Boards:
Endpapers:
Spine w/ Raised Cords:
Glossary of Bookbinding Terms
Book Anatomy
| Back: | The area created by the thickness of the book on it’s bound edge. It may be either curved into a rounded shape or left flat. |
| Boards: | Front and back covers |
| Body: | The bound pages |
| End Papers: | Papers added to the front and back side of a book to protect the body and cover the inner surface of the boards. The sheet pasted to the inside of the cover is the board sheet, the sheet that lies across the body is the fly leaf. They can be plain, colored or decorative. |
| Foredge: | Edge opposite the bound edge |
| Head & Tail: | Top and bottom edges |
| Headbands: | Decorative bands stretching across the head and tail of the spine |
| Head Cap: | Leather or cloth shaped around the headbands at the head and tail of the spine |
| Hinges: | The part of the cover that allows the book to open and close |
| Mull: | Cloth used to line up the backs of books and attach the cover to the body |
| Raised Cords: | Bands passing across the spine. They may be a part of the sewing or purely decorative. |
| Signature: | Sheets of paper folded together into a group |
| Spine: | The part of a cover passing over the back of the book |