How Do You Keep Paperback Book Covers From Curling?
The reason the covers are curling:
You have been told that your soft book cover is curling because of humidity or because the paper is not thick enough. That has about 3%-5% chance to being true; however, my answer is 100% true.
“Soft Book Cover” is curling! I did some research and discovered why the “Cover” is curling. Many printers do not know why. They are printing the “Cover” with the paper’s grain running the wrong way; from top to bottom. That is wrong! The cover grain is supposed to wrap the book going left across the from top cover, continuing around the binding, the ending on the back-edge of the back of the “Cover.” The grain of the “Cover” paper must be perpendicular to the binding as herein described; otherwise, the “Cover” on the book will curl; both the front cover and the back cover will curl. Ask your printer to give you their assurance that they will print the “Cover” correctly and thus avoid the curling issue on your books?
Now, if I can do research and find out about what is causing the covers to curl, you can too. Get on “Google” and find it just like I did. It is not the humidity; it is the direction of the grain of the cover paper.
Right Way
Paper grain is perpendicular to the binding. The grain goes from the front edge to the binding, intersection the binding perpendicular, goes around the binding and then to back edge of the book.
Wrong Way
Paper grain runs from top to bottom the same or parallel to way the book is bound.
If you purchase a book with a soft cover and it curls, there is absolutely nothing that will fix it or stop it from curling. Send it back to the printer and have them print the cover correctly. If you have a printer who does not know how to put the book together properly, copy this entire answer and email to them. Generally printers know that they are putting the book together wrong, they are simple do it to save a little money on the cover.
I hate cover curl with a passion. My customers hate cover curl more than I do. Right now I am working with CreateSpace trying to get them to print my books (all soft covers) with the grain of the paper perpendicular to the binding. Their price is good, but unless they are willing to print the covers correctly, and prevent the curl, I will have to find another publisher or printer.
It can be irritating to pay good money for a paperback and have the covers curl before you are done reading it. This happens quite often on trade paperbacks where the card stock for the cover is thinner than on a mass marketed paperback, but can happen to any book with a paper cover. Use wide rubber bands to hold the cover flat when the book is not being read. Make sure the rubber bands fit tight around the book. Store the book on the bookshelf or another flat surface horizontally with a heavy, hardback book or two on top until you are ready to read the book. Iron the cover if curling has already happened. Place a washcloth or other piece of fabric over the book and iron using low heat.
