Appalling cover curl from Amazon

I ordered a proof copy (of my "Half an Empire") from Amazon, and it now has curl, just like the picture in the first post above. It also arrived with the envelope unsealed, and a strip of brown + adhesive stuck diagonally across the cover, which i had to ease off with a pad soaked in methylated spirits. And a tear in the edge of the cover. Altogether I was not impressed. It was printed by Amazon Italia Logistica and took ten days in all to arrive.
As it was a proof rather than for-sale copy I did not feel it was worth complaining.
Of course the opening and taping is the mail service. But since yours was from the Italia printer which sent me the good copy the mystery deepens?
 
>>>I do NOT know<<< but I bet if you check the cover's edge, you'll discover the image is a very thin layer as though glued/bonded on. Even if added like a finish coat (not like ink but paint/varnish) forms a layer. Ink would move with the paper as it grows. That layer, however, does not expand or shrink the same amount as the paper whether through thermal or humidity differences. IOW, the only way it will ever work as is, would be to find that perfect balanced temperature/humidity. Steel does this if you heat treat one side, and anything else where you've changed the expansion rates from one side to the other. In this case, I'm betting, it's two materials that do not move the same.
K2
 
I bet if you check the cover's edge, you'll discover the image is a very thin layer as though glued/bonded on.
There is a top layer of film on Amazon covers. I have several proof copies of different books on my shelf, and there are two types: some have the image printed on the card with a clear film laid on top, and some of them are like you said, with the film holding the actual image on top of plain card. It's not even consistent with ones printed in the same country.
 
There is a top layer of film on Amazon covers. I have several proof copies of different books on my shelf, and there are two types: some have the image printed on the card with a clear film laid on top, and some of them are like you said, with the film holding the actual image on top of plain card. It's not even consistent with ones printed in the same country.
Well, I suspect either of those two types--unless the film was matched to the card's expansion rate--would risk curl. I'm not a printer/bookbinder, but I know paperbacks and the like were printed on the stock and for semi-glossier versions were likely mechanically polished or finished (waxes and the like, guessing there), and so the image enlarged as the card stock did. From a glance what's happening is the same thing as bi-metal switches, is all. In this case, same-same as gloss photographs, which also curl since only one side is coated with the agents.

K2
 
Well, I suspect either of those two types--unless the film was matched to the card's expansion rate--would risk curl. I'm not a printer/bookbinder, but I know paperbacks and the like were printed on the stock and for semi-glossier versions were likely mechanically polished or finished (waxes and the like, guessing there), and so the image enlarged as the card stock did. From a glance what's happening is the same thing as bi-metal switches, is all. In this case, same-same as gloss photographs, which also curl since only one side is coated with the agents.

K2
It does sound logical. I've found the same production method on trad published novels that didn't curl (or at least was so minor I didn't notice), but not all of Amazon ones have either, so that doesn't mean much.

It seems odd, though, that the curl is only ever one way. I assume the card stock is expanding as it absorbs moisture in higher humidity, but wouldn't that mean it should bow the other way in very dry air? Or is it likely to be manufactured in air drier than you would ever get anywhere else?

(I know you said you're not an expert; I'm thinking aloud** really.)

**(yes, aloud, this is a very noisy keyboard.)
 
It seems odd, though, that the curl is only ever one way. I assume the card stock is expanding as it absorbs moisture in higher humidity, but wouldn't that mean it should bow the other way in very dry air? Or is it likely to be manufactured in air drier than you would ever get anywhere else?
I would imagine there is a lot more to it than most folks consider, perhaps even the 'modern' book printer (without the previous generations experience fully shared).

Consider this; paper doesn't come in the size of the book, or even a cut sown sheet, or even larger sheets (say the size of a pool table), it comes in rolls possibly 8-24 feet (making up numbers) long and 6-8 feet in diameter. When they feed it --onto the roll-- I suspect the paper is dry, flat, and the same size from one side to the other. As it wraps onto the roll, extremely fast, maybe hundreds-1,000 ft/min., the outside must stretch to match the increased radius determined by the paper's thickness--meaning, card-stock requires more stretch--with naturally that amount of stretch decreasing as the roll gets larger (smaller proportion of difference to length). Same-same with steel.

They'll slit the rolls to shorter, more manageable lengths, and gradually cut it down in smaller length/widths--but, as they pull it off the roll((s) as they may re-roll it a couple times before flattened), that paper being longer on one side or the other will curl--with the greatest curl near the roll's center. SO, part of the issue might be what part of the roll your batch was run from. However, at the point in the process where they are making sheets, no matter what size, they must flatten the paper.

In steel they call it 'leveling,' sometimes stretching, yet in a nutshell they very aggressively bend/flex it one way, then back, and also along its axis lengthwise. It's similar to how you unroll a rug and must then re-roll it inside out to get it to flatten. However, with paper/steel, all that bending takes place over maybe 12 feet as it feeds off at 1,000 feet/min.. With steel it's mechanical, with paper--I'm guessing--they could use heat and steam along with the mechanical aspect. Essentially they are stretching the short side to match the long side as best as possible. What that also means is, which side of the paper is 'out' on your book may determine the risk of curl as seen in @Astro Pen 's books.

Now add the variable of different thermal/humidity expansions of the paper to outer coating, and you can see where if it came from the inner roll, they didn't stretch it properly, and didn't use the correct side, it just compounds the condition caused by the coating. And that may explain why some books (from different paper stock runs) curl more than others.

K2
 
I would imagine there is a lot more to it than most folks consider, perhaps even the 'modern' book printer (without the previous generations experience fully shared).

Consider this; paper doesn't come in the size of the book, or even a cut sown sheet, or even larger sheets (say the size of a pool table), it comes in rolls possibly 8-24 feet (making up numbers) long and 6-8 feet in diameter. When they feed it --onto the roll-- I suspect the paper is dry, flat, and the same size from one side to the other. As it wraps onto the roll, extremely fast, maybe hundreds-1,000 ft/min., the outside must stretch to match the increased radius determined by the paper's thickness--meaning, card-stock requires more stretch--with naturally that amount of stretch decreasing as the roll gets larger (smaller proportion of difference to length). Same-same with steel.

They'll slit the rolls to shorter, more manageable lengths, and gradually cut it down in smaller length/widths--but, as they pull it off the roll((s) as they may re-roll it a couple times before flattened), that paper being longer on one side or the other will curl--with the greatest curl near the roll's center. SO, part of the issue might be what part of the roll your batch was run from. However, at the point in the process where they are making sheets, no matter what size, they must flatten the paper.

In steel they call it 'leveling,' sometimes stretching, yet in a nutshell they very aggressively bend/flex it one way, then back, and also along its axis lengthwise. It's similar to how you unroll a rug and must then re-roll it inside out to get it to flatten. However, with paper/steel, all that bending takes place over maybe 12 feet as it feeds off at 1,000 feet/min.. With steel it's mechanical, with paper--I'm guessing--they could use heat and steam along with the mechanical aspect. Essentially they are stretching the short side to match the long side as best as possible. What that also means is, which side of the paper is 'out' on your book may determine the risk of curl as seen in @Astro Pen 's books.

Now add the variable of different thermal/humidity expansions of the paper to outer coating, and you can see where if it came from the inner roll, they didn't stretch it properly, and didn't use the correct side, it just compounds the condition caused by the coating. And that may explain why some books (from different paper stock runs) curl more than others.

K2
Thanks @K2
I think they are correct when they blame humidity. A quick skim of the inner side past a steaming kettle curled it like a flute.
What I feel is not correct is when they say it will stabilise after a few weeks. The Plastic (polymer?) film is not going to absorb moisture over time.
They use dry paper which is a theoretically good thing for the bonding of the film, but the real world is not dry,
Here is a video which I start at the lamination phase. Whilst it doesn't solve our problem it does show the whole process which is interesting. :)
 
How much does Amazon or the publisher save per book by having this shoddier method for the cover?
 

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