Transform Your Book’s Edges with Exquisite Gilding: A Binding & Finishing Company’s Expertise
In the realm of bookbinding and finishing, the art of gilding stands out as a timeless and elegant enhancement for the edges of your book sheets. Drawing inspiration from the classic gilded edges seen in old Bibles, our binding and finishing company offers a sophisticated touch to elevate the aesthetics of your literary works. Whether you envision the opulence of gold or the sleekness of silver, our gilding process opens up a world of possibilities, with countless patterns and colors to choose from.
Gilding in Tradition: Ninety-five percent of traditional Bibles were adorned with gold gilding, showcasing a classic and enduring elegance. Silver gilding, while less common, adds a touch of modernity and understated luxury. Our gilding process pays homage to these traditions, allowing you to infuse your books with a touch of timeless grandeur.
Endless Patterns and Colors: Gilding is not a one-size-fits-all process. In fact, we offer the flexibility to gild your book edges in hundreds of different patterns and colors. Whether you prefer the classic allure of standard gilding or wish to explore intricate pattern gilding, our expertise ensures that your vision becomes a reality. As the industry evolves, so does our range of colors, allowing you to stay at the forefront of design trends.
In-House Craftsmanship: At our binding and finishing company, we take pride in handling the entire gilding process in-house. This means that from conceptualization to execution, our skilled artisans manage each step with precision and care. The result is a seamless integration of artistry and craftsmanship, ensuring that your books receive the attention to detail they deserve.
Growing Color Palette: As the industry continues to change and embrace new design trends, our commitment to offering an extensive range of colors for gilding remains unwavering. Stay ahead of the curve by exploring our ever-expanding palette, providing you with the opportunity to create truly unique and eye-catching book edges.
How to Make Your Books Shine: If you’re considering gilding for your book edges, whether it’s the classic charm of gold or the contemporary allure of silver, we invite you to reach out to us. Our dedicated team is ready to discuss your preferences, answer your questions, and guide you through the process of choosing the perfect gilding option for your books. For a touch of sophistication that captivates readers, think of us when considering gilding for your literary works.
Elevate your books to new heights of sophistication with the timeless art of gilding. From traditional gold to contemporary silver, and a plethora of patterns and colors in between, our binding and finishing company is your partner in transforming the edges of your books into works of art. Keep us in mind for all your gilding needs, and let your books shine with the timeless elegance of this age-old finishing technique.
Gilding
These three pictures show a case wrap book with distinctives. Firstly, the edges are gilded like you see on a conventional Bible. Secondly, there is a two-coloured headband and an angle cut gold ribbon that somewhat matches the gilded edges. Lastly, there’s heavy foil stamping on the cover of the case wrap in numerous spots with a border around the front and back cover.
Gilding
Gilding of cards or books (never saddle-stitched ones) involves the heated application of coloured foil to the sanded edges of a book or single cards. Think of a book, like a Bible, which often has gilded edges.
Success story
A printer wanted us to gild perfect bound books with black foil. All foil gilding requires the sanding off of 1/32” of the surfaces (face, head and foot) to be gilded. We communicated with the client to make allowances for the sand when trimming the books. This job was a learning curve for us because I thought “black” was black! Apparently, there are several different blacks. Because of this, we then had to establish whether the printer (and ultimate customer) wanted a matte or shiny black. In the end, they chose shiny. The job was delivered on time and with the full count … absolutely no rejects!
Features
- From a functional standpoint, the foil protects the printed piece from environmental issues such as acidity, dampness and the natural oils of the human hand
Benefits
- Foil gilding dresses up a book or card set, in a classical and timeless way
- Gilt edges on a book or card speak of prestige, trust and quality
- In recent times, we’ve seen foil edge gilding make a major comeback and it’s no longer a finish reserved for leather case bound books.
- Designers are now combining or adding this unique finishing process with other design elements.
- Even though foil gilding is still unusual and differentiates a product, we produce gilded jobs on a regular basis.
Notes
- Until recently, gold was basically the only colour that could be used … NOT NOW!
- We can now foil gild scores of colours. About 75% of the colours that can be foil stamped on a flat sheet we can now foil gild. Keep this in mind when designing with corporate colours (think IBM blue, Scotiabank red, CN Rail orange, etc.).
Factors to consider
- Time! These jobs don’t happen over night, so plan ahead.
- We have to source your preferred colour of foil from any one of six suppliers
- We may have to test a variety of foils for the best result … sometimes as many as four times for a job
- Count on about a 4-5% spoilage rate
- Gilding might be relatively expensive but this cost for the right project can be more than worthwhile!