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Legal Binding

Legal bound (over sewn) books are built to stand the test of time. The pages are actually sewn together creating a virtually indestructible book. We call it legal binding because it is frequently used for the binding of legal documents. The hard cover, over sewn books we produce are first sewn and then glued to create the text block. The "end leaves" that holds the text block into the case are applied to the binding edge of the text block. The cover is created separately using your selected materials and is glued to the end leaves and text block to create a book that will last for years.

Preparing your document:

Pages
  • Because of the over sewing process, please allow a 1 in. margin on the binding edge of each page and at least a ½ in. margin at the top, bottom, and outside edge of the page.

  • If supplying a PDF file, make sure that the fonts are embedded. Because of the sheer number of available fonts, there is the possibility that Book1One may not have the exact font that you are using. That is why it is essential that when you send your PDF file, you verify that the fonts are embedded within the document. If they are not, a reasonable font substitution will be made. We recommend that you allow Book1One to generate your PDF for you in order to alleviate any problems.

   Cover
  • When laying out your printed cover wrap do not have any color breaks at the spine. This is because there is natural variation in the way the cover wrap is applied to the case. This variation can leave you with color wrapping to the spine or cover of the book.

  • If your book has less than a 5/16 in. spine, please do not place any text or graphics on it. If the spine is not wide enough, you can end up with type wrapping to the front or back covers. See the chart to determine the spine thickness.

  • If you select one of our high end cover materials and would like a decorative foil stamp, please supply the image in a file separate from your text.

  • When placing your actual order you will be required to enter your cover options in the "Notes" field. Click here to see available cover materials and color palettes.