Any piece of stationery or printed item with a gold or metallic edge has what we call a gilt edge. Gilt edging has a long history and was one of the most prominent decorative finishing techniques used in early centuries. Today a gilt edge exudes a subtle sophistication which goes with all sorts of looks from playful to formal making it a timeless finishing technique.
The origins of gilt edging
Traditional gilt edging was seen as the most elegant of all finishing techniques and for this reason it was often (and still is) used to ornament the most precious or important books. Religious books like bibles or missals often use the “gilt on red” technique on the edge of each page and classic works of literature often come with gilt edges in hardback form.
But gilt edging isn’t just a technique used in bookbinding. Any printed item can be gilded to add unique flavour or look and gold isn’t the only option. Silver or colour options are also available depending on what style you want to create.
Contemporary gilt edging
These days gilt edging can be applied to any printed items and it’s often used to enhance the aesthetic of business cards, company brochures and like. Gilt edging tends to give off a subtle air of sophistication but it can also be used to make print look really contemporary especially since it can be completed in a range of different colours.
Gilt edging techniques
There are various edging techniques out there which are used for different applications. For smaller printed items, like business cards or invitations hand machines can be used and for most applications a hand machine will suffice. The old traditional gilding techniques for finishing book pages can still be used for larger documents, but this is a very meticulous technique which can be time consuming and takes a lot of precision and expertise to get right.
Gilt edging is a great way to enhance the aesthetic of a printed item in a subtle, but effective way, so if you want to finish off some print with something simple but special then this technique could be the one for you.
