書口彩繪是書籍裝幀的一種方式，10世紀萌芽於歐洲，18世紀下半葉復興並發展繁榮，湧現了一批帶書口彩繪的書籍；19世紀末在大西洋彼岸的美國發展繁盛，20世紀傳播到中國。時至今日，書口彩繪依然存在，彰顯了此裝幀方式日久彌新的魅力。書口彩繪裝幀是一種技術，也是藝術。歷史上遺留下來的種種書口彩繪書籍，反映了人們對美的追求，對書籍的熱愛，是書籍史上燦爛的一筆。

Fore-edge Painting is a type of book decoration. Germinating in the 10th century in Europe, it revived and prospered during the second half of the 18th century, when a number of books with fore-edge paintings emerged. This technology spread to the other side of the Atlantic and flourished in the United States in the next century. In the 20th century, fore-edge painting also was disseminated into China. Fore-edge painting still exists today, which shows the charm of this kind of book decoration. Fore-edge painting is not only a technique, but also an art. The existing books with fore-edge paintings reflect people’s pursuit of beauty, their love for books through the centuries, which has written a brilliant page in the history of the book.