Work out the piece of cloth and board pieces to cut for a hardback case, with dimensions marked on a cutting diagram.
Measurements — millimetres
values convert as you switch
workshop fractions
finest division you cut to
S + 2T clears the board thickness
finished trimmed width
finished trimmed height
width of the text block's back
typically 6–8 mm
sets the corner miter
standard 15–20 mm
board overhang — 6.35 mm (¼ in)
extra to trim off later
Cloth and Boards to cut
Total width — Wtotal
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Total height — Htotal
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Cut the cloth
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Piece
Qty
Size (mm)
Notes
Cutting diagram
Grain direction: the grain must run parallel to the spine — vertically on this diagram. Cross-grain cloth warps the finished cover and will not turn in neatly at head and tail.
Corner miters: the dashed 45° cuts sit back — from each board corner (1.5 × board thickness), leaving enough cloth to wrap the corner cleanly.
Joints: the two gaps either side of the spine are what the boards hinge on. Do not glue boards into them.