QUESTION: There is a new type of printing called "Perfect Printing" which is now used in the production of hardcover books. Using this process, a book is bound by having its pages glued together in spots where in the conventional process, stitching would be used instead. It is known that the Perfect Printing method is more efficient but is of a lower quality than the conventional process. Accordingly, at the end of the Perfect Printing process, the book binders make the binding look as if it was bound using the conventional process. Is this permitted or is this a violation of Geneivas Daas (deception)?
ANSWER: This is an excellent question and one should consult his Rav. It is also possible that the answer to this question may change over time. The downside of a "Perfect Printing" hardcover book is that when opened, the pages of the book may not lie as flat as a book bound with the conventional process.
There is a Smah in Choshen Mishpat (228:16) that states that when everyone (or perhaps most people) know that butchers add white color to meat to make it appear fattier (and of higher quality) then it is permitted to do so. It is not considered deceitful, because then it becomes the Minhag HaSochrim (the common way of the merchants). In other words, once most people know that merchants often present their merchandise in a certain way, it is not deemed to be deceitful as the buyer should have known that merchandise is commonly presented in this manner.
Now, back to your book binding question. In this author's view, most people know that Perfect Printing is used for paperback books. However, at the current time, few know that it is also used for hardcover books. It is therefore recommended that if measures were used to make it appear as if the conventional process of book binding was used, you should state in the promotional materials of such books, disclosure such as, "Hardcover book produced using Perfect Printing technology". However, as more people become aware that this process is used for hardcover books as well, there may come a time when this disclosure is no longer necessary.
