Debate: Do you trim your bookcloth edges flush or leave a tiny margin?

When I started binding, I always trimmed my cloth right to the board edge, but after a pro at a workshop in Portland showed me his books had a 1/16 inch overhang that curled tightly around the corners, I realized my edges were always fraying. Which way do you all go for cleaner corners and longer lasting covers?

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3 Comments

charles_coleman3mo ago

Same here, that tiny overhang saved my sanity and my edges.

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lewis.brian3mo ago

I mean, don't you mean the overhang itself, not a tiny one?

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julia_carter613mo ago

wait so when you say the overhang curled around the corners, do you actually burnish it down with a bone folder after gluing? bc i tried leaving that 1/16 margin but my corners ended up looking puffy instead of that crisp wrap job. like is there a specific step im missing, or do you just press it harder?

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