We think of books as these compiled sheets of paper pressed together, fully in flesh and lying in the shelf in a bookstore somewhere waiting to be picked. But what exactly comprises a book? What is the process of creating a book? Let’s take a closer look at a book’s anatomy.
Even for average book lovers, our knowledge on the book’s physical parts is usually limited to pages, covers, and the content itself. Terms like ‘Table of Contents’, ‘Glossary’ and ‘Index’ are words not alien to us. However, I don’t think we are aware that a book has a ‘head’ and a spine. It’s for this reason that ReadersMagnet came with this infographic to help our viewers be familiar with the anatomy of a book and to appreciate the physical aspect of the book, not just of its cover and content.
Below is the basic anatomy of a book as well as brief description for each part:
Jacket -a book jacket is made of a glossy sheet that contains illustrations and information about the book and the author. It is the removable covering that protects the binding of a book.
Endsheets -the first and the last pages of a book. The Endsheets are often decorated with cloth hinge. An endpaper has two sides. One is glued to the board and the other end is called a free endpaper.
Headband/FootBand
Raisebands -though rarely seen in today’s binding process, raisebands are cords used during the process. They are the areas raised once the spine is covered with the endsheets.
Book Block -the block that makes up the inside pages of the actual book. It is also known as the Text Block.
Spine -the hard section of a bound book that connects the front and back covers. It is also called as the book’s backbone.
Joint -the joint only exists in hardbound books. Also known as the French joint or the groove, the joint is the small groove which runs vertically down the book between the book cover and the book’s spine.
Hinge -the area between the book cover and the spine. It is the section that bends when you open the book.
These are the major parts that make up a book. There are still a few minor parts but the ones above are the essential parts of the book’s anatomy.
We hope that ReadersMagnet is able to provide you with this additional information. ReadersMagnet Self-Publishing offers top of the line book printing and publishing services. Publish your book with us today and be assured of a book with superb quality.
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