Why does nobody talk about grain direction for text blocks?

After binding a 400 page novel at the Toronto Public Library workshop last month, I realized everyone there was focused on glue and thread but ignored which way the paper grain runs. I switched my practice to always fold before trimming and it fixed my spine cracking issues. Has anyone else found grain direction matters more than the fancy linen thread you use?

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the_thomas9d ago

And it's the same thing with woodworking, honestly. People obsess over the fancy joinery or the finish but ignore how the boards were cut and dried, then wonder why things warp a month later. I had the same spine cracking issue until I started checking grain on every ream, even cheap paper, and it fixed it more than any thread or glue ever did. It's like everyone wants the visible thing to be the fix, but the invisible stuff is what actually holds up over time.