What are printed edges on a book?

Printed edges are a design on the three outer edges of a book’s pages: the top, the bottom, and the fore-edge opposite the spine. There are two ways to make them. Sprayed edges are added to finished copies after binding, with paint, a stencil, or an edge printer, so they need a print run you sell yourself. Printed edges built into the pages put the art in the bleed of every interior page, so the design appears when the book is trimmed. That second method, also called forced edges, is the only one you can get on a print-on-demand book sold through Amazon and bookstores, and it is what a PrintedEdges template does.

What does “print to the edge” mean?

It means bleed, not edge art. Printing to the edge is when an image or background runs past the trim line so that, after the printer cuts the page, the ink reaches the paper’s edge with no white border. Printed edges rely on exactly this: a strip of art in the bleed of every page is what creates the colored edge when the book is trimmed.

What are sprayed edges?

Sprayed edges are color or a pattern applied to the outside of the finished page block after the book is bound, with paint, ink, a stencil, or a digital edge printer. The effect is vivid and even because it sits on the edge itself. It is a finishing step done on physical copies, which is why it is common on special editions from traditional publishers and on books an author prints in a run and sells directly.

Spredges is reader slang for sprayed edges: a blend of “sprayed” and “edges”. It covers any decorative spraying of a book’s page edges, from a solid color to a full illustration, and it is mostly heard on BookTok and Bookstagram, where special editions with spredges are a big part of the appeal. A Way with Words on “spredges”

What are forced edges?

Forced edges is another name for printed edges built into the pages, sometimes called embedded edges. A strip of artwork sits in the bleed area of every page, past the trim line. When the printer cuts the pages, the edge of each page carries a sliver of that art, and stacked together they form the picture or color on the edge of the book. Because it is just part of the PDF, it works on print-on-demand copies and adds no charge of its own per book, though a color design needs the color interior.

Can KDP or IngramSpark do sprayed edges?

No. Neither Amazon KDP nor IngramSpark offers sprayed or painted edges on print-on-demand books. Both print your interior with bleed, though, which is all printed edges need. Painted Wings, who sell edge designs, put it plainly: embedded or forced edges are the only edge technique available to indie authors selling through print on demand with distribution. What both will print is printed edges built into your interior, which is exactly what a PrintedEdges template is.

Where can I get sprayed edges for my own book?

From a printer that does a print run. Many offset and short-run printers can spray, stencil, or print the edges after binding, and you then store and sell those copies yourself, because sprayed-edge books are not distributed through print on demand. For a book sold through KDP or IngramSpark, use printed edges instead: a PrintedEdges template built into your interior PDF, which those services print like any other page.

Where can I buy books with sprayed edges?

Sprayed-edge copies are usually special or limited editions: publishers’ exclusive editions sold through specific retailers, signed editions from bookstores, subscription box editions, and copies indie authors print in a run and sell from their own stores or at events. Stock tends to be small and sells out, so the author’s newsletter or website is usually the best place to find out when one is coming.

Are books with sprayed edges more expensive?

Usually, because spraying is an extra finishing step done to each copy after it is bound, which is why sprayed edges mostly show up on special and limited editions. Printed edges on a print-on-demand book work differently: in black, gray, or sepia it adds nothing to the printing cost, and in color it means paying for the color interior.

What are deckled edges?

Deckled edges are rough, uneven page edges that look hand-torn. Originally a by-product of handmade paper, they are now a deliberate finish on some hardcovers. They are a texture rather than a color, and print-on-demand printers trim pages cleanly, so you will not get a deckled edge on a KDP or IngramSpark book.

What do printed edges cost?

For a print-on-demand book the costs are the template and, if your design is in color, color printing. PrintedEdges charges a flat $20 per style for the template, whether it covers one edge or all three, and you print as many copies as you like. A color edge needs a color interior, which costs more per copy than black and white at KDP and IngramSpark, so many authors choose a black, gray, or single-tone design. Budget for one proof copy as well.

Will the printed edge look exactly like the preview?

Close, but check a real copy before you order in quantity. PrintedEdges says digital previews “cannot fully predict paper stock, trimming, binding alignment, or printer color handling,” and its 3D preview is an estimate based on standard paper and your page count. One physical proof copy shows you the finished edge. PrintedEdges’ guide to getting your edge design printed

Do I need a color interior for printed edges?

Only if the edge design is in color. Printed edges go through the press with the rest of the interior, so a color edge means ordering the color interior from your printer, which costs more per copy. A black, gray, or sepia design prints with the normal black-and-white interior at the normal price. Decide on the color before you buy the template.

Does Lacuna support printed edges?

Yes. Lacuna imports a PrintedEdges template directly in its Print Settings, checks that the template fits your page count and trim size, turns on bleed for you, and carries the edge art into every print-ready PDF you export. It runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and the trial is free with no time limit; payment unlocks generating the final files. PrintedEdges lists Lacuna among its supported software. Read the step-by-step in the Lacuna docs

Guide

Printed Edges for Your Book, on KDP and IngramSpark

Those colored and illustrated page edges come two ways. Sprayed edges are added to finished copies, so they need a print run. Printed edges are built into your pages, so they work on a print-on-demand book. Here is how the two differ, what printed edges cost, and how to add them with a PrintedEdges template.

By Corey Jackson, developer of Lacuna

Reviewed by Melissa Erin Jackson, author of 15 self-published books

Updated October 5, 2026 · Read about us

What are printed edges?

Readers say printed edges, sprayed edges, or spredges for any design on the top, bottom, and fore-edge of a book’s pages. There are two ways to make one, and only the second works on a print-on-demand book.

Sprayed edges

Added to finished copies

Sprayed edges are color or art added to the outside of the page block after the book is bound, with paint, ink, a stencil, or a digital edge printer.

The color sits on the edge itself, so it is vivid and even. Because it is done to physical copies, it needs a print run that you store and sell yourself: no print-on-demand service distributes sprayed-edge books.

Best for: Special editions you print in a batch and sell directly.

Printed edges

Built into your pages

Printed edges put the art in the bleed of every interior page, so the trimmed edge of each page carries a sliver of the design. You will also see them called forced or embedded edges.

Stack a few hundred of those slivers and you get a colored or illustrated edge, straight from your PDF. KDP and IngramSpark print it like any other interior, and it adds no charge of its own; a color design means paying for the color interior.

Best for: Books sold through Amazon and bookstores. This is what a PrintedEdges template does.

One phrase to keep separate: “print to the edge” means bleed, an image running past the trim line so there is no white border. Printed edges are built from exactly that, but bleed on its own is not edge art.

Who can print each kind

Neither of the big print-on-demand services sprays edges. Both print bleed, and bleed is all printed edges need.

Service	Sprayed edges	Printed edges	Notes
Amazon KDP	No	Yes, through interior bleed	KDP prints interiors with 0.125 in of bleed, which is all a printed edges template needs. A color design needs the color interior, which costs more per copy.¹
IngramSpark	No	Yes, through interior bleed	IngramSpark asks for 0.125 in of bleed on the top, bottom, and outside edges, so the same template approach works. Color designs need the color interior here too.²
Offset or short-run printer	Ask; many can	Yes	A printer running a batch of your book can spray, stencil, or print the edges after binding. You then store and sell those copies yourself rather than through store distribution.³

1. KDP, Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins and Printing cost. KDP’s help pages have no sprayed or painted edge option.
2. IngramSpark, File Requirements for Print Books.
3. Painted Wings Publishing, Book Edges Explained: sprayed edges are “not distributed by any” print-on-demand service, and embedded or forced edges, the kind built into the pages, are “the only edge technique available to indie authors in POD sales models with distribution”.

What it costs

The template. PrintedEdges charges a flat $20 per style, one edge or all three, and the file covers as many copies as you ever print.
Color printing, if the edge is in color. Printed edges print with the interior, so a color edge means the color interior, which costs more per copy at KDP and IngramSpark. A black, gray, or sepia design prints at the normal black-and-white price.
One proof copy. Order it before you publish. It is the only way to see the real edge, and both services sell proofs.

What to expect

A proof shows the real edge. PrintedEdges says digital previews “cannot fully predict paper stock, trimming, binding alignment, or printer color handling,” so order one physical proof before you order copies in quantity. Their printing guide
A template fits your page count, within about 10 pages. It is made for your page count and trim size. PrintedEdges tells us a difference of up to about 10 pages is fine; if your page count changes by more than that, or your trim size changes, order a new one.

How to add printed edges in Lacuna

Lacuna imports a PrintedEdges template directly, checks that it fits your book, and carries the art into every print-ready PDF. Four steps.

Order a template for your exact book

Order a printed edges template from PrintedEdges using your book’s final page count and trim size. The template is one page of edge art for every page in your book, made for that page count and trim size. PrintedEdges tells us a difference of up to about 10 pages is fine; past that, or with a new trim size, order a new template.

Import it in Lacuna’s Print Settings

Open Print Settings, choose PrintedEdges in the Page Colors and Backgrounds group, click Import Template, and pick the PDF. There is no separate switch: importing turns edge printing on, and because edge art runs to the paper’s edge, Lacuna turns on bleed for your previews and exports at the same time.

Check the fit and set coverage

The panel compares the template with your book: page count, page size, and trim size. When they line up it reads “This template fits your book”. If your book runs longer than the template, Repeat the last spread fills the extra pages with the right-hand and left-hand art on the correct edges. Skip pages leaves any page or range plain.

Export, validate, and order a proof

Export your print-ready PDF as usual; every print PDF you export carries the edge art (EPUB and DOCX files have no edges to print on). Run the file through PrintedEdges’ free PDF validator, which checks that the art sits where the printer expects it, then order a proof copy before you publish so you can see the real edge in your hands.

Open PrintedEdges’ free PDF validator

Lacuna Book Formatter v2.7.5: PrintedEdges.com Integration and Creating Your Own Styles — Five minutes on the PrintedEdges integration, from our YouTube channel.

A two-page spread in Lacuna’s print preview with a deep blue PrintedEdges design running along the top, bottom, and outer edges of both pages — Pages 16 and 17 of a 66-page book in the Whole Book preview, with a PrintedEdges template applied.

Lacuna’s PrintedEdges panel with a template loaded: the fit card reads “This template fits your book” and checks pages, page size, and trim size, below it the Skip pages field, Foreground or Background placement, the Whole Book preview switch, and a link to PrintedEdges’ PDF validator — One panel: import the template, confirm the fit, set coverage and placement, and check your exported PDF.

Click any screenshot to see it full size.

Every control is covered in the PrintedEdges how-to in the Lacuna docs, including foreground and background placement and the Whole Book preview.

Where to get a template

You can build a printed edges template yourself in a design tool, but it has to match your page count and trim size exactly, page by page. Most authors buy one.

PrintedEdges

PrintedEdges builds a printed edges template for your exact page count and trim size, with pre-made designs or your own artwork. It charges a flat $20 per style, one edge or all three, and you print as many copies as you like. Its templates work with Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press, BookVault, and Draft2Digital. It lists Lacuna among its supported software, and its free PDF validator checks your exported file before you order.

Get a template from PrintedEdges

Disclosure: this is a partner link. PrintedEdges gives Lacuna authors 20% off through it, with no code to type; a “Welcome Lacuna creators!” banner on their site confirms the discount is active.

Format the whole book, edges included

Lacuna is book formatting software for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Import your Word document, pick one of 32 pre-made styles, and export a print-ready PDF, an EPUB, and a DOCX from the same project. The edge art goes in the print PDF.

Printed edges built in

Import the template, check the fit card, set coverage, export. Bleed switches on for you, and the Whole Book preview shows the art on every spread before you spend a cent on a proof.

Print specs handled

Trim size in inches or millimeters, bleed amount and edges, and margins checked against KDP’s minimums for your page count, all in one panel. Margin guideline overlays show the safe zone and the trim line in the preview, so you can see where the edge art will be cut.

Your files stay with you

A desktop app, not a browser tab. Your manuscript never leaves your computer, and it works offline.

The trial is free with no time limit and every feature switched on. The one thing payment unlocks is generating the final files, so you can see your edges in the preview before you pay $149, one time.

See how Lacuna compares with other KDP formatting tools

What authors are saying

Real authors. Real books. Formatted with Lacuna.

I’m a cover designer and interior formatter by profession and run my own small publishing press, so trust me when I say I’m picky and my standards are high. InDesign has always been the only program that formats for print with the level of customization I need. For years, I’ve used it for print and another program entirely for ebooks to get the results I wanted. When I saw Lacuna, I immediately went to check it out and within an hour from having downloaded the trial, I was hooked.
This gives me so much more freedom with print options than other formatting programs like Atticus or Vellum while still making ebooks a breeze. The ability to work from one file and have separate print and ebook settings is a complete gamechanger. I’m still learning my way around the program and loving every second.

JJ Carpenter

The Haunting of Kenmore Asylum

I originally checked out Lacuna because somebody in a KDP publishing group I belong to asked if anyone had tried Lacuna out yet. I published nine other books using a different formatter, but I wasn’t happy with it. I ended up taking a look at Lacuna even though I was pretty much sold on Atticus or Vellum. Once I started diving into Lacuna and saw the ease of use and flexibility, I was absolutely floored. It was a no-brainer, and I purchased Lacuna. Since then the program has only improved. Corey is amazing at fixing things and streamlining processes.

If you take a look at the book that I formatted with Lacuna you will see, it would be pretty difficult to do something like that with one of those other formatting programs. Plus they cost more. In my opinion Lacuna is already the best formatter on the market and only getting better. Thanks, Corey and Melissa, for making this available.

NextGen Victory Press

3-Minute Wrestling Devotionals for Rising Athletes

I tried numerous formatting methods and followed endless instructions from publishing websites, but nothing ever turned out right. Since finding Lacuna, everything has changed. I’ve been able to update all my manuscripts effortlessly and give them the professional look they deserve.
Lacuna helped me perfect one of my most cherished stories, The Magic Globe, and finally present it exactly as I envisioned. It’s truly been a game changer for my author journey.

Samuel Graham Astley

The Magic Globe

View all books created with Lacuna

Printed edges questions

What readers and authors ask about sprayed, printed, and forced edges.

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