A competitive edge for graphic embellishment can be found ready-made in edges of a literal kind: the head, tail, and fore-edge surfaces formed by the bound pages of printed books.

The three open sides between the covers are made of the same paper as the signatures they belong to—and nothing says that these narrow but noticeable strips of printable material have to be left blank.

With rich color and vivid metallic effects popping out in places where they don’t typically appear, edge-decorated books gain an extra dimension of visual appeal that book lovers can’t resist. Publishers know it and are increasingly investing in it. Printers and binders of books should treat edge decoration as an opportunity to add value where the consumer book market is growing more and accustomed to seeing it.