Real-Life Communication
Bookbinder Priscilla Spitler is a specialist in hand-bound, limited
edition books. "The skill of communication is very important in my profession,"
she says. "I deal with clients daily by phone and must be specific but friendly.
Technical definitions abound in this field."
Bookbinders must explain
terminology quite frequently to their clients. Technical definitions can often
be explained in more simple terms. The language bookbinders use is often mystifying
to us.
Read these technical definitions carefully. Rewrite them in
everyday English.
1. Text Block -- the body of a book, consisting
of the sections making up the unit to be bound or restored. It excludes all
papers added by the bookbinder, including endpapers
2. Rounding
-- the process of molding the spine of a text block into an arc
3.
Turn-ins -- the extra length and width of the covering material of a book.
They overlap the head, tail, and fore edge of the cover. Turn-ins are turned
over the edges of the board and glued to the inside surface
4.
Squares -- the marginal difference between the edges of the text block
and the edges of the case, or boards, of the book
5. Pastedown
-- the plain, colored, fancy, or marbled paper attached to the inside of the
board of a book after it has been covered
6. Endpapers -- the
units of two or more leaves placed in the front and back of a book between
its covers and text block. The basic purpose of the endpapers is to take up
the strain of opening the covers of the book
(All definitions from
Etherington and Roberts, Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology)