Introduction to the Book Arts

If asked, of course, most people would say they know what a book is. However, if asked to actually describe what makes a book a book, or how a book is made, most people's answers would probably differ dramatically. Some common descriptions we associate with books are "hardcover, paperback, square, flat, new, or used." Some books have pictures, others don't. Some are printed in black and white, others in color. Some are big and thick like textbooks, others are small and thin like children's books. But these are the most basic of terms, and, while they do in fact describe most mass-produced books, they don't come close to describing the incredible and unique books that are created by the artists involved in the Book Arts. In its most literal definition, a book is "a number of sheets of paper, parchment, etc. with writing or printing on them, fastened together along one edge, usually between protective covers." Indeed, this is a very open-ended definition, and the artists involved with the Book Arts have taken it upon themselves to stretch the traditional definition of what a book is, and therefore, society's definition as well.

Some common terms and definitions relating to the Book Arts are listed below.

Binding. "Binding" refers to the hand and/or machine processes by which leaves or sections (usually paper, but also parchment or vellum, papyrus, etc.) are secured within covers to form a codex or book, as opposed to a roll. (A codex is an ancient book composed of leaves of writing material fastened together so as to open like a modern book.) Historically, bookbinding did not exist like it does today until the codex began to replace the scroll, or roughly 2,000 years ago, when parchment notebooks came into use. Leaves of a quadrangular shape were found to be more convenient than scrolls, but they had to be secured and covered for protection. Although classical texts and ecclesiastical works did exist in book form before the 1st century AD, the codex did not become common for other works before the 4th century.

Book Conservation. "Book conservation" is defined as a field of knowledge concerned with the coordination and planning for the practical application of the techniques of binding, restoration, paper chemistry, and other material technology, as well as other knowledge pertinent to the preservation of archival resources.

Layout. The layout of a book refers to the basic plan of the entire book. Usually, the plan is prepared by or for a printer, giving the arrangement of the matter, type faces, size of type, position of illustration and captions, etc. for a job of printing. However, since most Artist's Books are produced by hand or in limited quantities, a layout becomes strictly for the artist's vision and can include unique shapes, backward or upside-down type, or anything else that is limited only by the imagination of the individual artist.