Book size - Citizendia

The size of a specific book is measured from the head to tail of the spine, and from edge to edge across the covers. A Book is a set or collection of written printed illustrated or blank sheets made of Paper, Parchment, or other material usually fastened together

However, in bookbinding, printing, and publishing, a series of terms are used to indicate the approximate size of a book. Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a Book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of Paper or other material Printing is a process for reproducing text and image typically with ink on Paper using a printing press Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view These terms are derived from the number of leaves created from a standard size sheet of paper (48 cm x 64 cm; 19" x 25") when each signature of the book is printed. There have been many standard sizes of Paper at different times and in different countries but today there are two widespread systems in use the international standard (A4 Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a Book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of Paper or other material

For example, a quarto book results when four leaves are created from each sheet of paper. Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a Book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of Paper or other material The resulting book will be approximately 32 cm (12. 5") tall and 24 cm (9. 5") wide, before trimming. Each leaf usually has a printed page or an intentionally blank page on each side, so a quarto signature usually represents eight pages of the book.

Octavo and quarto are the most common book sizes, but many books are produced in larger (folio) and smaller sizes as well. Octavo (usually abbreviated 8vo 8° 8o or Oct is a Book size resulting from the use of standard size sheets of paper folded three times to make eight leaves These terms are often abbreviated, using 4to for quarto; 8vo for octavo; and so on. The octavo format, with eight leaves per gathering, has half the page size of the quarto format. Smaller formats include the duodecimo (or "twelvemo"), with twelve leaves per sheet and pages one-third the size of the quarto format; and the sextodecimo (or "sixteenmo"), with sixteen leave per sheet, half the size of the octavo format and one quarter the size of the quarto.

Traditional book sizes
Short form	Name	Folios	Pages	Height*
2°	Folio	2	4	30-38 cm
4°	Quarto	4	8	25-30 cm
8°	Octavo	8	16	20-25 cm
16°	Sextodecimo	16	32	15-18 cm

Height is "Outside Height": head-to-foot of the book's cover. Book Sizes

In modern times, other terms for book size have developed. An elephant size or elephant folio is at most 58 cm (23 inches) tall. An Atlas folio is at most 64 cm (25 inches). A double elephant folio is at most 127 cm (50 inches) tall.

The printed signatures are bound together to form an entire book. Before the covers are bound to the book, the block of text pages is usually trimmed along the three unbound edges to open the folds of the paper and to produce smooth edges for the book. As a result, the final size of a book will depend on whether and how much the paper is trimmed; and the way the book is bound, particularly the covers used. In the 19th century and early 20th century, European booksellers often sold books with thin paper covers, which a buyer could take to a bookbinder of his/her choice. Such customers often had books bound in leather and often in matched sets. These books were typically untrimmed: the bookbinder could trim the pages before binding or could leave the pages uncut. The reader could then cut the pages with a penknife while reading the book.

The biggest book in the world is Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom by Michael Hawley, which measures 1. Bhutan A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom (ISBN 0-9742469-0-5 was created by scientist Michael Hawley, along with photographers Carolyn Bess Sandy Previously at MIT’s Media Laboratory, Michael Hawley is an artist and researcher working in the field of digital media 5 m x 2. 1 m (5 feet x 7 feet^[1]. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit

Notes

^ Associated Press (2003-12-16). The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion Guinness: Scientist creates world's largest book. CNN. Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner Retrieved on 2007-06-07. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins

References

Lewis, Arthur William. Basic Bookbinding. 1957.

External links

Book sizes from Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books.
ABEbooks Glossary discusses modern usage
Book Sizes from Books and Book Collecting