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by Joseph W. Zaehnsdorf
3rd Edition Published in London 1897
corners, place it on the other side, and work it in the same
way. Prepare the leather with vinegar, and pencil out with
glaire the whole of the pattern. If the whole side is now to be
laid on with gold, and the pattern worked again with the warm
tools, in the previous or blind impressions.
The inside of a book is generally finished before the outside.
This should be done as neatly as possible, carefully mitering the
corners when any lines are used. Most frequently a roll is used,
thus saving a great deal of time. A style was introduced in
France called “doublé,” the inside of the board being covered
with a coloured morocco different to the outside, instead of
having board papers. This inside leather will very elaborately
finished; generally with a “dentelle” border, while the outside
had only a line or two in blind. It is a style which, although very
good in itself, is not now in great request, many prefer to have
the finishing outside rather than to have it covered up and not
seen when the book is shut.
with the rest of the embellishment. A fine line worked on the centre of the edge of the board by means of a fillet looks
better, and of course requires more pains than simply running a roll over it. If it is to be in gold, simply glairing the
edge is sufficient. Lay on the gold and work the fillet carefully. Place the book on its ends in the finishing press to
keep it steady, or it will shake and throw the fillet off. If a roll is used, take the gold up on the roll, but grease it first a
little, by rubbing the gold rag over the edge to make the gold adhere. Then run the roll along the edge of the boards;
the roll generally used for this purpose is called a bar roll-that is, on having a series of lines running at right angles
with the edge of the roll.
Imitation morocco is generally used for publishers’ bindings, where books are in large numbers and small in price, and
the finishing is all done with the blocking press. To finish this leather by hand, it is advisable to wash it with paste-
water and glaire twice.
Roan is generally used for circulating library work, and is very seldom finished with more than a few lines and the title
across the back. This leather is prepared with paste wash and glair, and, when complete, varnished over the whole
surface.
Inlaid Work – Inlaid, or mosaic work, is used only in the higher braches of bookbinding. Formerly books were not
inlaid, but pained with various colours. Grolier used a great deal of black, white, and green. Mr. Tuckett, the late
binder to the British Museum, took out a patent for extracting one colour from leather and substituting another by
chemical action. This method, however, was in use and known long before he turned his attention to the subject,
although he improved greatly upon the old practice. As the patent has long expired, it may not be out of place to give
an extract from the specification: “Take dark chocolate colour, and after the design has been traced thereon, it is then
to be picked out or penciled in with suitable chemicals, say diluted nitric acid; this will change the chocolate, leaving
the design a bright red on a chocolate ground.” But to lay on the various colours with leather is, no doubt, by far the
better plan. Paint has a tendency in time to crack, and, if acids are used, they will, to a certain extent, rot or destroy
the leather; but if leather is used it will always retain both colour and texture. To choose the proper colours that will
harmonize with the ground, give tone, and produce a pleasing effect, requires a certain amount of study.
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