San Francisco Center for the Book

Coming up at San Francisco Center for the Book

39 dated

Recurring shows are placed on their next date. Every listing was read off the venue's own page by a person; prices are the printed ones.

Oct18Multiblock Lino Carving and PrintingOct 18 – Oct 25Patricia Wakida teaches two-color linocut printing over two Sundays: you carve two 5x7-inch blocks, learn hand registration, carve at home between sessions and print an edition on the second day, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It meets Oct 18 and Oct 25, 10 am–3 pm, for $250, which includes a carving tool. You need prior single-color linocut experience. Only two seats were left at the time of writing.$250
Oct21Introduction to LetterpressWednesday, 6:30 PMA weeknight introduction to setting type and printing on SFCB's presses, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, Oct 21 for $95 (listed as 'will run'), with another session on Thursday, Nov 19; the Dec 16 date is already on our calendar. It's the usual first step before the multi-day Cylinder Core program.$95
Oct21Introduction to BookbindingWednesday, 6:30 PMSFCB's weeknight starter class in basic bookbinding, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, Oct 21 and costs $95, with another session on Wednesday, Nov 18 (both separate from the Dec 16 date already on our calendar). It's the cheapest way into the center's bindery before committing to the Bookbinding Core series.$95
Oct23Print Practicum: Registration on the VandercookFriday, 10:00 AMA focused practice session on registration, lining up multiple colors or passes accurately, on SFCB's Vandercook proof presses, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 10 am on Friday, Oct 23 and costs $110. It suits printers who have done an intro and want to fix misaligned layers before tackling the Advanced Letterpress: Makeready class on Nov 1.$110
Oct24Bookbinding Core 4: Classic Rounded Back Cloth BindingSaturday, 9:30 AMThe fourth unit of SFCB's Bookbinding Core sequence, covering the traditional rounded-and-backed cloth case binding, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 9:30 am on Saturday, Oct 24 for $400 (listed as 'will run'), and is offered again starting Saturday, Dec 12. It's the most advanced of the four Core units on our calendar; Core 1 (Coptic) starts Nov 7.$400
Oct24Cylinder Core 4: Digital into AnalogSaturday, 9:30 AMThe final unit of SFCB's Cylinder Core letterpress program, on turning digital artwork into plates for printing on cylinder presses, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 9:30 am on Saturday, Oct 24 and costs $225. Those starting from scratch can take all four units at once in the Cylinder Core 1–4 intensive beginning Nov 9.$225
Oct28Voice from the Fire: A Community ReadingWednesday, 6:00 PMRSVP required · no price listed
Oct31Introduction to Western Paper MarblingSaturday, 9:30 AMA beginner class in Western-style marbling, floating paints on a thickened bath and combing them into patterns before laying paper on top, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 9:30 am on Saturday, Oct 31 and costs $260. SFCB follows it with Marbling Lab (Dec 13), Fabric Marbling (Dec 12) and Japanese suminagashi (Dec 19), all on our calendar.$260
Oct31Book Repair Core I: IntroductionSaturday, 10:00 AMThe opening unit of SFCB's book repair track, introducing how to assess and mend damaged books, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 10 am on Saturday, Oct 31 and costs $200. It's a practical alternative to the decorative workshops for anyone with a shelf of worn favorites.$200
Nov1Hatch-Top BoxSunday, 9:30 AMA box-making workshop on the hatch-top box structure, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 9:30 am on Sunday, Nov 1 and costs $230. It runs the same day as Advanced Letterpress: Makeready (1 pm), already on our calendar.$230
Nov1Advanced Letterpress: MakereadySunday, 1:00 PMAn advanced letterpress session on makeready, the press-preparation work that gets an even, well-registered impression, taught by Alan Hillesheim and Lisa Rappoport at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 1 pm on Sunday, Nov 1, and costs $170. It's aimed at people who have already done SFCB's letterpress core classes and want to tighten up their printing.$170
Nov6Vietnamese PapermakingFriday, 10:00 AMA visiting-instructor workshop in Vietnamese hand papermaking traditions, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 10 am on Friday, Nov 6 and costs $800. It's one of the priciest classes in SFCB's fall program, level with the four-day Cylinder Core intensive.$800
Nov7Bookbinding Core 1: Coptic BindingSaturday, 9:30 AMThe first unit of SFCB's Bookbinding Core series, teaching Coptic binding, an exposed-spine chain stitch that lets a book open flat, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 9:30 am on Saturday, Nov 7 and costs $225. Core 2 (flat-back case binding) follows on Nov 15, or you can take all four units in the weeklong intensive starting Nov 16.$225
Nov8Introduction to Analog Risograph PrintingSunday, 12:00 PMA beginner class on the Risograph, the stencil-based duplicator popular for zines, working from hand-drawn (analog) artwork, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at noon on Sunday, Nov 8 and costs $165. A digital-artwork version runs Dec 12, and Risograph Certification (Nov 15) unlocks independent studio use.$165
Nov9Cylinder Core 1-4: 4-Day IntensiveMonday, 9:30 AMAll four units of SFCB's Cylinder Core letterpress program compressed into a four-day intensive, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 9:30 am on Monday, Nov 9 and costs $800. It's the fastest route to independent use of the center's cylinder presses, compared with taking the units one weekend at a time.$800
Nov14Scroll in Codex BindingNov 14 – Nov 14Santa Cruz book artist Peter Thomas teaches a structure that mounts a scroll inside a codex cover: each student makes two 3x6-inch scrolling books on wooden dowels in a paper-covered case binding, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It runs 10 am–4 pm on Saturday, Nov 14, for $260. Bring a short quote for the scroll text. Some bookmaking experience is preferred, and four seats were left at the time of writing.$260
Nov14Botanical PrintingSaturday, 10:00 AMA workshop on printing with plant material, transferring the color and shape of leaves and flowers onto paper, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 10 am on Saturday, Nov 14 and costs $350 (listed as 'will run'). For a shorter introduction to plant-based color, the library's Natural Dye Methods 101 sessions (Nov 16 and 21) are on our calendar.$350
Nov15Bookbinding Core 2: Flat-Back Case BindingSunday, 9:30 AMThe second unit of SFCB's Bookbinding Core series, making a flat-back hardcover case binding, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 9:30 am on Sunday, Nov 15 and costs $225. It follows Core 1 (Coptic) on Nov 7, with Core 3 on Dec 5.$225
Nov15Risograph CertificationSunday, 10:00 AMSFCB's certification session for its Risograph printers, covering what you need to run the machines on your own, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 10 am on Sunday, Nov 15 and costs $220. It's the step after the introductory analog (Nov 8) and digital (Dec 12) Risograph classes on our calendar.$220
Nov16Bookbinding Core 1-4: Weeklong IntensiveMonday, 9:30 AMAll four Bookbinding Core units, from Coptic binding through rounded-back cloth binding, taught as one weeklong intensive, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 9:30 am on Monday, Nov 16 and costs $975. Taken separately the four units cost more and spread over several weekends (Nov 7, Nov 15, Dec 5, Dec 12).$975
Nov21Dorfner BindingSaturday, 9:30 AMA bookbinding workshop on the Dorfner binding structure, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 9:30 am on Saturday, Nov 21 and costs $450. At $450 it's one of SFCB's pricier structure classes, a natural next step after the Bookbinding Core series.$450
Nov21Pasta Machine PrintingSaturday, 10:00 AMA printmaking workshop that uses a hand-cranked pasta machine as a miniature press, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 10 am on Saturday, Nov 21 and costs $190 (listed as 'will run'). It's a home-friendly technique, since you don't need studio access to keep printing afterward.$190
Nov22Artist Book with Textiles and StitcherySunday, 11:00 AMA workshop combining fabric and hand stitching into an artist's book, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 11 am on Sunday, Nov 22 and costs $135 (listed as 'will run'). Embroiderers coming from Workshop SF's sashiko or tatreez classes will find familiar skills here.$135
Dec3Hand-Fed Cylinder Proof Press MaintenanceThursday, 6:30 PMAn evening class on cleaning, adjusting and caring for hand-fed cylinder proof presses such as the Vandercook, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 6:30 pm on Thursday, Dec 3 and costs $95. It's useful for anyone who owns a press or plans to use SFCB's studio regularly.$95
Dec5Bookbinding Core 3: Limp Paper BindingSaturday, 9:30 AMThe third unit of SFCB's Bookbinding Core series, on limp paper bindings with soft paper covers, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 9:30 am on Saturday, Dec 5 and costs $225. Core 4 follows on Dec 12.$225
Dec5Miniature Book OrnamentsSaturday, 10:00 AMA seasonal workshop making tiny bound books to hang as ornaments, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 10 am on Saturday, Dec 5 and costs $175. It runs the same day as Tabletop Letterpress: Postcard Edition (noon), already on our calendar.$175
Dec5Tabletop Letterpress: Postcard EditionDec 5 – Dec 5Brian Ferrett introduces small tabletop presses: you compose a front image from SFCB's type and cut collection and print a run of vintage-style postcards, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It runs noon–5 pm on Saturday, Dec 5 and costs $165, with no experience needed. It was full at the time of writing, and there is a waitlist. Tabletop presses are small enough to own at home, so it's a good test before you buy one.$165
Dec6Polaroid Emulsion Lifts: Image, Material, and TransformationSunday, 10:00 AMA visiting-instructor workshop on lifting the image layer off instant photos and transferring it onto paper and other surfaces, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 10 am on Sunday, Dec 6 and costs $200. Photographers who prefer chemistry-based alternatives can compare it with the Harvey Milk Photo Center's darkroom classes on our calendar.$200
Dec9Holiday Open HouseWednesday, 4:00 PMA drop-in holiday evening with cider, light refreshments, card-making on the printing press, gift wrapping and the center's shop, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It runs 4–8 pm on Wednesday, Dec 9, is open to families, and the listing doesn't give a price. It's a low-key way to see the print studio before booking one of SFCB's $95 introductory classes.No price listed
Dec12Introduction to Fabric MarblingSaturday, 9:30 AMA beginner workshop applying marbling techniques to fabric instead of paper, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 9:30 am on Saturday, Dec 12 and costs $270. It's one of four marbling classes SFCB runs between Oct 31 and Dec 19.$270
Dec12Introduction to Digital Risograph PrintingSaturday, 12:00 PMA beginner Risograph class working from digital files, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at noon on Saturday, Dec 12 and costs $165. The analog-artwork version runs Nov 8 if you'd rather draw by hand.$165
Dec13Marbling Lab: Over-Marbling & MetallicsSunday, 9:30 AMA follow-on marbling session on layering patterns (over-marbling) and working with metallic colors, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 9:30 am on Sunday, Dec 13 and costs $260 (listed as 'will run'). It builds on the Introduction to Western Paper Marbling class on Oct 31.$260
Dec13Buttonhole BookSunday, 1:00 PMA structure class making a book sewn with the buttonhole stitch, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 1 pm on Sunday, Dec 13 and costs $120. At $120 it's among SFCB's cheaper weekend classes, a step up from the $95 weeknight intro.$120
Dec16Introduction to LetterpressWednesday, 6:30 PMBrian Lieske teaches a weeknight introduction to letterpress printing at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, Dec 16 and costs $95. At $95 it's the cheapest way to try SFCB's print studio before signing up for the multi-session Cylinder Core program.$95
Dec16Introduction to BookbindingWednesday, 6:30 PMMimi Zycherman's weeknight starter class in basic bookbinding at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, Dec 16 and costs $95; the listing marked it 'Will run'. Earlier fall sessions filled up, so this December date may be the best chance to get in before the new year. It's SFCB's cheapest way to try the craft before committing to the Bookbinding Core series.$95
Dec19Presentation AlbumSaturday, 9:30 AMA visiting-instructor bookbinding workshop making a presentation album, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 9:30 am on Saturday, Dec 19 and costs $450. It runs the same day as The Ideal Sketchbook, the other advanced binding class that weekend.$450
Dec19The Ideal SketchbookSaturday, 9:30 AMA visiting-instructor workshop on designing and binding your own sketchbook, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 9:30 am on Saturday, Dec 19 and costs $450. Drawers who'd rather start with something unstructured can try SFPL's Drawn Together drawing club (Nov 14) first.$450
Dec19Suminagashi MarblingSaturday, 10:00 AMAn introduction to suminagashi, the Japanese technique of floating ink rings on water and lifting them onto paper, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 10 am on Saturday, Dec 19 and costs $180. It's the cheapest of SFCB's marbling classes this season and needs less equipment than Western marbling.$180
Dec20Contemporary Gilding on Paper and Mixed MediaSunday, 10:00 AMSolange Roberdeau teaches gilding with metal leaf on paper and mixed-media surfaces at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill (Muni 22 Fillmore on 16th Street, a block away). It starts at 10 am on Sunday, Dec 20 and costs $200. The listing marked it 'Full Course' at the time of writing. If you want to try a waitlist, ask the center; Roberdeau also teaches suminagashi marbling the day before.$200

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