Flush vs Overhang vs Scant
When binding a book, there are three ways the cover can be sized: flush, overhang or scant. So what is the difference?
Flush
For most books, the cover will be flush cut with the text. This means that the cover extends to the same width as the internal text pages, like with a paperback book.
Overhang
Sometimes, however, this is not the desired effect. Books can have overhang covers, where the text pages are not as wide as the cover. Often times in this scenario, the text pages are also shorter in height (but they don’t have to be). We usually see this treatment when there is a 9 x 12 pocket folder cover and 8.5 x 11 text pages are to be bound into it. The text pages can jog (align) to the top, bottom, or center of the pocket folder cover. But be warned, jogging to the center is more time-consuming in setups and thus usually more costly!
Scant
Opposite of an overhang cover, is a scant cover. This is when the cover (usually just the back cover) does not extend as far out as the text pages. Why would you want your cover to be shorter than your text pages? This is usually only done because there is either a pocket or a foldout on the back cover, such that if the book were to be flush cut, the pocket or foldout would get cut off during final trims, thus rendering the pocket or foldout useless. By reducing the size of your back cover by 1/16″ this can be avoided.
But what if you want a pocket or a foldout without a scant cover? There is a way to do this, but it usually adds significant cost to your job. Your text and cover will have to be trimmed to size before being bound. This increases the number of operations required for binding, and thus increases the pricetag too.
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