Bible Binding and Gilding

Crossway’s mission is to further the kingdom of God through the distribution of his word. This calling is reflected in the careful considerations made in every step of the production process, from the cover material to the paper quality to the binding style.

The following guide summarizes the key terms related to the binding process and explains the two binding types (Smyth-sewn and glued) to ensure clarity in the Bible selection process.

Key Terms

Hinge: The inner portion of the book where the inside cover of the book meets the spine. On premium Bibles, the hinge is leather connected to the liner. The leather hinge allows the edgelined Bible cover to be flexible.

Endsheet: Latex-covered paper glued to the inside of a Bible’s front and back cover, often colored to match the cover. The endsheet is a decorative element that also serves as support for the Bible’s book block.

Book Block: A collective unit of signatures (groups of folded pages) that have been sewn or glued together. Once this step is done, the Bible is ready to receive a cover.

Head and Tail Bands: Decorative pieces of fabric that run along the top (head) and bottom (tail) of the spine of the book.

Ribbons: Ribbons attached to the spine of the book block that serve as bookmarks. Premium ESV Bibles generally have 2–4 ribbon markers in one or more colors.

Yapp (Overhang): The overhang of the leather cover beyond the top, bottom, and front edges of the text block. A full yapp extends far enough beyond the text block that the edges of the front and back cover can be touched together; a half yapp is a shorter extension of the cover than the full yapp.

Hubs: Decorative raised strips that run horizontally up the Bible’s spine. Historically, hubs were formed with strips of leather under the cover material, but modern hubs are generally made with a specially molded board running along the spine and covered with leather.

Binding Types

Smyth-sewn: A Smyth-sewn Bible binding is created by stitching together signatures to create the full book block. Smyth-sewn binding is known for durability and a book block that easily lays flat.

Perfect (Adhesive): A perfect-bound Bible is created by cutting the ends of the folded signatures flat, which are then pressed together and glued. Bibles with glued bindings tend to be more affordable options for both personal Bible reading and bulk distribution.

Paste Off: The paste-off binding method connects the cover and the book block with an adhesive through an endsheet that functions as the hinge. This endsheet covers a board, which provides support to the cover. This is the most common and economical practice for Bible binding.

Edge Lined: The edge-lined binding method directly connects the cover and the book block together. This process does not require an endsheet. The resulting cover is extremely limp and flexible. Only Smyth-sewn book blocks are bound with this method.

Gilding

Gilding is the color shown on the edge of a Bible’s pages, often a gold or silver color. This process has been carried on for many generations of book binders for decorative purposes, giving each Bible a classic, elegant appearance.

Gilding is created through the application of a metallic leaf foil to the edge of the pages. The Bible pages are sanded down until they are smooth, and then they’re held together tightly while applying a heated foil to the edge of the pages. Once cooled, the gilding gives a beautiful shine to the closed pages of the Bible.

After a Bible has been gilt, art gilding adds a red or blue tint to the edge of the pages. This tint is created by adding a thin coating of red or blue dye onto the edges of the book block. Art gilding is used to create a unique look that is typically found on premium Bible lines.