The
Craft Bindery here at Cambridge is a unique and traditional resource
manned by skilled craftsmen, and is designed for the production
of predominantly leather-bound books and Bibles. Winning three
national
industry awards in 2003 for book production and finishing clearly
demonstrates the exceptional skills displayed by our printing
and
bindery staff.
All Cambridge-produced book-blocks are Smyth-sewn,
adding strength and also allowing the finished binding to lie flat
when open. Larger volumes may be ‘whip-stitched’ to
give increased durability by reinforcing the most vulnerable point
of the binding. Book-blocks can be decorated with gilded edges and
special editions may have the added feature of ‘red-under’
art-gilding.
Leather cases are machine- or hand-made and casing-in of the book
may also be by hand or by an efficient, specially built, automatic
binding line on which head and tail bands, ribbons, and ‘hollows’ are
added (hollows add strength and shape to the spine of larger volumes).
Superior bindings can be produced in the ‘edge-lined’ style
that makes for a beautiful soft and flexible case.
Craft-bound books and Bibles can be finished off with special blocking
and stamping in a range of colours, with thumb indexing or the
addition of zips and flaps.
Beautiful finished volumes result, such as those pictured right.
