CHAPTER VI

Trimming Edges before Sewing--Edge Gilding

TRIMMING BEFORE SEWING

When the sheets come from the press the treatment of the edges must be
decided upon, that is, whether they are to be entirely uncut, trimmed
before sewing, or cut in boards.

Early printed books and manuscripts should on no account have their
edges cut at all, and any modern books of value are better only
slightly trimmed and gilt before sewing. But for books of reference
that need good bindings, on account of the wear they have to
withstand, cutting in boards is best, as the smooth edge so obtained
makes the leaves easier to turn over. Gilt tops and rough edges give a
book a look of unequal finish.

If the edges are to remain uncut, or be cut "in boards" with the
plough, the book will be ready for "marking up" as soon as it comes
from the press; but if it is to be gilt before sewing, it must be
first trimmed.

[Illustration: Fig. 23.]

The sheets for trimming with end papers and all plates inserted must
first be cut square at the head against a carpenter's square (see fig.
7). Then a piece of mill-board may be cut to the size, it is desired
to leave the leaves, and the sections trimmed to it. To do this three
nails should be put into the covering board through a piece of
straw-board, and the back of the section slid along nails 1 and 2
until it touches No. 3 (see fig. 23). The board is slid in the same
way, and anything projecting beyond it cut off. When the under
straw-board has become inconveniently scored in the first position, by
shifting the lower nail (1) a fresh surface will receive the cuts.
Fig. 24 is a representation of a simple machine that I use in my
workshop for trimming. The slides A A are adjustable to any width
required, and are fixed by the screws B B. The brass-bound straight
edge C fits on to slots in A A, and as this, by the adjustment of the
slides, can be fixed at any distance from B B, all sizes of books can
be trimmed. As by this machine several sections can be cut at once,
the time taken is not very much greater than if the book were cut in
the plough.

[Illustration: FIG. 24.]

Considerable judgment is required in trimming. The edges of the larger
pages only, on a previously uncut book, should be cut, leaving the
smaller pages untouched. Such uncut pages are called "proof," and the
existence of proof in a bound book