For 2015, Timber Products Company's Species Spotlight is expanding into Veneer Spotlight in order to examine additional veneer characteristics. In this feature, Timber Products Company Veneer Expert Eric Cullen looks at book match veneers.

Definition: Book match is the most common matching type of veneer, with roughly nine out of 10 spliced veneers falling under book match. To book match, alternating leaves of veneer are turned over, so that adjacent leaves are opened like the pages of a book. 

Use cases:  A-grade spliced veneer typically has to be book match as it is part of the standard in most species. A-grade is used in architectural applications and for visually prominent features such as cabinet doors. Exceptions to this use case are found for Knotty Pine, Knotty Cedar and Alder, where the presence of characteristics like knots makes for unpleasant patterns. The knots in book match form might resemble a bullet hole pattern. Species with many characteristics are usually plank matched.

Advantages: Book match creates symmetry and yields maximum continuity of grain. This type of pattern is usually most pleasing to the eye.

Barber Pole: Because book match alternates between the tight side to the loose side, it could cause a barber pole appearance effect, where dark and light patterns alternate across the veneer sheet. Some species are more prone to this look than others. The solutions for barber pole are finishing techniques to minimize how light is reflected off the veneer and/or slip matching the components.

Cutting: Many people confuse matching with cutting methods. Book match can be rotary cut, plain sliced, rift or quartered veneer. Matching is not determined by the method in which the veneer is cut.

Top Tip: Be extra vigilant when ordering book match in both B and C grades. Unlike A-grade, book match is not the default in B and C grades. You must specify that you want book match in those grades.

In future editions, look for Veneer Spotlights on slip match, plank match and pleasing match.

What questions about book match do you have?