December 2006 - Thin is In at Muscle Bound

At © 2010 Muscle Bound Bindery, we specialize in binding very thin hardcover and softcover books.

Thin hard and soft cover books require careful design and specialized production capabilities. © 2010 Muscle Bound Bindery can help with both; here are a few planning tips to get you started:

Soft Covers
Color breaks and spine copy can be difficult to align consistently on a thin softcover book. For that reason, avoid these design elements whenever possible. If you must include spine copy, be sure it's sized to fit properly on the spine yet have a small allowance to roll one way or the other. Let Muscle Bound help you plan your layout to properly account for it.

Choose a cover stock thickness that’s appropriate for the size of the cover. At Muscle Bound, we recommend a cover stock of 8 or 10 pt. A stock that’s too thin can be difficult to bind, while cover stocks that are too thick can cause the cover to never be fully square. Keep in mind that gatefold and foldout covers may increase the spoilage and production schedule of a thin softcover book.

Hard Covers
Thin hardcover books are common among children’s books and other educational applications. Cased-in hardcover book blocks of this nature are commonly adhesive-bound or side sewn for superior strength and durability. As with thicker hardcover books, a thin book needs a sturdy endsheet; a sheet of at least 80lb. uncoated text weight should be sufficient.

Flatback hardcover books can contain spine copy, but keep in mind the board strip used to form the flat back can only be so thin. At Muscle Bound we recommend planning for no less than a 5/16” spine strip.

The Muscle Bound Advantage
Thin book production is a specialty at Muscle Bound Bindery. Our binding and casemaking equipment is specialized for the production of very thin hardcover and softcover book applications using a variety of cover materials. Contact the thin book specialists at Muscle Bound today to begin planning your next successful project.