Colored Edges With Front and End Gilding
The effect of edges gilt front and back with marbling between is beautiful. This edge is especially applicable to books of large size.
The plain red-edge (carmine) and every marbled edge can be used in this connection.
Antique marbles are greatly adapted to this kind of book-edge decoration.
The production of these edges does not offer any especial technical difficulties. The book block must be treated as a hollow edge and must be scraped and then decorated with antique marbling or red color.
This having been done, insert the book into the hand-press and mark correctly how far the gilding is to be done.
To put on the gold, a solution of albumen is applied to the spots to be gilded and then a good and substantial gold leaf is laid on. As soon as the edge is dry, burnish as any other gilt-edge.
A fine chased pearl line at the meeting of the two edges, will greatly enhance the effect of this beautiful edge.