Press boards, or boards for putting books in the press; they must be pear wood. It is necessary to have them in different sizes, that is to say, for folio, quarto, octavo, duodecimo, and octodecimo. See Plate I of Bookbinding, Fig. 5. [1]

If there is no pear wood, one uses beech.

Backing boards, these are small, well-polished beech boards, of which one of the sides in the length is round; the other is square. One puts one of these boards between each of the volumes which are all turned in the same direction, when they’re lying, and which one prepares to be put in the press to make the spine, the square side of the board joining with the ends of the sewing cords, such that these boards press a bit more on the shoulder of the books, serving to push out the spine in a round. They exist for all sizes of books. See Plate I, figure F. [2]

Tying-up boards ; there are quite similar planks to tie-up, bur larger than the former. One says tying-up boards. See Plate I, figure G. [3]

Cutting boards; these are small planks which Binders use to hold in the press the books they want to cut. See Plowing, Tying-up, and Rounding.

1. This reference appears incorrect. See instead Plate IV, figures 6 and 7. These boards are shown between books in the press in Plate I, figure D as well.

2. This reference appears to be incorrect. The only reference in the plates to backing boards is Plate III, figure 11, although the boards shown here are square on both ends, not the ones with one rounded end as described in the text.

3. See Plate III, figure 11, which refers to tying-up boards, and figure 14, which shows “a tied-up book.” Note the crossing of the tying-up cords over the spine, forming the leather over the bands as it dries.