Perfect binding

A form of binding where the gathered signatures of a book are trimmed along their spine edge, gashed or notched then this roughened edge is glued to the inside spine of the cover. Thereafter the other sides of the book block and cover are trimmed to their final size. This binding is typical for paperbacks and has a shorter lifespan than sewn binding because glue becomes brittle and breaks over time. In contrast, the thread used in a sewn binding can last a century or more..

This definition is extracted (and expanded on) from the book Getting Published: A Companion for the Humanities and Social Sciences by Gerald Jackson and Marie Lenstrup. It was first referred to in the blog Getting Published in a post on bookbinding.

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