Raised Band(s)

Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the binding process, and show the structure of cord-bound books. On modern books bound by machines, these bands are sometimes introduced artificially to heighten the air of dignity on a newer edition.

example of a book with raised bands

Interestingly, in the past book binders sometimes tried to eliminate the bands using a technique called sunken cord. In this method, the cords would be stitched into channels to produce a smoother, unridged spine.

Related Glossary Items

Spine