Every surface of the book is a canvas for decoration, and this includes the edges of the pages. This workshop will cover several methods of edge decoration which have been used throughout the ages in both traditional and creative binding styles, from the very simple to the advanced.

We will start with a few traditional ‘trade’ methods – the solid colour wash (often used on prayer books and cheaper bindings; the ‘newspaper sprinkle’, a very fast and easy method for large bound collections; the wash and sprinkle, used historically on inexpensive leather and vellum bindings; and the sprinkled and burnished edge, common on ‘ordinary’ leather bindings in the eighteenth century.

Next we do the very handsome graphite edge, which is common to German and Scandinavian millimetre binding, which gives a beautiful dark and shiny finish. We will end up with the contemporary and very artistic ‘painted edge’, which is seen nowadays on many Design Bindings, which allows for complex layering of colouring and shapes which enhance the overall design of the binding. 

Materials to bring: bone folder, metal ruler, scalpel, cutting mat, dividers

Date & Time: Saturday & Sunday, July 26 & 27, 2014 |  9:30am – 5:30pm

Workshop + Materials Fee: $350

Prerequisites: None

Please review the SF Center for the Book Registration Policies before signing up for a class

About the Instructor | Dominic Riley

Dominic Riley learned bookbinding at age 16 from Benedictine monks and at the London College of Printing. He spent the last 10 years in San Francisco teaching, lecturing and restoring rare books. He now has a bindery with Michael Burke in England's Lake District and serves as vice chairman of the Society of Bookbinders.

He also recently won the top award of £10,000 ($15,670.89) at the second Sir Paul Getty Bodleian Bookbinding Prize 2013 ceremony.The BBC filed the following report. To view the original article click here.

Past Student Reviews:

“Dominic is a masterful teacher. Very good with ALL students”

“Superb! Set the time frame very well so we could all complete work. Very helpful to slow learners!”

“Instructor was amazing- knowledge of technique, history, and personal anecdotes was informative and interesting”

"Dominic's classes are always worth attending. You learn about the history as well as the binding you are studying"