deckle edge

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

deck′le edge′, 

1. Printing the irregular, untrimmed edge of handmade paper, often used for ornamental effect in fine books and stationery, now often produced artificially on machine-made paper. Also called deckle. 

• 1870–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

deckle edge noun

1. the rough edge of handmade paper, caused by pulp seeping between the mould and the deckle: often left as ornamentation in fine books and writing papers
2. a trimmed edge imitating this

ˈdeckle-ˈedged adjective