Case binding is what we call the hard covers that you see on coffee table books or some novels. The case (hard cover) can be wrapped in a colour print, or other materials like leather (real or faux), fabric, vinyl or buckram. They are often beautifully embellished. The pages of the book are first perfect bound, lay flat bound, burst bound or section sewn before they are attached to the cover. How flat it lies depends on how the pages are bound.