Styled Book Edges

Styled edges (also called forced edges or printed edges) work by adding colored areas to every page of your book where the edge should be visible. When all pages are stacked together and the book is trimmed, these colored areas create a pattern visible on the book's edge. The ink soaks into the paper, making the pattern visible from the side when looking at the closed book.

Learn more about forced edges →

We cannot guarantee exact print results, as the final appearance depends on your printer's cutting and trimming precision. Colors appear through the bleed bleeding into the page, which means they will always look more muted than the original image—vibrant colors cannot be achieved with this method.

Styled edges work with any print-on-demand service—no need to ship books to edge painters or handle inventory. Pay once and use your styled edges PDF forever on unlimited reprints. It's an affordable way to add a premium look to your books without the typical $15-30 per-book cost of traditional fore-edge painting.

Image Sizing: Images must match your book's trim size in JPEG or PNG format.

• Fore-edge (side): [Spine Width] x [Book Height]. Example: For a 6x9" book with 1.04" spine, use 1.04" x 9"
• Top & Bottom edges: [Spine Width] x [Book Width]. Example: For the same 6x9" book, use 1.04" x 6"

Image Style: Both color and black-and-white images work. Note: Color edge images require your entire interior to be printed in color, increasing costs. Images with bold lines and clear color separation produce the best results. Avoid fine details or similar shades of gray, as they may blend together and lose clarity.

Upload your Styled Edges PDF to Vellum as a border element that appears on all pages. When the book is printed and trimmed, the colored borders create a visible pattern on the edge.

For detailed instructions, see Vellum's official guide on fore-edge painting.

You have two options:

1. Complete Book PDF (Recommended): Choose this delivery method when ordering. Upload your manuscript, and we'll create a print-ready PDF with edges already applied - no software needed!
2. Technical approach: If you have PDF editing knowledge, you can order the edge file and manually combine it with your manuscript using PDF editing tools.

Choose Edge File Only if:

• You use Vellum formatting software, or you have technical knowledge to combine PDFs
• You want flexibility to make edits without reordering
• You want to use the same edge design on multiple books

Choose Complete Book PDF if:

• You don't use Vellum
• You prefer a simple, no-technical-knowledge-required solution
• Your manuscript is finalized and ready to print
• You want a ready-to-upload file

Both options create beautiful styled edges at the same price - just choose the workflow that fits you best!

Your manuscript must meet these exact specifications:

• File format: PDF only
• Page count: Must match exactly what you specified in your order
• Dimensions: Your trim size + 0.125" bleed on 3 outer sides (top, bottom, and fore-edge)
  • Example: For 6" × 9" trim size, manuscript must be 6.12" × 9.25"
  • Example: For 5" × 8" trim size, manuscript must be 5.12" × 8.25"
• Quality: 300 DPI or higher recommended
• Bleed: 0.125" bleed on 3 outer sides (top, bottom, and fore-edge) is required

Why is bleed required? The bleed ensures your edge design extends properly to the edge of the page after trimming. Without bleed, the edges won't work correctly.

The Complete Book PDF is created specifically for your uploaded manuscript. If you need to make changes to your text, you can order a new file with your updated manuscript at the same price.

This is why we recommend the Edge File Only option if you're still editing and use Vellum - it gives you unlimited flexibility!

The gradient option creates ombre effects with smooth color transitions. Choose 2-5 colors that blend seamlessly from one to another—perfect for sunset effects, ocean themes, or any artistic color flow.

Colors appear muted because the design shows through the bleed area rather than printing directly on the edge. For example, solid black may appear as dark gray. This is normal and unavoidable with this technique. We always recommend ordering a test copy to preview the final result.

Most books process within 2-5 minutes. Books with 500+ pages may take longer.

Yes, the colored areas that create the edge pattern are printed on the book pages and will be visible to readers. The pattern is created by adding colored borders to every page, so when the book is closed and viewed from the side, these colored areas create the visible edge design. However, these colored areas are also visible on the pages themselves, appearing almost as "barcodes" on the side of each page.

The edges will go OVER whatever is on the page. It doesn't matter if the page is blank or has an image. However, this means the colored edge areas will also cover a tiny bit of your page content. Make sure there are no important elements near the edges of your pages, as they may be partially covered by the edge pattern.