Book Printing Lingo: What is a Dust Jacket?
Dust jackets are most commonly associated with hardcover books, though you may
occasionally see a jacket on perfect bound books as well.
A dust jacket is an optional accessory. Also, it isn't permanently attached to
the book. It is merely held in place by flaps that fold around the front and
back covers of the book. A dust jacket can be removed or reattached to a book
very easily.
What is the purpose of a Dust Jacket?
As the name implies, a dust jacket will indeed help keep dust off the cover of
a book. But more importantly, it protects the book from damaging scuffs, spills
and grime. As such, a gloss or matte laminate is often added to a dust jacket to
increase durability and stain resistance.
A dust jacket also provides additional panels on which to print information
about the book. This information is generally promotional in nature and helps
to market the book. For example, the flaps are often printed with a profile of
the author, a synopsis of the book's content, snippets of positive reviews, or
similar endorsements of the book.
If you have an upcoming book project, with or without a dust jacket, give Formax
Printing a call at 866-367-6221. We're always happy to discuss your book
printing needs. If you already know your specs and would like a quote, click
here to submit our easy quote request from. As always, we look forward to
assisting you!
Take care! Rick