Solutions Showcase: Covering All the Possibilities

Digital Printing
Since the early days of digital print, the print engines have quickly matured, and substrate makers have begun to introduce new cover materials compatible with the systems. For example, Gane Brothers & Lane offers Kivar IMAGEase, a cover material specifically designed for the demands of digital printing.

Feed Your Senses
“I believe it is very important for a publisher to have working knowledge of cover materials,” counsels John Doherty, president of Cover Material Sales Inc. “Many projects have turned out as disasters because the wrong material was used. …”

Half the battle is keeping abreast of options available in the marketplace. Substrates and specialty processes abound. Suppliers—like printers and binderies—can be excellent sources of creative inspiration, but publishers may be well-served by developing relationships with cover-material manufacturers and distributors as well. “It’s more important than ever for publishers to be knowledgeable about the different materials that go into their book,” explains Aubrey of LBS. “… Some publishers gain that knowledge from their bindery; others choose to use resources like the Internet. But many … call [us directly].”

Publishers may be best served by taking a more tactile approach—taking time to see, touch, and even smell, the substrate. Why not sample the market? Build a veritable, quick-reference library of swatches, sales kits and finished product to help fuel the creative possibilities.

Book Cover Materials
Here are a number of the leading book cover materials providers and products on today’s market:

Arjobex North America, Charlotte, N.C.
www.polyart.com
(800) 765-9278 or (704) 587-3000
Product: Polyart—resistant to water, grease and most chemicals, Polyart cover materials are also difficult to tear and well-suited to archival titles. Frequently used for applications like children’s books, technical manuals, catalog covers and cookbooks.

BN International, The Netherlands
www.bnint.nl
(201) 476-0037
Products: Balacron Coated Cover Materials—comprising five brands, including Baladek, a nine-point cover material in a range of colors and embossed patterns, and Baladore, “luxurious and soft to the touch.” Balatex Bookcloths—a collection of rayon, cotton, cotton-linen and coated cloths. New for 2008 are Tsarina Crush, a crushed, color-changing material; and Kansas, a vat-dyed canvas cloth.