Book care and Storage

We take the utmost care in the production of your books, and with some simple handling and storage techniques they will last a lifetime.

Paper is an organic material, made from cellulose fibres typically derived from wood pulp. These are hygroscopic fibres, meaning they attract water from the surrounding environment. Though paper benefits from having a small percentage of moisture in it's composition, too much water can critically weaken the paper. This is why it is important to store a book in the correct environment.

PAPER COCKLING
When paper is printed on it naturally absorbs some moisture from the printing processes. The pages of paper within a book can develop waves (cockling) which is caused by non-uniform drying and shrinkage. It normally takes about a week for the pages to flatten and the cockling to disappear, a process which is helped by storing the book flat during this period.

STORING BOOKS
Books need to be kept in stable conditions, with constant levels of temperature and humidity. If the books are kept in too dry an environment their pages will become brittle, and be prone to tearing or crumbling. High humidity or a damp environment may make the pages absorb moisture which can cause cockling, and attacks from mould and various forms of insects can become problematic in these conditions. A temperature of between 16ºC and 18ºC, and a relative humidity of around 50-60% are ideal conditions for keeping books.

HANDLING BOOKS
The weak part of a book is its spine, so care should be taken when picking up books, also ensuring they are not pulled off shelves by the top of the spine. Books shouldn't be forced open if the spine is stiff, or made to lie flat on a surface as this can cause the glue or binding in a spine to crack, resulting in pages becoming loose or falling out.