Casing-in

"Casing-in" a book refers to a process in which the book block is attached to its cover by gluing the end sheets and spine cloth to the inside surfaces of that cover.

If the end sheets and/or spine cloth wear out or split at the gutter of the book, the book block comes loose from its cover. The book can be repaired by replacing the end sheets and spine cloth and "recasing" it in the cover. (The terms "hanging" and "rehanging" a book are also used by some indivduals.)

If the end sheets are not completely detached, we cut through them to separate the book block from the covers. Next, we prepare the book and the cover. If the original end sheets are brittle or not glued down firmly, we can often peel or lift them off easily. Removing the old paper around the edges of the cover is necessary in order to prevent them from showing under the new end sheets.

We feather down the remaining edges with a small sanding block to prevent ridges from appearing under the new end sheets.

If the original end sheets are illustrated in any way, we try to remove and save them so that we can later glue them over the new end sheets. In order to remove the half of the end sheet which is glued to the cover, we might have to lift up a thin, top layer of the cardboard just under that paper, to avoid tearing it.