How many elements book design?

Front Cover and back Cover, title page, and body text but usually there will be many more parts of a book design. Explore the physical components of hard cover (Hard bound) and soft cover (paper back) books as well as the design elements that make of the text portion of most books.

Each printed page of the text block contains an area known as the type page - the area of a printed page excluding non-printing areas (margins, gutter) as well as some printed areas including headers, footers, and page numbers.

Front Matter

So called because it is all the material that appears at the front of the book, before you reach the actual body content, the front matter may be as simple as a single title page or table of contents or it could be comprised of multiple title pages, a detailed table of contents, and several pages for the preface and foreword,

Body of the Book

Main text of the book. This is the main portion of the publication. In longer books and manuals the body is often sub-divided into chapters or sections

End of the Book Components

The number and type of sections that follow the final chapter vary by the type of book. Technical publications generally have more of these end of the book components including an index and an appendix.

Case Components and Book Binding

A basic knowledge of the parts of a book and how a book is put together can help the designer envision the finished product. The boards, spine, and cover material make up the case which is created separate from the text block and attached to it.

Miscellaneous : The designer may be involved in the selection and design of several additional parts of a book including:

Bookplate

A plain or decorative paper label glued to the inside of the front cover or front endpaper that indicates the name of the book owner. It may include a space for writing the name with a pen or bookplates can be printed and affixed to all the book owner's collection. Decorative bookplates may include fancy type, personal quotes, or illustrations.

Fillet

A decorative line or band impressed on the book cover.

Inlay

An illustration or other decorative element set into the cover of a book or inset in a border or frame of paper.

Onlay

A decorative panel of paper or other material superimposed onto the book cover.

Tabs / Index

Tabs are small pieces of paper, card, or fabric attached to the fore-edge of a book and stamped or printed with letters, words, numbers indicating alphabetical or subject organization of the text. Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and Bibles may have a index where a series of half-circular notches or tabs are cut into the fore-edge of a book.

Throwout

A wider than normal leaf folded so that the reader can fold it out for viewing. A throwout may contain maps, tables, diagrams, or photographs that need to be larger than the other pages of the book.

So called because it is all the material that appears at the front of the book, before you reach the actual body content, the front matter may be as simple as a single title page or table of contents or it could be comprised of multiple title pages, a detailed table of contents, and several pages for the preface and foreword.

Title Page(s)

The title page would normally have the title of the book and the name of the author and illustrator. Depend on the type of publication. Technical or software manuals may include more information on the specific products covered, safety notices, and warranties, while a book of poetry may have only copyright and publisher information.

Contents

Contents may be as simple as listing all the main chapter titles and the page they start on or be multi-level with sub-chapters and descriptions.

List of Figures / Illustrations

Some books have a separate table of contents for the illustrations, photos, chartes, and graphs that might give the name or source of the illustration (if there are mulitple contributors / sources), a title or description of the illustration, and the page number.

Preface

The preface gets the reader to read the book by briefly describing the contents, purpose of the book, and explaining who the book targets.

Foreword

Often written by an acknowledged expert in the field or genre covered by the book, the foreword is something of a testimonial for the author or the book itself.

Dedication

A dedication section is a separate page that briefly names one or more persons of special significance to the author, often a loved one or someone else the author holds in high esteem.

Acknowledgment

An acknowledgment page is where the author acknowledges the contributions of organizations and individuals who he or she feels helped with the book.

Errata

The errata is a list of corrections that describes the error, where it occurs, and what the correct text or illustration should be. Generally added as a separate slip of paper somewhere in the front matter, it might be bound into the book.

Frontispiece

Also called a frontis, this is an illustration typically found opposite the title page or elsewhere in the front of the book.