I recently did a video about face printed books that are printed by a printer on an offset or digital press. This video describes the process of printing the head and/or face and/or the foot of a finished bound book after the book is bound. The books can be either perfect bound or hard/case bound.
The “printing” is done first by die cutting a “stencil” of a pattern or logo or words. The “stencil” is placed over the area to be printed and the outer surface is either spray painted or the “ink” is applied with a roller. There are literally scores of colours to choose from, the range of patterns and sizes and type fonts are endless. Book “edge painting” is much more expensive than press printing the edge copy or patterns but…edge “printing” is much more precise, detailed, colourful, vivid and memorable than press sheet print “edging.”