Abstract: A method is provided for quantitatively evaluating fiber tear associated with removal of a cover that was adhered to a spine of bound pages of at least one book. The method includes optically imaging the spine of each book from which the cover was removed and generating a corresponding at least one digital image, and processing the images using a tangible processor executing image processing software. The processing includes selecting regions of the images that have a color which corresponds to a range of colors associated with a selected level of fiber tear, assigning a selected color to the selected regions which is contrasting relative to the colors of non-selected regions of the at least one image, selecting at least a portion of the images to analyze, and determining a percentage of the selected portion that is assigned the selected color.

Abstract: A method is provided for quantitatively evaluating fiber tear associated with removal of a cover that was adhered to a spine of bound pages of at least one book. The method includes optically imaging the spine of each book from which the cover was removed and generating a corresponding at least one digital image, and processing the images using a tangible processor executing image processing software. The processing includes selecting regions of the images that have a color which corresponds to a range of colors associated with a selected level of fiber tear, assigning a selected color to the selected regions which is contrasting relative to the colors of non-selected regions of the at least one image, selecting at least a portion of the images to analyze, and determining a percentage of the selected portion that is assigned the selected color.