custom made folding boxes for books and rare items
You’ve probably seen a clamshell box before even if you weren’t sure what to call it. It has a hinge of sorts on one of its three sides, allowing the book to lay flat inside the bottom (or tray) of the box while the top-side and spine-side can be opened and extended for viewing the book. The top and bottom fit into one another snugly to provide complete cover and protection for the book inside.
A folding box, first and foremost, is designed to protect your rare book while it’s stored on your shelf. The Library of Congress emphasizes that proper storage of books includes keeping them relatively dry, minimizing exposure to any type of light (but especially bright light), keeping them free of dust, and keeping them on shelves in an upright or flat position. A folding box allows you to do all of these proper storage techniques and keep your book safe for a long time. As a bonus, many custom folding boxes, as mentioned above, are designed with handmade, acid-free papers that also allow the folding boxes to serve a decorative purpose on your shelves.
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One of the most important features of any folding box is that it is made from archival paper. Archival paper is acid-free and generally free of bleaches, brighteners, and pulp. most archival paper is made from 100 percent cotton. it is also important that the folding box adapts to the size and shape of the book. when a folding box is custom made like this, it can protect the book from damage and can house the book without risking the sides or corners being hit.
buy standard folding file boxes in the blink of an eye
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We just told you all about custom folding boxes that are created to the exact size of a particular book. however, not all folding boxes are suitable for a certain object. If you’re in a hurry and want to protect a book or collection of papers until you can have a custom-made folding box for the specific job, you can purchase standard file folding boxes.
Standard folding file boxes can come in a variety of sizes, usually designed to hold standard sized books and documents. For example, you’ll be able to find standard folding boxes in sizes like 5×7, 8.5×11, and 11×14. most of them have a standard depth of 2 or 2.5 inches. Of course, standard folding file boxes won’t arrive with handmade papers or other decorative items to adorn them. they are typically black, white, or a shade of gray. Since books are safer in folding boxes that fit their specific size to prevent movement inside while still giving the book some room to breathe, it’s best to design a custom folding box.
make your own folding boxes
There are numerous archival services that can help you to purchase custom-made clamshell boxes for your rare books. If you are particularly enterprising, you might consider learning to make tailored clamshell boxes yourself. You’ll need a number of supplies to get started, including acid-free book board or chip board, acid-free paper to cover the clamshell box, a ruler, a large cutting board, a pencil, an exacto knife, polyvinyl acetate (or PVA) glue, a brush, a small cup of water, and a bone folder. Before you begin, it’s important to know that these boxes can be complicated to make, and you might not get it right on the first try. You can seek out instructions from a variety of sources online, or you might try to find a local class where you can learn from someone with experience making these archival boxes.
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You may be lucky enough to live near a college or local bookbinding that offers workshops to learn how to make folding boxes. For example, a preservation library at Wake Forest University wrote about their experience learning to make folding boxes in a cattail bindery in nearby Virginia.
Ultimately, a folding box can protect your rare book for years and even decades. If you don’t already have collapsible boxes for your rarest items, consider making them custom. And in the meantime, be sure to take precautions when it comes to exposing your books to light, dust, and wear and tear on your shelves.
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