DIY - Deckling
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In the never-ending search for creative ways to display our prints, there's increasing attention being paid to deckling. Deckling is the art of fraying the edges of certain papers to achieve a specific artistic look. It derives historically from the original way paper was made in wood presses. The edges were compressed in the frame borders, leaving them deckled.
In a recent one of our Fine Art Printing workshops, a participant asked about deckling, which I believe can elevate a print. Not all images, not all prints, not on all papers, and not just any deckle treatment. Like all aspects of our art, deckles should be appropriately planned for maximum effect, and that's what this Substack is about.
The Paper(s)
Deckling works best on cotton rag papers. It's also better suited for papers with a high GSM rating (a measure of paper density). In my experience, I find that a GSM from 170 to 325 works best, with the higher ratings being my go-to choice.