// WEDDING WEDNESDAY // Edge Treatments


Beveled Edge... Painted Edge... Deckled Edge... Rounded Corners. We are huge fans of them all. When it comes to customizing your paper trousseau, the options are immense. And adding an edge treatment can really make your invitation unique. Painting a gold beveled edge ups the formality of any invite. Try pairing a neon color painted edge against a stark white card- everything pops! Two invitations, side by side, with the exact same font, text, and layout can feel completely different when one card has rounded corners and the other does not.

Edge treatments tend to be more noticeable on thicker card stock. But it is certainly not exclusive. Sometimes subtle is best.  And the romantic deckled edge paper is usually thinner. The torn edges are better seen that way.

There is a lot of lingo in the stationery world. Don’t let it scare you. If you can describe your idea, we can figure out the technical term to use to turn your visions into a reality. Read on for a brief description of some different edge treatments, and then start dreaming away.

painted edge

A painted edge is the addition of color on the actual sides of the paper. Once the stationery or invitations have been printed, the card stock is stacked and the edges of the paper are painted using a wide paint breyer. Every company has a different set of their own paint colors to choose from, but you can also mix custom colors. You can opt to paint the edge of each piece of your wedding suite, or just the main invitation.


Check out this video showing how a craftsman at Crane and Co. apply a painted edge. The shade of blue is so lovely against their Pearl White paper. Imagine how different this same invitation would appear with a red painted edge? Or perhaps in a foil? The edge treatment totally transforms the suite.

Foil Edge

Similar to a painted edge, foil can be added to the sides of paper. Thin sheets of foil or gilded leaf are applied to the stacked paper. It is shinier than doing a traditional painted edge and really pops.


Beveled Edge

Beveling is the process of cutting the edges of the paper on the diagonal (approximately a 45 degree angle). Doing so exposes another edge of the paper. It makes a painted edge stand out more. Beveling can be added to square corners or to rounded ones.


Rounded Corners

Corner rounding is just what the name implies- instead of a traditional 90 degree angle, the paper is cut (often using a die) so the corners are rounded. It can be applied to rectangular or square cards. We usually recommend that you round the corners of each piece in your ensemble.


Deckled Edge

The deckled edge refers to the hand-torn appearance of the edge of a piece of paper. It is a soft edge, appearing almost feather-like. A deckled edge can be hand torn, which is often used in books, scrapbooks, or water color paper. The edge is quite thin and delicate. Deckled edge paper used for wedding invitations and stationery is often created using a machine. It still gives the same appearance, but is a little stronger.


So many options. One of each, please!