Why Sprayed Edged Books Are Hard To Achieve in Australia

As the world of print media and publishing continues to evolve with technology, markets and readers’ interests, there’s one particular trend in book printing that is showing no sign of slowing down. Sprayed edges are a type of book decorating that elevates the story you hold in your hands into a product that exceeds a functional use. Instead, the book becomes a keepsake. But if you’ve ever tried to get sprayed edges on your self-published books in Australia, you’ll find that the process isn’t as accessible as you might think. Let’s go behind the scenes of the Australian book printing industry and explore why sprayed edges are so hard to achieve in Australia and the indie alternatives that are keeping the industry on its toes.

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What are sprayed edges?

If you’ve noticed sprayed edges popping up on more of the books you’re reading lately, you might mistake the trend as a new one. In actuality, book printers have been applying sprayed edges to books for a thousand years, with the origins of sprayed edges being able to be traced back to the 10th century for the purpose of identification. Nowadays, sprayed edges are usually applied as a means of elevating a book - transforming it from a parcel of words to a memento to treasure forever.

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Also known as book edging, applying sprayed edges to your book simply means adding colour, patterns or detailed designs to the edges of the pages so that when the book is closed, the edges become a work of art in and of itself. These days, sprayed edges are commonly used as a way to differentiate a special edition from a typical one, encouraging book buyers to invest in this keepsake and helping to drive early and on-release sales.

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You might be aware of a few other techniques similar to sprayed edges, and each of these have a different effect on the design and feel of your book. While sprayed edging adds a design to just the edges of your book pages, some book designers create imagery around the border of each individual page that then creates its own image or design on the edge of the book. Alternatively, book designers might use a full bleed design, colouring the entire book page so that the edges also give off a colour. Additionally, gilded edges is another technique of sprayed edging, getting its name from the metallic shine created on the book edges by the use of metallic foil - you might recognise this technique from religious texts or historical books.

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Why Sprayed Edged Books Are More Than Just A Pretty Face

We all know the classic saying, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’, but do we ever follow our own advice? The realistic answer is no, and the book printing and publishing industries know this better than anyone. Every part of a well-designed book - from the font to the spine to the binding technique to the page edges - factors in when bookworms are selecting their next read. In addition to creating a show-stopping book, however, is creating a must-have special edition. This is what sprayed edges can provide both readers and their authors - a way to turn a plain book into a collector’s item.

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There are a range of other benefits to sprayed edges, too. Whether it’s simply to enhance the aesthetic value, further the book’s creative expression, add depth and dimension to an otherwise flat-seeming object, or even create brand identity around an author or a book series. 

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For indie designers and self-published authors especially, sprayed edges are a means of innovation. While you might only notice a trend once the big industry players have jumped on board the bandwagon - whether it be in book publishing or otherwise - real innovation happens at a grassroots level, and indie authors have long been the leaders of this frontier. 

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We spoke to indie author Tansy Rayner Roberts about her own experience in adding details to the edges of her books. “Readers are really craving the pretty book experience,” she told us. “It’s been led by TikTok, which is one of our biggest drivers of publishing trends right now, but I think that has just brought out something that was always there in readers. We LOVE beautiful, fancy copies of our favourite books. Until quite recently, the main books that got this kind of treatment were the literary classics. As always, romance readers were the first to push a new trend, like the special editions we are now seeing with romance, romantasy and fantasy releases.” 

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Struggling To Get Sprayed Edges On Australian Printed Books? Here’s Why

There are a few different ways to achieve sprayed edges, each of them varying in cost, accessibility and time. If you’ve bought a book with sprayed edges that was printed overseas, it’s likely that the sprayed edges were applied using an inkjet printer.

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For self-published authors wanting to get their book printed with sprayed edges in Australia, it can be quite a mission. As it currently stands, there’s very few machines in the country that can apply sprayed edges onto printed books. For Melbourne-based indie authors, this makes it especially difficult, as there are currently no sprayed edges printers in the local region. If you do manage to find an offshore printer to help you out, the sprayed edge printing technique can often be limited to high-volume print runs - so, not the best for small-run self-published authors.

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But the inaccessibility of this machine isn’t slowing down indie authors. Instead, they’ve innovated in a way that has seen them coming up with their own DIY techniques to create designs for the edges of their books. Like Tansy told FolioFox printing, framing each page with a pattern to create forced edges of her book has allowed her to craft beautiful printed edges. Alternatively, many authors are using craft techniques - like spray-painting, drawing directly on the edges or using stencils. Regardless of the constraints of costs, technology and accessibility, these indie authors are proving that innovation always finds a way.

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The Start Of A New Chapter in Australian-Printed Sprayed Edged Books

As indie and self-published authors continue to lead the way for book innovation, some printing experts are right there along with them. At FolioFox, we recognise the desire for affordable, time-efficient and accessible options to add flourishes to books and bring those special editions to life, and that’s why we’re investing in one of Australia’s very few sprayed edge printers - located right here in Melbourne. 

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Once you print your book with us, it will make its journey through the sprayed edge printer three separate times, in order to ensure all the edges get the royal treatment. We use an inkjet printer with CMYK, which is quickly becoming the standard in the industry thanks to its premium quality. It does, however, mean that the colours can sink into the pages of the book if uncoated pages are selected, so it’s best to craft your parcel of pages using silk finish. Then, we package up your book and send it on your way!

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Ultimately, while sprayed edges are hard to achieve on self-published books printed in Australia, we’re here to help make it just that little bit easier. We understand the desire to add this lovely embellishment to your work of written art, as well as the market growth among book buyers keen to get their hands on special editions. Indie authors are vital innovators in the evolving world of book printing, and we’re proud to stand alongside them as we push this industry forward into the future.

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‍To learn more about our book printing and sprayed edge printing services for self-published authors and get started on your printing journey, get in touch with our team today. We're here to help you navigate the evolving world of printing with confidence.