For those of us who love to hold a real, hardcover book it is no surprise to hear from the Association of American Publishers that ebook sales have been declining over recent years. At the same time, there was a rise in sales for both paperback and hardback books.
Why do we love hardcovers? They are easy to hold. They are easy to read. They are easy to share. In addition, everyone knows that hardcover books make perfect gifts, and they are easy to ship all over the world.
You may notice that some of your most loved books are beginning to show signs of wear and tear. Opening and closing the books so many times can create the need for book binding repair. If you're looking to repair your book spine, you may be in the market for book binding tape.
Book repair tape is highly recommended by library personnel, who spend their entire days surrounded by books. There are several different kinds of book repair tape. These include page mending tape, binder tape, and general book tape.
Page mending tape looks similar to regular adhesive label tape, but it is much stronger and is resistant to yellowing and cracking. This tape can fix tears or snags, but does not cover any of the contents. It is almost crystal clear and comes in rolls or strips.
Depending on the age of your hardcover books, and whether you consider them an antique, you may opt to wear protective gloves during the page mending process or to repair your book spine. The gloves are not there to protect you. They are there to protect bodily fluid such as sweat, from transferring to the book cover or inside the book.
Binder tape was invented to repair damages along the book hinge, the spine and some book covers. Binder tape does not look like regular scotch tape. It is made of a cloth like material and you can not see through it. These materials include cambric cloth, cotton and tyvec. The top of the tape feels like cloth and the bottom has a gummed adhesive backing. The tape is often adhered to the space right inside the front book cover and the first page of the book.
Standard book tape comes in rolls and resembles packing tape. It comes in clear tape and in colored adhesive tape. What differentiates book tape from other tape is that it is specially designed to adhere to and protect paper. It can be used on the cover, to repair your book spine or to repair internal book hinges.
If you are a hardcover lover you'll want your hardcovers to last for years to come. Book repair tape can be used in many different ways to keep your novels in mint condition.
Update from April 2021
We know there are quite a few options to choose from at Chromalabel! If you have questions on which tape to use or specifics about your book repair project, give us a call and we will be happy to help you! (800) 256-0435
