also: かくぜ
noun
flat back; square back
Bookbinding term for a spine that is flat and squared off, as opposed to a rounded spine (丸背).
See also: 丸背
この本は角背で、背表紙が平らになっている。
This book has a flat back, and the spine cover is flat.
角背の製本は、丸背に比べてページが開きにくいことがある。
Flat-back binding can sometimes make pages harder to open compared to rounded-back binding.
Refers to a rounded spine, the opposite of 角背.
Compound of 角 (kaku, 'angle, square') and 背 (se, 'back, spine'), referring to the squared shape of the book spine.