Text Block Requirements
Spine Grind Allowance
- Standard
- 1/8 inch Default for layout calculations
- Minimum (digital/hand-fed)
- 1/16 inch Absolute minimum
- Maximum
- 1/4 inch Requires advance approval
32+ page folded signatures may require additional grind. Position all live content and critical images at least 1/8 inch from the binding edge.
Bleeds
- Head
- 1/8 inch
- Foot
- 1/8 inch
- Face
- 1/8 inch
Side Glue Clearance
- First and last pages
- 3/16 inch Clear of ink, varnish, and critical content along spine edge
- Hinge area
- 1/4 inch
Glue-free zone ensures proper adhesion between cover and text block.
Signature Construction
- Perforation
- Light perforation on spine and head folds Allows flat laying
- Stacking orientation
- High-folio up
- Lap requirement
- None
Two-Page Inserts / Fly Sheets
- Preferred placement
- Between signatures
- Avoid
- Front or back of book
- Size
- Should match text dimensions
Front/back placement may require hand-feeding, increases cost, and causes higher spoilage.
Size Constraints
Spine-to-Face (Trimmed)
- Minimum
- 2.75 inches
- Maximum
- 11.75 inches
Spine-to-Face (Untrimmed)
- Maximum
- 12.25 inches Includes grind + face bleed
Head-to-Foot (Trimmed)
- Minimum
- 4.25 inches Or 2-up binding
Text Block Thickness
- Minimum
- 0.060 inches
- Maximum
- 2.3125 inches
Books under 0.07 inch thick require sample materials for feasibility testing before production.
Cover Requirements
Glue Traps
- Foot (bottom)
- 1/4 inch beyond untrimmed text 1/8 inch minimum
- Head (top)
- 1/16 inch Soft head
- PUR binding
- Mandatory
- EVA binding
- Recommended
Inside Cover Glue-Free Zones
- Spine area
- Full width after grind No ink or coating
- Side glue zones
- 3/16 inch Extending from spine onto front and back inside covers
Cover Specifications
- Hinge score (default)
- 1/4 inch Applied to all perfect bound covers
- Minimum flat width
- 8.5 inches Face-to-face measurement
- Grain direction
- Must run parallel to spine
Cross-grain consequences: text may wrinkle, covers may crack. May require letterpress scoring at additional cost.
Cracking Prevention
- Lamination
- Available
- Letterpress (LP) scoring
- Available
- Flood UV coating
- Available
These services are not included in standard bids unless explicitly stated.
Spine Width Guidance
The bindery does not calculate spine widths from paper specifications.
- Required process
- Submit sample materials for bindery rule-up Or request dummy book (fee applies)
- Prepress action
- Do not estimate spine widths internally
Quick Reference
Text (Guts)
- 1/8 inch clear zone at binding edge
- 1/8 inch bleed on head, foot, face
- 3/16 inch clear at spine for side glue (first/last pages)
- Light perforations on folds
- High-folio stacking
- No lap
- 2-page inserts between signatures only
- Thickness: 0.060–2.3125 inches
- Spine-to-face under 12.25 inches
Cover
- 1/4 inch glue trap at foot; 1/16 inch at head
- Ink/coating-free zones in spine + 3/16 inch side glue areas
- 1/4 inch hinge score accounted for in layout
- Minimum 8.5 inches flat width
- Grain parallel to spine
- Cracking risk assessed; LP score/lamination specified if needed
- Imposition verified for adequate margins
- Spine width confirmed via rule-up