Bookbinding

Bookbinding, craft of gathering the pages of a book into a volume with a protective cover. Bookbinding began after papyrus gave way to parchment, sheets of which could be sewn together, glued, and secured with leather thongs and protective boards. Leather was used for bookbinding for many centuries but is now reserved for special editions. Printing and the use of paper made the production of smaller books possible. During the 19th century, new cover materials were introduced.

See also: Book.