Paper
A book cover often has a paper cover. For regular books with a printed and possibly laminated paper. For special books, cover papers are used, which in turn are stylistic elements in the production of a book. Colours, structures, haptics are elements that give the book a special touch. Embossing refines the result. Coated papers also provide protection against contamination.
Binding Cloth
There are many types of binding cloth: coated, uncoated, coloured, natural, etc. There are no limits to the variety. It depends entirely on the content or the intended use. In any case, it is quite different whether a book is covered with paper or cloth. Durability, protection against contamination and the need for a high-quality finish are other reasons for choosing cloth over paper. One of the most important book cloths is the high-quality English Buckram (according to specification RAL RG 495), historically used in libraries.
Leather
There are books with glass, wooden and even metal covers - very special pieces. And yet it is the leather that makes a book cover a particularly valuable object. Its feel, its smell, the possibilities of gold or blind embossing make a book with a leather cover a special experience. An alternative to genuine leather skins is the so-called bonded leather, which consists largely of leather fibres and is available by the metre as roll material in many designs and embossings.
