Glossary of Book Terms - Letter
H
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Half Binding - A book in which the spine and corners are bound in a different material (frequently
leather) than the rest of the covers.
Half Cloth - A book that with cloth covered spine and paper covered boards.
Half Leather- A term indicating that the spine and the corners of a book are bound in leather,
while the rest of the binding may be cloth or paper. Also see Quarter Leather.
Half Title - a page which precedes the the title page and the text, with the title (often
abbreviated) usually centered on the page.
Hardbound - Bound in cloth, cardboard, or leather rather than paper. See also hardcover.
Hardcover - A book with stiff boards that is bound and covered in either cloth, paper, or
leather.
HB or hb - Hardbound
HC or hc - hardcover
Head - The upper margin of a leaf, cover or endpaper. Also referred to as the top.
Headband - A functional or ornamental band, made of colored silk or cotton, which is fastened at
the top (and sometimes at the bottom) of the spine of a book. Originally it was sewn into the boards or leaves of the book to link the sections
together but in today's binding process, it is often glued-on for decoration. The headbands of the 12th and early 13th centuries were combined
with a leather tab. The conventional cloth or silk headband was introduced in the early 16th century and decorative glued-on headbands were
introduced in the early 19th century. Also known as heads.
Headpiece - A decorative type ornament found at the start of a chapter or division of a book.
Heads - A functional or ornamental band, made of colored silk or cotton,
which is fastened at the top (and sometimes at the bottom) of the spine of a book. Originally it was sewn into the boards or leaves of the book
to link the sections together but in today's binding process, it is often glued-on for decoration. The headbands of the 12th and early 13th
centuries were combined with a leather tab. The conventional cloth or silk headband was introduced in the early 16th century and decorative
glued-on headbands were introduced in the early 19th century. Also known as headbands.
HF or hf. - Half, as in half sheets.
High spot - A term that is used to denote a highly regarded first or important edition of a
book.
Highlighting - The use of transparent and brightly coloured markers to draw attention to particular
text. Frequently done by students. Also known as underlining and Marginalia.
Hinge - An inside or outside joint of the binding of a book, where the spine
meets the covers. It is usually made of cloth and provides additional strength at the flex point. See book anatomy section for illustration.
Hist - History
Hndbk - handbook
HNG or hng - hinge
Holograph - A document or inscription written entirely in the handwriting of the author.
Hors Texte, versos blank - "Hors texte" is French for "outside of the text," and the term usually
refers to plates, without printing on the reverse sides. The plates may be tipped in to paper of a different stock from that of the text.
Hypermodern - Collected first editions published within last ten years or so. Most were published
so recently that there is no track record on author or book.
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