Spredge is a portmanteau word, a blend of sprayed and edge, and refers to decorative spraying of the edges of book pages, a trend in book design. These are historically similar to fore-edge paintings. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Book Spredges”
I just learned a portmanteau word that is new to me. That word is spredge. Do you know this one?
Spredge. S-P-R-E-D-G-E? Spredge?
Correct. Yeah, spredge. Like hedge, but it’s a spredge.
Hedge, but it’s a spredge. I don’t know what this is. Is this when you make a tent out of blankets and the couch cushions? I don’t know what this is.
Yeah, you spread the blankets out.
Right, yeah.
No, it’s a portmanteau, meaning a blend of two words. And in this case, spredge is a portmanteau of the words sprayed and edges.
And it refers to the decorative spraying of the edges of book pages, which is now this really popular trend in book design.
If you go into a bookstore now, you’re going to see a lot of books that have along the edge, you know, where you open it up.
You’re going to see things like dragons and flowers, maybe a city skyline or an image of a bookcase filled with books.
And what’s super interesting about this is that in the 16th century, this was a common practice.
When people first started putting bound books on shelves, the title would be on the end of the pages, you know,
The part that’s opposite the spine. But then later, bookbinders started gilding the titles
On the spines of books, and people started displaying them the other way.
Wait, so when we talk about spread, we’re talking about art on the ends of the press pages that you
See when you look at the opposite side of the spine. Yes. When it’s closed. Yeah. So it’s not
When you have the book open, you see it when you have the book closed. Yeah. Isn’t that interesting?
I had no idea.
It is.
And I’ve seen some clever examples where if you spread it just a little bit, you get two different images, almost like a lenticular image where look at it one way.
It’s a summer scene.
Look at it the other way.
It’s the same vista, but a winter scene.
Yeah.
I don’t know how long this trend will last, but I’m starting to watch for spreadges when I go to bookstores.
I think it’s anything that will sell books people will do.
Right.
But also books as art is a wonderful thing.
Yeah.
Gorgeous when they’re done well.
Toll free in the U.S. and Canada, 877-929-9673.
