Home › Glossary › Letter D

Deckle Edge

Printing
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A rough, feathered paper edge made during papermaking or left untrimmed in binding. It gives a handmade appearance.

Detailed Definition
A deckle edge is the irregular edge of handmade or mould-made paper, produced where pulp meets the frame used in papermaking. In a bound poetry book, it may be retained rather than trimmed to signal texture, craft, or resemblance to older editions. The edge can make each leaf feel less mechanically uniform and may complement letterpress printing or handmade paper. It is primarily a material and aesthetic feature rather than a measure of literary quality.
Example
Example in poetry:
A deckle edge is the softly irregular edge of handmade or specially made paper, recalling paper formed in a deckle frame; A poet may choose deckle-edged paper for a limited edition whose physical texture suits poems about rivers or weather; Unlike a clean trimmed edge, a deckle edge makes each page feel handmade and slightly uneven; A letterpress broadside on deckle-edged cotton paper can emphasize the poem as an art object
Additional Notes
A deckle edge is the softly irregular edge of handmade or deckle-made paper. It can suggest intimacy, craft, or archival quality, though it may also make trimming and binding more complex.
Also Known As
Deckled Edge Uncut Edge deckle
Skip to main content