Deckle

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈdɛkəl/

Definitions

1. A term that describes the uneven edge on paper created during manufacturing processes This refers to the distinctive rough border that appears on handmade paper It signifies the irregular outlines of sheets formed from pulped materials
2. The rough, irregular edge found along the side of paper produced by traditional papermaking methods
3. A natural, feathery border formed on paper sheets as a result of the manufacturing technique used in artisan paper creation

Etymology: The deckle is a frame, not the paper itself. On a hand-papermaking mould, the deckle is a removable wooden rim laid over the wire screen, and it holds the pulp in place so that the sheet takes its shape. The edge that results is the soft, irregular, feathery border that collectors prize, because it shows the paper was made by hand rather than cut by machine. The word comes from German "Deckel," meaning a lid or cover, a diminutive of "Decke," "covering." The frame is a little covering laid over the mould, and the name describes what it does rather than the edge it leaves behind. The English word came into use through the papermaking trade, which borrowed German terms for its tools. The same frame that once shaped every sheet now survives mainly as a deliberate effect, which is why machine-made papers often imitate the deckled edge by tearing or by pressing an irregular border into the sheet.