Bookbinding I: Introduction to Softcover Binding

Course Code: 26FBB100IA

This five-week, in-person workshop takes place at CBA on Mondays, September 14th - October 19th, skipping October 12th, from 6PM to 9PM ET

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  Monday, September 14th, from 6PM to 9PM ET

  
  


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  Monday, September 21st, from 6PM to 9PM ET

  
  


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  Monday, September 28th, from 6PM to 9PM ET

  
  


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  Monday, October 5th, from 6PM to 9PM ET

  
  


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  Monday, October 19th, from 6PM to 9PM ET

  
  

Please Note: Registration for this workshop closes on August 31 at 11:59 pm.

About the Workshop:

This in-person class at Center for Book Arts is taught by instructor Becca Josephson. 
Discover the foundations of bookbinding and the art of the handmade book.
In this introductory workshop, you’ll learn to fold, sew, and assemble a range of classic softcover book structures—from pamphlets and accordions to Japanese stab and multi-signature structures. Along the way, you’ll gain confidence with essential tools and materials while exploring how each structure can become a vessel for creative content.
Taught through hands-on demonstrations and guided studio time, this class emphasizes both craft and concept: you’ll leave with a small library of finished books and a deeper understanding of how book form can carry artistic meaning. Perfect for beginners and artists looking to expand their studio practice.

Required Materials:

• Pencil and paper for taking notes


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  Please wear closed-toed shoes and clothes that can get stained or dirty (CBA will provide aprons, but the ink used on press can stain)
  


• Bone folder


• Awl


• Olfa snap off blade knife
  

All other materials will be provided by the Center for Book Arts at no additional cost.

About the Instructor

Becca is a Brooklyn based artist, printmaker, and bookbinder working around the form of the book. She often works with the risograph, letterpress, the manipulation of papercuts, and creating installation experiences for artist books. Becca teaches book art at various levels among other freelancing, commissions, book conservation and installation work. Becca completed a residency at InCahoots (Petaluma, CA) and has shown work at San Francisco Center for the Book, UC Berkeley, Mills College, and the Zuckerman Museum of Art. She received an MFA in Book Arts from Mills College and a BA from James Madison University. Becca’s work can be found in collection at Columbia University, VCU, and the UC Berkeley Environmental Design Library, among others.

All images courtesy of the instructor unless otherwise noted.