Workshop Fee (includes materials fee): $375
Click here to apply for a Windgate scholarship

Masks are no longer required for workshops, though anyone is welcome to wear one if they wish.

Discover the beauty of the Danish Millimeter Binding. The structure was developed in Denmark during WWII when materials were scarce. It was invented by Henrik Park at the Royal Library in Copenhagen, but it wasn’t until Ole Olsen taught it in the 1980s, first in New York and then Adelaide, that it became known around the rest of the world.

It takes its name from the minimal amount of leather used on the spine and corners. Soon after its invention, it became the last word in refinement for simplified fine bindings and small editions. With its combination of quality goatskin and beautiful pastepaper covers, it is often the first leather binding that students learn to make across northern Europe.

It is sewn on frayed-out cords with a gently rounded spine, has a small, sharp joint, and a graphite edge. A simple paper and card hollow is trapped between the board and the waste-sheet for strength. Thinly-pared goatskin is then applied at the spine and corners, and decorative pastepaper sides added.
 

>> Prerequisite: Bookbinding Core 1-4 or equivalent and Orientation to Leather or basic leather paring experience <<

Materials to Bring: All tools and materials will be provided. Students are encouraged to bring their personal bookbinding toolkit, especially scalpels and paring knives, if available.

Date & Time: Saturday & Sunday, July 13 & 14, 2024 :: 9:30am-5:30pm

Location: 375 Rhode Island St, San Francisco, CA 94103

NOTE: Please read over the SFCB Registration Policies before signing up for a class. Registration will close approximately three days prior to the start date of the workshop to allow the instructor time to prep materials for class. We recommend you not wait to register, as workshops that don't meet our minimum enrollment will be canceled, sometimes as much as a week in advance.
 

About the Instructor | Dominic Riley (he/him)

Dominic Riley Is an internationally renowned bookbinder, artist, lecturer and teacher. He has his bindery in England, from where he travels across the UK teaching and lecturing. He spends part of the year teaching in San Francisco and across the USA. His work is mostly restoration and Design Binding, for which he has won many prizes in the Designer Bookbinders competition. He was elected a Fellow of DB in 2008 and is Patron of the New Zealand Association of Book Crafts. His bindings are in collections worldwide, including the British Library, the Grolier Club in New York and the San Francisco Public Library. In 2013 he won first prize, the Sir Paul Getty Award, in the International Bookbinding Competition. Dominic is a past President of the Society of Bookbinders. Dominic and Michael Burke are co-founders of Book Camp, an immersive residential bookbinding experience which aims to teach new generations of binders.

He has taught masterclasses in the USA, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, at the Centro del Bel Libro in Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Canada.

Past Student Reviews:

“Dominic is a master binder. His skill level is unsurpassed. It is a privilege to learn from him.”

“I have taken many classes from Dominic and he is always a pleasure to learn from, and demanding. He sets a high personal standard of work.”