Book Folding Terminology.

Last updated: May 11, 2026

Book Folding Common Terms Used

To help all beginners starting off with book folding, the first hurdle is often the terminology used by other more experienced users.

The advanced bookfolder will find the below list of folded book art vocabulary second nature, but for all those novice book folding fans out there, we have created a small list with some of the most commonly used phrases and abbreviations.

180 Fold

Possibly the mostly confused term within the book folding pattern industry, yet a really simple one (once you know the trick of the trade). So in order to carry out a 180 fold, you simply fold every page towards the spine PRIOR to marking and cutting. The fold should be precise on every page, and no bigger than 1 cm. The reason for using a 180 fold is so the design stands out more and is more defined. It also allows for some of the wording to be visible, meaning not only greater contrast, but also greater impact displaying the beauty of the book.

MMF

MMF, stands for Measure, Mark and Fold.

Combi Fold

A combi fold is used to make your pattern stand out more from the book. In order to create this effect, measure and mark the page as normal, but instead of folding the first and last fold straight, fold it so it creates a 45 degree angle.

Shadow Folding

Shadow Folding is very similar to a normal cut and fold, with the exception that every other page is unmarked leading for a more subtle “shadow” like result. In order to try out a shadow fold, it is important to use a pattern that is suitable for shadow folding as otherwise you may not receive the required result.

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