head The top edge of a book.

Also refers to the margin at the top of a page, as opposed to the margin at the tail or foot of the page. clasp A hinged fitting made of ornamented metal, ivory, or bone attached to the foreedge of the boards of a book, used from the 14th to the early 17th century to keep theleaves pressed firmly together and to prevent the covers from warping. Prior to 1200, leather strap fastenings were used for this purpose. Greekstyle bindings sometimes had a clasp at the head and tail and two on the foreedge. Michelle Brown notes in Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts (Getty Museum/British Library, 1994) that in English bindings the catch or pin was attached to the lower board, and in most Continental bindings to the upper board. Click here to view a 16th-century leather binding with two plain brass fore-edge clasps, tastefully aligned with bands of blind tooling across the back cover (Special Collections, Glasgow University Library, Ah-y.11). On luxury bindings, clasps of precious metal were sometimes engraved with a name, date, motto, or religious phrase, as on this example of a late-15thcentury panel-stamped binding (Koninklijke Bibliotheek). Ornate clasps might feature cameo portraits, sometimes added later (Wellesley College Library). To see other examples, try a keywords search on the term "clasps" in the British Library's Database of Bookbindings. Today, clasps are used mainly on personal diaries and albums, sometimes with lock and key. blind In bookbinding, a procedure done without further embellishment, for example, tooling or blocking applied to a leather or cloth binding without the addition of ink or metallic leaf to bring out the design. Click here to view a 16thcentury English example of blind tooling (Special Collections, Glasgow University Library, BD1-d.16). To find other examples, try a keywords search on the phrase "tooled in blind" in the British Library's Database of Bookbindings. finishing In hand-binding, the process of applying lettering and/or decorative elements to a book cover by blocking, tooling, inlaying, or onlaying blocking

The process of impressing a decorative design or lettering on the cover of a book by machine in blind, ink, or metallic leaf, using an engraved plate called a binder's brass(die) mounted on a blocking press (click here to see the process illustrated). Michelle Brown notes in Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts (Getty Museum/British Library, 1994) that metal blocks were first used on leather bindings in Flanders in the early 13th century, and large wooden blocks were used in the Netherlands during the 16th century. Requiring far less time and labor than hand tooling, blocking was the precursor of modern stamping used in case binding. To see examples of blocking onleather, try a search on the keyword "blocked" in the British Library's Database of Bookbindings. Click here to a see its use on a 19th-century cloth binding (Rare Books & Texana Collections, Univ. of North Texas Libraries). Synonymous with stamping.
blind In bookbinding, a procedure done without further embellishment, for example, tooling or blocking applied to a leather or cloth binding without the addition of ink or metallic leaf to bring out the design. Click here to view a 16th-century English example of blind tooling (Special Collections, Glasgow University Library, BD1-d.16) onlay One or more panels or thin pieces of cut leather or paper, often of more than one color, mounted in relief on the cover of a book, usually forming a design, often withtooling around the edges to secure them to the surface (and for decorative effect). Click here to view an 18th-century example in leather (Special Collections, Glasgow University Library, Dw-d.13)
inlay A picture or decorative element of contrasting color set into the cover of a book, usually in leather with or without tooling. Click here to see an 19th-century example (British Library)

beveledboards A technique used in hand-binding in which the upper surface of the edges of heavy boards is cut at a sloping angle, instead of the usual 90 degrees, to give the cover a more elegant appearance or in conscious imitation of an earlier style. Click here to see a 19th-century example in brown leather (Rare Books & Texana Collections, Univ. of North Texas Libraries). Also spelled bevelled boards. See also: beveled edge. goldleaf Gold beaten by hand or mechanical means into very thin sheets, used in bookbinding to embellish lettering, tooling, and the edges of the sections (silver is used less often for the same purpose). Gold leaf is sold in sheets 3 1/2 inches square, made from an alloy of 23 carat gold and 1 carat silver and copper, beaten to a thinness of 1/200,000 to 1/250,000 of an inch. When rubbed between the fingers, gold leaf disintegrates. When dropped, it floats gently to a surface and can be unruffled like a blanket. Unlike silver, gold never tarnishes. half binding A style of bookbinding in which the spine and corners are covered in a different material than the sides, usually selected for greater durability. Click here to see an example with spine and corners in leather and boards covered in marbled paper (University of Pittsburgh Libraries). To see other examples, try a keywords search on the term "half calf" in the British Library's Database of Bookbindings. Compare with full binding, quarter binding, and three-quarter binding. See also: fore-edge binding, half cloth, and half leather.