A board is a flat surface on which objects or images can be placed for exhibition or advertisement, such as books. Regarding books, this would typically include their coverboard (made out of cardboard and covered with fabric, paper, or plastic).
A book’s spine connects its coverboards, while “board” can also refer to its entirety – including its spine. The word comes from Old English “bord,” meaning “table.”
Bookboard is a type of paperboard widely used in the construction of hardcover books; their coverboards and endpapers are typically constructed from it. Endpapers mark the start and end of a book and usually feature different papers than its internal pages.
Book boards typically come in two varieties of paperboard: virgin fiberboard and recycled fiberboard. Virgin fiber is made from freshly harvested wood pulp; on the other hand, recycled paper pulp may have already been utilized previously, for instance, in recycled newspapers.
There are three varieties of virgin fiber board: bleached kraft board, unbleached kraft board, and sulfate board. Bleached kraft is made from wood pulp that has been bleached using chemical agents, while unbleached kraft comprises wood pulp that has not been bleached at all. The sulfate board features wood pulp treated with sulfuric acid for manufacturing purposes.
Recycled fiberboard comes in two varieties: deinked board and mechanical board. The deinked board is created from recycled newspapers with ink removed. Meanwhile, the mechanical board comes from office paper, magazines, and other paper forms run through a machine that shreds them into small pieces.
Board books are books composed of thick paperboard pages. Usually geared toward young children who cannot yet read, board books often include die-cut pages that can be turned into shapes or opened up to reveal pictures.
Board books are shorter and cheaper than hardcover books, often offering greater portability for less money.