Books may be covered either with leather or with cloth; leather may be used either to cover the entire book, which is termed whole binding, or a strip of leather may be applied to the back only, and small pieces of leather affixed to the corners, which is termed half binding. For whole binding the leather should be cut of sufficient size to cover the book and to allow about an inch all around to turn over. For half binding a strip of leather of the desired width and rather longer than the book should be cut for the back, and four small pieces for the corners. The edges of the leather then must be very carefully pared or skived, so that no unsightly ridges can be seen. When the leather is pasted on the covers of the book the paring is done by laying the leather (flesh side uppermost) flat on a marble slab or smooth piece of board, and taking off a slanting shaving with the paring knife, which should be very sharp.

Suppose that an octavo volume is to be bound in whole morocco. The leather cover, properly pared round the edges, and rather farther in at those places that will come at the head and tail of the back, is carefully and completely coated all over on the flesh side with thick paste, and placed on the work bench with the pasted side upward, and one of the narrow edges towards the operator. The book to be covered is taken up and the boards are adjusted so that the squares are correct at the head and tail. Those portions of the string bands that have not been laced into the boards are lightly touched with thick paste; some binders also make a practice of brushing over the back with thin glue. The book is laid down on its side in the proper place on the pasted cover, with the back from the operator. The lower flap of the leather is drawn over the upper millboard and turned in at the fore edge; and when this is done the book is turned over and the other side of the leather also turned in at the fore edge. The book is then rested on its fore edge and the leather worked tight at the back with the fingers of both hands, as shown at Fig. 39.

In this operation the leather is not only drawn close and tight to the back crosswise by pushing it down ward on the millboards at each side of the book, but it is also drawn tight longitudinally towards the head and tail. The book next if laid on its side. Each band should be raised alternately, and the leather drawn tightly over its surface and rubbed down with the palm of the hand or the folder till quite level. The leather has now to be turned in at the head and the tail. For this purpose the book is stood on one end and the flap of leather A (Fig. 40) turned over the end of the bands and also over the loose fold of the paper which lines the back.

The other end of the book is treated similarly. It now remains to turn in the corners. For this purpose the leather is cut off diagonally to within rather less than 1 in. of the comer. This is bent back from the book, a cutting board placed under it, and the diagonal edges are carefully pared and afterwards pasted. The leather is accurately doubled in level with the board at the head or tail, as the case may be, and the part A (Fig. 41) pressed tight to the other surface of the leather as shown. Both the folder and the thumbnail can aid in bringing the leather close and level. The flap of leather B is turned over and rubbed so that it adheres to the board. The leather above the headband at both the head and tail of the book is now pulled up a little if necessary, rubbed quite smooth with the points of a folder, then turned down over the headband and rubbed with the folder until it maintains its place. This double fold of leather above the headband is termed the cap of the headband, and Fig. 42 shows a section through both headband and cap. During the operation of covering, so that thorough contact may be ensured, the leather on the back should be well pressed and rubbed down with the hand and the folding stick. The edge of the folder also should be rubbed carefully on each side of the bands to force the leather in at these angles and make them clean and sharp. The book is then tied up and left, generally for a night, till the paste has set. Tying up is effected by first tightly tying a loop of packthread lengthways round the book at the joints; that is, at that part of the book where the boards are hinged to the back. A stronger piece of twine then is wound several times round the book, so that it passes on each side of each band, as shown at Fig. 43.

A pair of backing or cutting boards should be tied at the fore end of the book as shown, to prevent the string marking the leather.

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