ABOUT THE FORE EDGE
The Fore Edge is a custom bindery based in Aurora, Colorado, providing
restoration and repair services for all types of books. I work throughout the restoration/conservation spectrum to find the best treatment for each book. The Fore Edge also offers custom boxes for books and objects, new bindings for blank or printed pages, hidden fore edge paintings, and other artistic commissions.
Since the history of the book traces back over seventeen thousand years, there is always something new to learn and I'm excited to discover it. Creating facsimiles and models is a fun way to combine modern and historical while discovering new processes. My favorite niche practice is the hidden fore edge painting.
BOOK RESTORATION PROCESS
Before I do any treatment, every book must be evaluated in person.
Writing the evaluation report allows me to examine the book, take note of any damages, and form a customized treatment plan. Treatment costs are based on time and special materials and vary from book to book. Rough quotes are available through email correspondence with photos of the book to be treated.
Once I receive the book, I will send an evaluation report to the client the following weekend to be approved before the restoration can begin. Contact me for a current treatment time line. Clients are responsible for shipping costs.
INTRODUCTION
TO BOOKBINDING
ABOUT THE OWNER
STANDARDS
In 2011 I took a study abroad drawing/printmaking class in Florence Italy. Before we left, our teacher taught us how to make our own sketchbooks to use throughout the trip. Creating this book myself and completely filling it was the most gratifying project I had ever completed. It even changed my entire outlook on books. This led me to seek out master bookbinder Helmut Fricker and complete a summer apprenticeship. From there I finished my BFA and was accepted into the University of Iowa Center for the Book’s master’s program. I have been working professionally in book restoration ever since earning my master’s.
Nicole Cotten found her way to bookbinding while earning a BFA in painting from CU Denver, then went on to earn an MFA in book arts from UICB. She worked for an art restoration company before launching her own book restoration and custom binding business in 2020. She currently works from home in Colorado where she struggles to keep her very interested 3-year-old out of her tools and materials.
