covers

linocut print on fabric cover

Felt pages for needlecase

Fancy stitching through pairs of signatures, rigid cover

Fancy stitch with flax paper

Lightweight flax paper

A soft cover long stitch binding using pelmet vilene and fabric coverings

Hard cover long stitch binding with varied items stitched onto folded card strips for binding into cover

Crossed Structure Bindings

There are several versions of these using either card or leather covers

"Basic" structure, second stitching style, leather, card

"Hidden" crossed structure bindings in felt and card

"Linked" crossed structure using leather for the cover

"Protective" crossed structure using commercial felt for the cover

Another crossed structure technique with the cover separate but linked into the book

Secret Belgian Binding

The book block is stitched first. The covers are then stitched together with the book block, and the spine is only held in place by the threads. This structure opens out flat, much like a coptic binding.

secret belgian binding with card cover

secret belgian with a cloth over card cover

fancy extra stitching on covers

secret belgian with hard cover, paper covering

secret belgian binding with wooden cover

secret belgian binding with thick acrolin and linen cover

Coptic Binding

The spine of the book block is exposed making the stitching and the signatures visible. Single stitching, double stitching, cross-over, and icicle patterns are some of the possibilities. This structure opens flat.

coptic with icicles

A Guard Book with card pages folded around the spine to create space for inclusion of photographs, without making the covers bulge. Stitched over tapes that are inserted into the cover, and stabilised with endpapers.