Marbling Paper for Bookbinding

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The Art of Bookbinding
by Joseph W. Zaehnsdorf
3rd Edition Published in London 1897

A transfer marble paper may now be had, and from examples
sent me the process seems fairly workable. The following is
the method of working sent by the importers of the paper:-
“Place the book in the press. The Book edge which is to be
marbled has to be rubbed with pure spirits of wine; the dry
strip of transfer marble is then to be put on the edge. The
white back or reverse side, whilst being pressed hard against
the book edge is to be moistened carefully with boiling water,
by dabbing a saturated sponge on it; this dabbing process to
be continued so long till the colour will show through the white
back – a proof that it is loosened form the paper. Then
remove the white paper, and let the edge dry slowly. When
quite dry burnish.” Another invention is to marble the edges by
means of one or more rollers. The top roller or rollers holds
the colour, which is distributed on the under rollers; these, in
turn, ink the edge on being passed over it. The books are
naturally held in the press whilst this is being done.
From a book, the “School of Arts,” third edition, 1750, which

has a chapter on marbling, the following, with cut, is taken:-
“When thus you have your colours and all things in good order, then take a pencil, or the end of a feather, and
sprinkle or put first your red colour; then the blue, yellow, green, etc.

Begin your red from No. 1, and go along your trough to No. 2, also the blue from No. 3, all along to No. 4; the yellow
and green put here and there in the vacant places. Then with a bodkin or a small skewer draw a sort of a
serpentine figure through the colours, beginning from No. 1 to No. 2; when this is done, then take your comb and
draw the same straight along from No. 1 to No. 2. If you have some turnings or snail work on your paper, then with
a bodkin give the colours what turns you please. (See the plate.)
“Thus far you are ready in order to lay on your paper, which must be moistened the day before, in the same
manner as book printers do their paper for printing; take a sheet at a time, lay it gently upon your colours in the
trough, press it slightly with your finger down in such places where you find the paper lies hollow; this done, take
hold at one end of the paper, and draw it up at the other end of the trough;

hang it up to dry on a cord; when dry, glaze it, and it is done. You may also embellish your paper with streaks of gold,
by applying mussel gold or silver, tempered with gum water, among the rest of the colours.”
This last paragraph shows that the gold vein which is now in such demand is really over 150 years old. Messrs.
Leo, of Stuttgart, have put together a complete marbling apparatus, containing colours, gall, cups, combs, sticks, filter,
brushes, etc., the whole in a box. To a small country bookbinder this is indispensable.

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