Edge Gilding Kit
Gold leaf, size, and a burnisher, for gilding the trimmed edges of a text block.
| Leaf | 23 ct gold, 80 × 80 mm, 0.12 µm thick |
| Leaf count | 30–60 leaves per book depending on size |
| Size | Glair (egg white) or acrylic gilding size |
| Burnisher | Agate, curved to the edge profile |
| Burnishing pressure | Firm, fast, and dry |
| Trim | Guillotine or plough, square to 0.05 mm |
| Atmosphere | Below 55 per cent relative humidity |
| Sealing | None on a burnished edge |
| Leaf | 23 carat gold, loose or transfer |
| Size | Glair or acrylic |
| Suitable stock | All text blocks |
| Processes | Fore-edge gilding, top-edge gilding, all-edge gilding |
| Compatible materials | Gold leaf, glair, agate burnisher, cotton wool |
| Dry time | Glair 1–2 hours; acrylic 30 minutes |
| Humidity | Below 55 per cent or the leaf will not lie |
| Waste | Expect to lose 20 per cent of the leaf on a first attempt |
Edge gilding is the oldest decoration in bookbinding and still the most impressive. The fore-edge of the text block is trimmed, sized, and then covered with gold leaf that is burnished down with an agate. Done properly, the edge is a mirror and the gold is sealed by the burnishing alone — no varnish.
It is slow and unforgiving. The edge must be trimmed perfectly flat, the size must be exactly right, and the leaf must go down in one pass. A single speck of dust under the leaf shows forever.
Safety
Using it well
- Work in the driest room you have. Humidity is the single thing that ruins more gilding than anything else.
- Size the edge and let it go tacky — not wet, not dry. Touch it with the back of a finger joint; it should feel like a just-dry varnish.
- Burnish fast and hard with a dry agate. Slow, gentle burnishing polishes the leaf without sealing it, and the gold will rub off in a week.
What it works with
Papers and substrates
- All text blocks with a trimmed edge
Type and fonts
- Not applicable
Processes
- Fore-edge gilding
- Top-edge gilding
- Gilt decoration on covers
Tools that go with the edge gilding kit
Gold Foil
A thin metallic film on a carrier, transferred to the surface under heat and pressure.
Book Press
A screw press that holds a text block flat under pressure while the glue dries.
Paper Cutter
A guillotine or a board shear: the tool that trims a text block square and a sheet to size.