So many of us book readers love collecting books. Not just for reading over and over again, but for their aesthetic appeal. For myself, I'm a huge fan of illuminated manuscripts and antique books. Which is what got me into publishing in the first place.
For a long time, books were becoming more minimalist. They were smaller, easier to carry, with thinner paper, and less ornate. Even if the cover art was gorgeous, it was still just a thin flimsy piece of cardstock. And it saddened me. I wanted to buy a book that I could hand down to my kids. Something that lasted for centuries and that I wouldn't be tempted to off-load at a used books store the next time I had to downsize my collection because I was moving.
However, in the last decade, book design has seen a change for the more visually dynamic. And readers are eating it up. With the return of painted edges, hard cover books are more in vogue than ever as collectors items. From simple monochrome images to full on painted portraits and landscapes, painted book edges are a gorgeous addition to books available to retail shoppers.
What is edge painting?
It's the process of painting an image or design on the unbound edges of the book pages. In centuries past, this was done by hand. And while a few artists today offer the option to customize books by painting on the edges, most publishers use specially designed printing machines to mass beautify the text blocks of case bound (hardcover) books. Usually edge printed books are special editions. Sometimes they are difficult to find or are only available in a limited run.
Comments