Below is an alphabetical list of common terms related to book design that I use across this site.
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360° book: also known as a carousel book, the front and back covers touch to form a circle. Some 360° books have ribbons that tie the front and back together. |
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Carousel book: also known as a 360° book, the front and back covers touch to form a circle. Some carousel books have ribbons that tie the front and back together. |
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Casewrap: also known as a case cover or hard case, the hard casing of the book made from printed paper wrapped around cardboard. See many examples here. |
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Concertina: an accordion-pleat, or zig-zag, book without front or back boards. See many examples here. |
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Debossing: an indented pattern on the surface of a book, like the title or another detail. |
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Die cutting: cutting paper, pages, and books into specific shapes. See some examples here. |
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Dust Jacket: the removable paper cover wrapped around a casewrap. See many examples here. |
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Embossing: a raised pattern on the surface of a book, like the title or another detail. |
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Endpapers: also known as endsheets, the papers at the beginning and end of the book that are glued to the inside covers. See many examples here. |
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Foil Stamp: a metallic effect added to specific details and/or text. |
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Gatefold: two parallel folds that create six panels altogether – three panels on each side of the paper. |
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Gutter: the space in the middle of a book where two facing pages meet. Take a closer look at books that are designed to emphasize the gutter here. |
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Leporello: an accordion-pleat, or zig-zag, book with front and back boards so it can still be read like a traditional book. See more here. |
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Recto: the righthand page of a spread. |
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Spot gloss: a high gloss UV coating on a selective area. See examples here. |
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Spread: two facing pages, side by side. |
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Trim size: the actual size of a book (height and width). Books come in a wide variety of trim sizes. |
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Verso: the lefthand page of a spread. |
