What Have You Done to PaperBoard on Hardcover Book Binding

Paperboard is a thick paper-based material. While there is no rigid differentiation between paper and paperboard, paperboard is generally thicker (usually over 0.30 mm, 0.012 in, or 12 points) than paper and has certain superior attributes such as foldability and rigidity. According to ISO standards, paperboard is a paper with a grammage above 250 gsm, but there are exceptions. Paperboard can be single- or multi-ply.

Paperboard can be easily cut and formed, is lightweight, and because it is strong, is used in packaging, another end-use is high-quality graphic printing, such as book and magazine covers or postcards. Especially used in the hardcover book binding, the hardcover case often consists of the paper board and cover magazine.

Sometimes it is referred to as cardboard, which is a generic, lay term used to refer to any heavy paper pulp–based board, however, this usage is deprecated in the paper, printing, and packaging industries as it does not adequately describe each product type.

Terminology and classifications of paperboard are not always uniform. Differences occur depending on specific industry, locale, and personal choice. In general, the paper board which is often used in bookbinding for making hardcovers, is called Binder's board.

Paperboard is the most recycled material in the EU, with an 83% recycling rate, from its raw material and manufacturing all the way to recycling and end-of-life, paperboard delivers a wealth of environmental and technical advantages. It's also widely used in the hardcover book binding area.

The hardcover book, also known as hardbound, and sometimes as casebound book, is one bound with rigid protective covers (typically of binder's board or heavy paperboard covered with buckram or other cloth, heavy paper, or occasionally leather). It has a flexible, sewn spine which allows the book to lie flat on a surface when opened. Modern hardcovers may have the pages glued onto the spine in much the same way as paperbacks. 

Compared with other binding books, hardcover books are much more durable than perfect binding books, which have flexible, easily damaged paper covers. Hardcover books are marginally more costly to manufacture, of course, the book publishers will get high profits from the hardcover books.

So the most important part of a hardcover book. is the hardcover case, for the flat back of the hardcover book, will consist of three pieces of paper board, one is for the front cover, one is for the back cover, and a centerboard in the spine (if round back hardcover book, the center board will be changed to the soft spine paper).

Some hardcover books often have the flap attached to the lower cover that folds up over the fore-edge when the book is closed. Usually, the flap is then tucked under the upper cover. This is the most common type of binding found in Islamic manuscripts. That means need multi-pieces of paper board to make the hardcover case.

How to 'cut' the accurate size of paper boards, as you know, the normal paper cutting machine is not well fitting equipped to handle large-scale paper board cutting tasks, the size is too big, and if the stacking height is too high to form slopes when cutting, resulting in inaccuracy on the size.

So make the paper board into a small accurate size,  the best equipped is the paper board slitter, this machine often has two steps, the first step is manually feeding the big size paper board split into small strips, then the second step is putting the strips on the machine feeder to split into small sizes as the requirements.

HX1200 Automatic Paper Board Slitter

This Paper Board Slitting Machine also offers a higher level of automation, the original size of the paper board will be sent to the feeder to split into small strips, then be sent to the second station to split into small pieces, automatic stacking and discharge the waste, no labor involvement is required throughout the process. 

If you are making the flat/square back hardcover book, that means the hardcover case needs the centerboard,  the narrow paperboard in the center of the hardcover case, compared with the round back hardcover book, the flat/square back hardcover book has more strength on the back, especially for books with larger page counts. 

HX420 Center Board Cutter

HX390A Auto Feeding Center Board Cutter

Center Board Cutter is the special equipment for binding hardcover books and it is suitable for cutting cardboard into small sizes for the center strip of hardcover books. With the auto feeder, only need to put the cardboard on the stack within 10cm height, then auto-send to cut to the strip. It has the advantages of reasonable structure, simple operation, smooth cutting edge, high precision, and high efficiency. Single strip papers are further transported and cut with high accuracy and little paper waste, which also avoids low efficiency by cutting papers.

Center Board Cutter also supplies two different molds, one is the normal type, and the other is auto feeding, no need to manually feed the paper board, avoiding the danger.

The last step may be to think about the round corner of the paper board. If you need to make the round corner hardcover case, first you need to trim the two corners of all cover and back paper boards, then make the hardcover case, heating, pressing, and forming the four corners of the hardcover case into the elegant, compact and smooth edge of round corners.

So for the paper board, you need to use the punching and trimming machine to cut the round corner, you have two choices, for the same reason, if the stacking height is too high to form slopes when cutting, resulting in inaccuracy on the size. 

If punching thinner or fewer pieces of paper board, the Double Head Book Block Round Corner Trimming Machine is best equipped to punch the paper board's two corners simultaneously, the trimmer is driven by hydraulic, stable and cutting accuracy, and the blades are available for different size radii, also have two molds for supplying, the normal one and the automatic mold with the auto pusher, no need manual feeding.

Double Head Book Block Round Corner Trimming Machine

Automatic Double Head Round Corner Cutting Machine

If punching thicker and more pieces of paper board, or paper board book's round corners, the paper board stack or books will be sent to the trimmer stack with the automatic feeder, the precise single-angle positioning trimmer system allows the paper board stack's round corner is precise and smooth, and the corner mold is easy to change, automatic counting and stacking, all process is hand free and high efficiency.

Automatic High Speed Book Block Corner Rounding Trimmer

The last possible you may make the board book, it's hard to print on the surface of paper board directly, but want to make the board book more textured, often insert the paper boards between two folded card paper signatures, like the structure of the sandwich, you can use four different paper board mounting and pasting machine to achieve this result.

Automatic Lay Flat Binding Machine

Board Book Gluing Machine

Board Book Mounting and Pasting Production Line

Digital Photo Book Making Machine

Now you can see it's different handle the paper board with paper, and the paper board often be used in the hardcover book and board book.