Saturday and Sunday, 7/7 & 7/8
9:30am-5:30pm

Hand tooling—or finishing—on books requires patience, skill, and much practice, and handling gold leaf can present endless frustrations to even the most accomplished bookbinder. In this workshop, the instructor will show students how to execute neat, pleasing finishing without using gold leaf, thus concentrating on the fundamental skills necessary to achieve good lettering and decoration of spines and boards.

The workshop will concentrate on five techniques: blind tooling on leather; tooling with carbon paper to achieve a solid black result; freestyle carbon tooling on leather or cloth boards using the one-line wheel; tooling titles with real gold foil, using a template to ensure accuracy; and tooling gold lines using a fool-proof guide. Throughout the workshop, Dominic will show how correct handling of the tools, accurate set-up, and a thorough working practice can ensure effective results.

All these techniques have been developed or learned by Dominic over the years in various binderies, where, for reasons of expediency, finishing with gold leaf was not practiced. The alternatives, as you will see, are very impressive! All levels.

Materials to bring: Scalpel and blades; metal ruler; dividers; bone folder; black ink pad; scissors; cutting mat; natural sponge; old tea towel; shallow bowl. Please bring (if you have): finishing tools; one-line wheel; decorative wheel; hand letters; decorative hand tools; finishing stove.

Materials Fee: $50