Skip to Main Content

Artists' Books

Learn about artists' books and explore the Libraries' collection.

Browse by Binding Type

A close-up of one of Dikko Faust's Earbooks, which has a green cover featuring the book's title.

Adhesive bindings

Bindings that rely on adhesives to hold together the leaves of the volume.                                                                   

A pink tulle bag cinched closed with a pink ribbon. Inside the bag is a pink, miniature house-shaped book.

Bags

Containers or receptacles of leather, cloth, paper, or other flexible material, often closed with a drawstring.

A clear acrylic box with collaged materials on the inside.

Boxes

Rigid, often rectangular containers used to hold the often unbound contents of a book.                                  

A book opened up all the way to show off the case binding.

Case binding

Method of bookbinding in which a hard cover is made wholly separate from the book and later is attached to it by gluing the endpapers to the inside of the boards of the case. Used for hard backs.

A yellow clamshell box opened to reveal a red interior with black dots. On the right side of the box is a stack of papers, the top of which says the books' title.

Clamshell box

A one-piece container consisting of two halves joined by a hinge area which allows the structure to come together to close.                                                                        

A gatefold book with case binding on both the right and left edges of the book. The cover features two sections of black dots in rows.

Comb binding

A plastic spine with a series of ring-shaped "teeth" used to secure the cover and pages of a book.                                                                                                                                         

A brown book laid down so the viewer can see the spine and the coptic binding.

Coptic bindings

Characterized by one or more sections of paper sewn through their folds, and attached to each other with chain stitch linkings across the spine. Used for exposed bindings.                                                                        

A black book titled Plant Realm that is dos-a-dos bound.

Dos-à-dos bindings

Bindings structured so that two books share a lower board, fore edges facing in opposite directions.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

An opened bankers box with multiple manilla envelopes inside.

Envelopes

Rectangular, flat containers made of flexible material that is folded to produce overlapping seams that are adhered together on two or three edges; often with a flag closure, and intended for small objects or documents.

A grey book cover with the title and artist's name foil stamped in silver. The book is held together by a long, metal fastener.

Fasteners

Devices that fasten or hold together separate parts. Includes paper fasteners.        

A manilla envelope closed with red twine. Next to it is an opened folder containing a collaged drawing of a man bending down.

Folders

Folded sheets of light cardboard used to cover or hold papers, letters, or other flat documents, as in a file.

A square black book with a single, silver fingerprint in the bottom righthand corner.

Pamphlet bindings

A simple bookbinding technique where pages are folded and sewn together through the spine.

Miniature book with red pages and red cover with the title 'Boom' written in white text.

Perfect bindings

Bindings in which the back of a text block is trimmed to produce a block of separate leaves, an adhesive is applied to the area, and the cover is affixed.                                                                        

A close-up photograph of metal post-bindings on a softbound book with a black spine and red cover.

Post bindings

Consists of screw posts that bind multiple hole punched sheets together.                                                                                                                                                                                     

The spine of A.T. Pratt's Dot Comics #1, which is bound with red ribbon.

Sewing (bookbinding)

The joining of leaves or gatherings together one by one by drawing thread or wire backwards and forwards through the back folds of each sheet to attach it to the cords.

A white book cover with a blue and red collage and the title 'Numbers' written above it. The book is sewn together with black thread.

Side sewing

Method for bookbinding in which the entire thickness of the text block is sewn through with thread near the folds of the gatherings. Also used for stab binding.                                                                                                           

Blue slipcase containing multiple colored books.

Slipcases

Protective containers or boxes designed to protect a book or other item by covering it but with one open end so that only the spine is exposed.                                                                                                            

Detail shot of spiral binding.

Spiral bindings

Bindings in which a closely-spaced number of holes are drilled or punched through the leaves near the binding edge to take a spiral-twisted wire or plastic coil which is drawn through the holes to secure the leaves.

A yellow book cover with 12 black squares organized in 4 rows of 3, and the title 'Safety In Numbers' written above. The book is staple bound through the spine.

Staple bindings

Bindings created using a series of wire staples along the edge of gathered sheets of loose paper.                                                                                                                                        

A white book opened up so that the front and back cover form a single line in order to show off the star pattern created by the star binding.

Star bindings

Star Books are typically 4 accordion books -- each one slightly smaller than the one behind it -- bound together. When closed, this pattern creates a star.                                    

Detail photograph of a book's swiss binding.

Swiss bindings

A bookbinding technique where only the rear endpaper of the book block is attached to the cover (with adhesive), leaving the spine of the book block exposed.

Dozens of postcards spread out in a semi-circle shape. Each postcard contains an image with a body of text underneath.

Unbound

For loose pages or cards.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

  Report a Problem with this Page