Every option in Shelvd's Paper Type, Edge Treatment, Endpapers, and Text Block dropdowns.
These fields describe the book as a made physical object: what the pages are made of, how their exposed edges are finished, what connects the text block to the covers, and how sound the structure is.
Paper Type Options
| Dropdown option | Use when |
|---|---|
| Wove paper | The paper is smooth and lacks visible laid or chain lines. |
| Laid paper | Parallel laid lines and wider chain lines are visible when held to light. |
| Rag paper | Paper is made primarily from cotton or linen rag; common before wood-pulp industrial paper. |
| Wood pulp paper | Paper is made from wood pulp, often acidic and prone to browning or brittleness. |
| Acid-free paper | Paper is explicitly acid-free or archival. |
| Vellum | The support is prepared animal skin, not paper. |
| Parchment | Prepared animal skin, often thinner or less refined than fine vellum. |
| Japan paper | Thin, strong, silky paper used for deluxe copies, proofs, and fine press work. |
| India paper | Extremely thin opaque paper, common in Bibles, dictionaries, and compact reference books. |
| Handmade paper | Sheets were formed by hand, often with deckle edges, watermark, or irregular texture. |
| Machine-made paper | Industrially produced paper with uniform thickness and finish. |
| Coated paper | Paper has a coating for smooth image reproduction, common in illustrated books. |
| Uncoated paper | Paper lacks a coating and has a more absorbent surface. |
| Calendered paper | Paper has been smoothed by rollers, giving a polished surface. |
| Rice paper | Thin Asian paper or pith material described as rice paper in the trade. |
| Tapa/bark cloth | Bark-cloth or tapa support, usually in ethnographic, Pacific, or artist-book contexts. |
Edge Treatment Options
| Dropdown option | Use when |
|---|---|
| Untrimmed | Edges retain uneven original margins but pages are opened. |
| Uncut | Folds remain unopened; some pages may still be joined at the edge. |
| Rough cut | Edges are cut but deliberately or visibly rough. |
| Trimmed | Edges have been cut cleanly. |
| Gilt (all edges) | All three exposed edges are gilt. |
| Gilt (top edge only) | Only the top edge is gilt. |
| Gilt (fore-edge) | The fore-edge is gilt. |
| Silver edges | Edges are silvered rather than gilt. |
| Gauffered | Gilt or colored edges are tooled with impressed patterns. |
| Painted edges | Edges are painted with a design or solid color. |
| Fore-edge painting | A hidden or visible painting appears on the fore-edge. |
| Sprinkled | Edges are spattered with small drops of color. |
| Stained | Edges are stained a single color. |
| Marbled edges | Edges have a marbled pattern. |
| Deckle edges | Natural mould-made deckle edges are present. |
| Red stained | Edges are stained red. |
| Blue stained | Edges are stained blue. |
| Yellow stained | Edges are stained yellow. |
Endpapers Options
| Dropdown option | Use when |
|---|---|
| Plain white | Endpapers are plain white or off-white. |
| Plain colored | Endpapers are plain but colored. |
| Marbled | Endpapers are marbled. |
| Combed marbled | Marbling shows a combed pattern. |
| Paste paper | Endpapers are decorated with paste-paper technique. |
| Printed | Endpapers carry printed text or pattern. |
| Illustrated | Endpapers contain illustrations. |
| Maps | Endpapers show maps. |
| Photographic | Endpapers use photographic imagery. |
| Decorative pattern | Endpapers have a non-marbled decorative pattern. |
| Self-ends | The first and last leaves of the text block serve as endpapers. |
| Cloth | Cloth is used as the endpaper or hinge material. |
| Leather doublures | Leather is used on the inside covers. |
| Silk | Silk is used for doublures or endpapers. |
| Vellum | Vellum is used for doublures or endpapers. |
| None | No distinct endpapers are present. |
Text Block Condition Options
| Dropdown option | Use when |
|---|---|
| Tight | Pages are firmly held and the book opens stiffly. |
| Solid | The structure is firm but opens comfortably. |
| Sound | The book is structurally good despite visible use. |
| Tender | The structure is beginning to weaken and should be handled carefully. |
| Shaken | The text block moves in the covers; sewing or attachment is weakened. |
| Loose | Leaves or gatherings are loosening. |
| Detached | The text block or major parts are detached from the cover. |
| Broken | The binding or text block is structurally broken. |
| Recased | The original or existing text block has been put into a new or repaired case. |
| Rebacked | The spine has been replaced or substantially repaired. |
| Rebound | The book has been bound again in a later binding. |
See also: Paper Types and Edge Treatments · Physical Description · Condition Terms