8. Case making

The term “covering” (or cover) stands for a design element that is a durable integral part of graphic products. They are connected inseparably or separably with a “block.” In contrast to the cover, packaging is solely conceived as protection for the product during dispatch.

The purpose of covers is:

• protection of the block without fundamentally affecting the usability of the printed contents;

• to describe the contents (e.g., title, author, abstract);

• as an advertising medium for the book or other products;

• as an object of art which represents an aesthetic image in harmony with the internal and external design of a product.

9. Book finishing

The book finishing process contains the assembly of partial products (book and brochure blocks, book covers, inserts, jackets), which have been produced separately from one another, into the end product. The process steps are:

• joining of book block and cover to a fixed binding;

• joining of finished supplement products into cases, blocks, or books;

• inserting enclosures;

• attaching book jackets.

Casing-inis the colloquial description for the adhesive binding of book blocks and book

covers. Traditional description: Inserting is the joining of block and cover by adhesive binding of the outermost endpaper and the covers. The casing-in of books is defined as the adhesive binding of a hardcover to the book block. The outermost endpapers must be glued to the covers (gluing). Adhesive binding of the bound multi-layer brochure block to the cover is described as the casing-in of brochures.

Smashing(pressing) describes the stabilization of the adhesive binding through surface

pressing after the casing-in operation.

Forming a hinge fold. Through a heated shaping tool, the opening hinge of the book block on the cased-in book cover is shaped such that the book cover can be opened exactly and with minimal actual service conditions.

The following operations are carried out with hardcovers and brochures:

Inserting inserts (in the inserting inserts operation, pre-finished information or advertising materials are inserted into the bound book. The inserts are positioned between the endpapers or placed in defined or undefined points in the book block. Inserting inserts is of particular importance in newspapers and magazines).

Jacketing (attaching the cut and folded or creased jacket around hardcovers or brochures).

10. Packaging

Packages have three basic functions to fulfil:

• Protective function. The finished printed product should be especially protected from mechanical strain (impacts, pressure), climatic influences (dampness, temperature variations, light), and soiling (dust, grease).

• Logistics function. Packages are working means for transportation, trans-shipment, and storing. The shape of the package and the packaging of the transport units have an important influence on the efficiency of shipping.

• Information function. Packages must contain information (pictures, text, machine readable data) that serves the purposes of identification, assignment, advertising, and so on.

Types of packaging material used are:

• plastic films for individual products, product piles, and pallets;

• strapping paper for individual products and leaf piles;

• collapsible/folding cartons made of corrugated board for product piles.

Mailing and distribution are also important postpress operations.