TOPIC: In My Opinion by Werner Rebsamen

Cover to Cover; Volume XXIII, 2002

BOOK SEWING AND REINFORCEMENTS

by Werner Rebsamen

Here we go again. A publisher sent a book to be analyzed to our book testing laboratory. A Western USA school district filed a serious complaint as the school textbooks did not last as long as expected. What is wrong, they asked. It is bound to the highest quality standard. I agreed with the last part. The heavy. almost 9x12 inch and 1 1/4 inch textbook was indeed bound in a most professional manner. It featured Smyth sewing, even squares, had good joint adhesion, headbands glued on tightly, etc. One could hardly bind such a book any better. What went wrong?

Upon a close examination, I found that the heavy, Smyth sewn book block did not have any reinforcements around the first and last signatures. Nothing new. Years ago, an eager school textbook buyer wanted to show off his skill at saving money. His (or her) ultimate goal was to impress superiors of his capabilities in saving money for them. While writing school text book binding specifications, he left out the critical cloth reinforcements on Smyth sewn school books. HE or she did this despite the book manufacturer's recommendation not to leave out such critical reinforcements. It did not take long until the school districts stared to complain-- the books, being not only more expensive due to increasing prices, did not last as long as they used to. A well known BIM member, a material supplier to the trade who instantly recognized the problem, came to our RITE/LBI book testing laboratory with a carload of the schoolbooks in question. At the same time he also brought along some of the same books, with bindings that featured the first and last signatures reinforced with an approved cambric cloth tape. Ted, being a well-known book manufacturing expert, locked himself into the RIT/LBI book testing laboratory and tumble tested those school books all day long. After many hours of testing, he had all the data he needed. The books not reinforced with an appropriate cambric tape only lasted 1/3 or less as long as the same book blocks appropriately reinforced. Now he could go back to the school officials with solid proof that an initial savings could indeed, be very expensive.

Heavy Smyth-sewn books need to be appropriately reinforced. This can be done in two ways. The best is to tip the endpapers onto the first and last signatures. The woven cambric tape, approx. 1 1/4 inch wide then is stripped around the bindfold. The width is important as it must, after casing-in, extend to at least 5/8 inch onto the cover boards. In the sewing process, the threads are stitched through the signature and , best of all, through the tape, giving the binding ultimate strength and end use performance.

In 25 years of testing and analyzing bindings, we have seen many kinds of failures from around the world. Sewn or adhesive bound books usually fail in the joints, that is between pages two and three and the second and last pages in the back. The forces exerted onto these areas are tremendous. This is why we must consider reinforcements. A gauze or kraft paper used most of the item is not enough. On Smyth sewn book blocks, stripping the first and last signatures will aid to absorb these forces. This way such a binding structure is part of the NASTA school state textbook specifications.

To meet a similar or the even tougher NISO/LBI Standard, Library binders use a special LBS made three leave cambric tape reinforced endpaper. This specially constructed endpaper is swen onto the book block as a separate section. Often library binders must sew very thick magazines through the fold. A separate endpaper section is, therefore, a better choice.

Another way to reinforce Smyth-sewn book blocks is to clue them off on an adhesive binder and use a special gummed LBS backlining cloth in the crash station. The strong, gummed reinforcing lining material will wrap around the spine and at least 3/4 onto the panels. If you do not have a side-gluing device capable to glue down so much reinforcing material on each side, no problems. When casing in the book blocks, the moisture from the casing in adhesive will penetrate through the reinforcing back lining material. remoisten the gummed coating and adhere it solidly to the endpapers. This is Europe's most popular method of binding high quality Smyth-sewn hardcover books.

If book binding problems do occur there is always someone who is looking to pass on the blame. My best advice is to look carefully at all write specification. If a client wants to go the "cheap" way, make them aware in writing of potential problems ahead. Have samples books made and most of all, use only high quality reinforcing materials. The skilled LBS book manufacturing binding staff will be able to help you on the latter.