With colorful sprayed edges and intricate designs, the latest publishing trend turns books into works of art
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Here’s Why So Many Books Now Have Colorful Edges
Published on Jan. 22, 2025
Swipe through social media, and you’ll likely come across a content creator holding an exclusive-looking book, the ends of its pages spray-painted a striking color or stenciled with wild designs. “Go ahead,” it seems to scream, “judge a book by its cover.”
Last year, I acquired my first book with sprayed edges: A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang, a romantasy novel with a stunning gold-foiled cover and blue sprayed edges with stenciled artwork. I still remember unwrapping the book and squealing with delight when I held it in my hands. I’d never seen a book more beautiful or more Instagram-worthy.
It’s not the only stunner on store shelves these days. The latest trend in publishing is creating books that transport you, even before you crack the cover. Dozens of must-read books have received the sprayed-edge treatment, and even more will hit shelves in 2025. But what’s behind this colorful craze? We talked to two book insiders to find out.
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What, exactly, are sprayed edges?
A book with sprayed edges will have the ends of the pages spray-painted so a band of bright color appears when the cover closes. (The edge is the part of the page that’ll give you a paper cut if you’re not careful.) Typically, the decorated edges will match the cover’s color and design.
The overall effect turns the typical novel into a visual work of art, and that’s the point. Many of these books with sprayed edges have the look of exclusivity because they are exclusive—they may be called “deluxe,” “collectors” or “special” editions. And if only a certain number of copies are printed using the sprayed-edge design, they’re essentially collectors’ items.
Some of the most anticipated books of the year will feature sprayed edges, including:
- The Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
- The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang
- Story of My Life by Lucy Score (Deluxe Edition)
- Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (B&N Exclusive Edition)
- Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (Deluxe Limited Edition)
- Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff (Signed B&N Exclusive Edition)
New releases aren’t the only novels getting a makeover. Publishers are pumping out exclusive editions of bestsellers—Kristin Hannah’s massively popular The Nightingale will publish as a deluxe 10th-anniversary edition in February. It will get a new dust jacket, designed edges, a ribbon bookmark and a decorative gold-foil stamp on the cover.
How are sprayed edges created?
Considering the number of books getting sprayed edges these days, it’s no surprise that publishers rely on heavy-duty machines that can decorate en masse. As the New York Times reported, Lakeside Book Company, the largest book manufacturer in North America, has “invested in special equipment to apply color and designs to the page edges. In the last three years, the company has gone from printing tens of thousands of units of special editions a year to millions of units.”
It’s a fascinating process and one that underscores the enormity of the trend. The newspaper’s video of the highly anticipated fantasy book The Onyx Storm receiving the sprayed-edge treatment hints at the scale.
While book manufacturers will use specialized equipment to undertake the costly and time-consuming process, people have been doing DIY versions of sprayed edges for years. In a risky but more cost-effective process, book lovers color the edges of their books with inexpensive spray paint. Feeling crafty? It’s critical that you take the appropriate safety measures when spray-painting and that you fully cover the rest of the book so you don’t ruin the cover or inside pages.
Where did the trend of colorful, designed edges originate?
You might assume the sprayed-edges craze started with fantasy books like Fourth Wing—the kind of TikTok viral novels that shape the publishing landscape. But you’d be only half right: While fantasy and romance novels were behind the recent trend, the artistic take on the book goes back further than you may imagine.
There’s a centuries-long tradition of decorating the edges of books. As rare-books collector Jeff Weber pointed out in an article for the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America, a technique known as fore-edge painting can be traced back to the 1500s. English bookbinders picked up the trend in the mid-17th century, and for hundreds of years, artists decorated books’ edges with watercolor scenes.
Some tomes even received the gilded treatment. I still remember the special books on my childhood shelf: The Bible had gold-leaf edges, and we had a small handful of classic books featuring silver- or gold-decorated edges.
Why do so many new books feature sprayed edges?
Today’s take on fore-edge painting may have TikTok to thank for its popularity. Younger readers want to display their colorful collections, post their deluxe editions on social media and enjoy the outside aesthetics of a book just as much as what’s contained within its pages.
That’s why the sprayed-edges trend will only increase in the coming year—the demand for these beautiful books shows no signs of stopping. In fact, decorated books are so popular that certain bestsellers are getting rereleased as exclusive hardcover editions long after their paperback release.
But don’t expect every book to dress quite so flashy; the higher cost of creating these special products means publishers must pick and choose which books get the added artistic flair. “The decision on sprayed edges is made on a case-by-case basis,” says Jennifer Enderlin, the president and publisher of the St. Martin’s Publishing Group. “And we decide if we think doing a special edition or sprayed edges will increase sales.”
However, you may notice that specific book genres receive the decorated-edge treatment more than others. “We’ve definitely found that the fantasy, romance, romantasy and speculative fiction reader responds the most favorably to sprayed edges,” adds Enderlin.
Where can you find books with sprayed edges?
Most major publishers are firmly seated on the sprayed-edges bandwagon, so you’ll find these adorned books everywhere from your local independent bookstore and Barnes & Noble to Amazon. Expect bookstores to carry more special- and deluxe-edition books with decorated edges as the trend continues to attract devoted followers.
Beyond bookstores, there are book-subscription companies selling beautifully designed exclusive editions for collectors and avid readers. Owl Crate is a book-subscription company that sells exclusive and limited-edition books, as well as other fun bookish goodies like bookmarks, enamel pins and book bags. Similarly, U.K.-based FairyLoot offers a subscription book box with specially designed fantasy books that turn a bookshelf into a veritable art gallery.
@fairyloot Fairies, can you guess these books by their sprayed edges? Drop your guesses in the comments! 🧚🏼 Nothing makes us happier than having gorgeous sprayed edges that complement each other! Seriously, if staring at them all day was a sport, we’d be gold medallists. 😍 Which one’s your absolute favourite? #FairyLoot #SubscriptionBox #BookBox #FantasyBooks #Romantasy #Bookworms #Bookish ♬ original sound – annie™
“There’s also a growing appreciation for physical books in an increasingly digital age,” says Anissa de Gomery, the co-founder and CEO of FairyLoot. “A well-crafted edition can transform a book into something timeless—a keepsake that brings joy every time it’s picked up or displayed on a shelf.”
What’s the future of this trend?
Interest in fantasy books and romance novels is only increasing, and considering readers of these genres seem to have the biggest appetite for decorated edges, it’s safe to say that the future of the sprayed-edges trend looks bright. You’ll likely see the treatment extending into other genres—the Reader’s Digest Book Club‘s January pick, Jane Yang’s historical fiction debut, The Lotus Shoes, has red sprayed edges, for instance.
“I think we’ll continue to see even more innovation in book design, with creators experimenting with new ways to make each edition unique,” says de Gomery. “Sprayed edges … are becoming more detailed and creative, and I expect that trend to grow.”
Publishers have woken up to readers’ desire for collector’s items, and they’re taking it a step further than sprayed edges. High-profile titles are releasing with other creative details, including artistic endpapers and embossed covers. All of it points to your favorite stories serving as both entertainment and art.
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Sources:
- Jennifer Enderlin, president and publisher of the St. Martin’s Publishing Group; email interview, January 2025
- Anissa de Gomery, co-founder and CEO of FairyLoot; email interview, January 2025
- Denver Public Library: “What’s the Deal with Sprayed Edges on Books?!”
- New York Times: “The Hottest Trend in Publishing: Books You Can Judge by Their Cover”
- Melissa Mitchell: “Sprayed Edges How-To”
- Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America: “A Collector’s Primer to the Wonders of Fore-Edge Painting”
