Bookbinding (Fall 2015)

Bookbinding is an art form that relies on a respect for fine craftsmanship a basic set of techniques, tools and materials. Once foundational skills are mastered, bookbinders can add creativity, content, and design to create unlimited variations of handmade books. In this class, students will create their own books from scratch, and will even be able to design their own paste paper covers and endpapers! Students will learn pamphlet, “perfect”, coptic, and stab bindings, as well as modifications of these traditional binding styles. Projects will focus on creativity, design, and craftsmanship with the goal that students are able to experiment with variations and incorporating content within the book through writing, simple printing tricks, and customizing paper for covers, inserts, or end-paper. Students will leave with a small library of hand-bound books to fill or use as templates to make even more books.