Open Flat
Of the many attributes I appreciate in a good binding, the one that makes the most difference when it comes to actual use is the ability to open flat.
I don't know enough about the intricacies of bookbinding to say for certain why some books open flat and others don't. It's not a question of cost. There are cheap Bibles that open flat and expensive ones that don't. Perhaps the construction of the text block makes the difference, though again, I've handled sewn bindings that open flat and others that won't. A glued paperback with a softcover will open flat, too, assuming the text block has some weight to it. Some have suggested that the tightness of the binding plays a role, which makes sense to me: with use, I've seen Bibles that wouldn't open flat start to do so. One of the things I love about Cambridge's Pitt Minion (pictured here) is that it springs open and stays flat right out of the box.
If I were publishing Bibles, this is one of the attributes I'd strive for in every edition. Whether they are luxury or economy editions, with enough care for detail and proportion, there's no reason why a Bible shouldn't open flat.
J. Mark Bertrand is a novelist and pastor whose writing on Bible design has helped spark a publishing revolution. Mark is the author of Rethinking Worldview: Learning to Think, Live, and Speak in This World (Crossway, 2007), as well as the novels Back on Murder, Pattern of Wounds, and Nothing to Hide—described as a “series worth getting attached to” (Christianity Today) by “a major crime fiction talent” (Weekly Standard) in the vein of Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, and Henning Mankell.
Mark has a BA in English Literature from Union University, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston, and an M.Div. from Heidelberg Theological Seminary. Through his influential Bible Design Blog, Mark has championed a new generation of readable Bibles. He is a founding member of the steering committee of the Society of Bible Craftsmanship, and chairs the Society’s Award Committee. His work was featured in the November 2021 issue of FaithLife’s Bible Study Magazine.
Mark also serves on the board of Worldview Academy, where he has been a member of the faculty of theology since 2003. Since 2017, he has been an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He and his wife Laurie life in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.