Art and Design Commons^™

Millimeter Binding / Edelpappband, Peter D. Verheyen

Libraries' and Librarians' Publications

What we call the “millimeter” binding in North America is a “nobler” version of the German “pappband,” or paper binding, hence the name “edelpappband.” The technique is based on the German case (Bradel) binding which is covered in paper. What distinguishes the technique is that cloth, leather, or vellum trim is added to the head and tail, foredges, and/or corners for greater durability, making the book more elegant at the same time. This article describes how to complete a binding using this technique.