Transferring Design
Transferring Design is an exciting initiative to create awareness about the bookbinding and book arts scene in art and design colleges.
Designer Bookbinders, working with The Printing Charity, The Clothworkers Company and the Leathersellers, is funding Transferring Design (TD) sessions in colleges where practising binders can show samples of their craft and explain the processes involved in designing and binding a book. The aim of these sessions is to introduce students to the possibilities of bookbinding and encourage them to incorporate some of the techniques in their work.
2024 was a year of expansion for the TD project. With support from our sponsors we have been able to introduce bookbinding workshops at three new colleges, Glasgow City College, Edinburgh College of Art, and Falmouth University. In addition we introduced intermediate and advanced level tuition for students at Bath Spa University and Glasgow School of Art. Staff at all the colleges have benefited too, with funding available for them to learn introductory and advanced level skills enabling them to help the students with their work.
Feedback from all the sessions has been very positive with students and staff enjoying putting their newfound skills into practice.
West Dean College, Glenn Bartley, 2024
In June 2024, Glenn Bartley (FDB) taught a two-day Gold Finishing for Beginners workshop to 8 Graduate Diploma Book Conservation students at West Dean College Chichester. Most of the students had little or no experience of this challenging process.
Glenn described the history of gold finishing on book covers before explaining the equipment and materials needed for tooling gold leaf lettering and decoration on leather.
On the second day, the above techniques were demonstrated on a dummy leather covered spine, followed by the use of type holders to show how lettering can be produced more quickly and efficiently without paper templates. All the students tried this technique. Finally, Glenn demonstrated decorative rolls and centre tools before the students spent the remainder of the afternoon honing their new skills with Glenn advising further.
West Dean College, Rachel Ward-Sale, 2024
Rachel taught a quarter leather binding workshop to students on the Graduate Diploma in Conservation Studies course at West Dean College Chichester. The students all had a basic knowledge of bookbinding skills, but this was their first experience of working with leather. During the five-day course the students prepared and sewed their books on recessed cords before ploughing the edges, rounding and backing and attaching boards.
The students had all previously made their own paring knives and adapted spokeshaves, but this was their first opportunity to use them. During the final two days they all worked hard to master the new skills of paring and binding in leather. At the end of the workshop everyone had produced a beautiful quarter bound book with marbled paper sides and coloured endpapers.
Bath Spa, Kate Holland, 2024: STUDENT TUITION
Kate spent two days covering basic techniques with the first-year students including single section, pamphlet, accordion, drum leaf, and Japanese stab bindings to ensure a good technical grounding. Those who had already covered the basics extended their skills with advanced techniques including rounding and backing, a dropback box, a slipcase, and a sketchbook. Three students from BSU came to Kate’s bindery for one day of work experience over the summer. They all remain very enthusiastic and keen to improve the skills they learned.
Bath Spa, Kate Holland, 2024: STAFF
During the summer holidays Kate spent four days teaching staff at Bath Spa University the basics of bookbinding. There were academics and technicians from a myriad of departments – photography, digital print, creative arts practice, fine art, textiles, woodwork, metalwork and interior design. The photography department is especially keen on the physical book but interest is spreading across all departments and Kate is very grateful to all the staff for their enthusiasm for bookbinding.
Falmouth University, Nesta Davies, 2024
This was the first time Transferring Design sessions have taken place at Falmouth University.
The 17 students, all beginners were all final year Marine and Natural History Photography (MNHP) students. Some are displaying work in a gallery setting, and some as a photo book, all will have supporting material to display and present alongside their major piece/s.
Techniques covered during the workshop included concertina binding, pamphlet binding, and multi section hard cover binding.
The students and their tutor were very pleased with the Transferring Design workshop and they would be very interested in more input, both as workshops and possibly training tutors. They already have an idea of a ‘bookbinding corner’ for MNHP students and would be grateful for more training to help them develop this.
Here’s a couple of comments from the students’ feedback:
‘I now have a real appetite to continue and learn more!’
‘Producing a book myself just feels magical!’
Glasgow School Of Art, Tom McEwan, 2024: INTRODUCTORY STUDENT TUITION
Transferring Design: Introductory Sessions with 3rd Year Students at Glasgow School of Art, 2024.
The bulk of each day was practical in nature with 3 books produced: a single section sewn binding with wrapper; a concertina binding using drummed-on plain paper boards with a turned-in marbled paper retaining band; and, occupying the full afternoon, a multi-section binding with cloth spine and marbled paper boards.
All sessions appear to have been well received with many positive comments left on feedback forms. To date, five students have come forward expressing an interest in taking advantage of follow-up tuition and it is hoped that this will take place soon.
Glasgow School Of Art, Tom McEwan, 2024: STAFF TRAINING
The objectives of TD have become more ambitious in recent years with intermediate to advanced teaching sessions extended to staff. In 2023, Tom was able to teach advanced bookbinding skills to technical and academic staff from his own bindery. This was targeted in such a way that staff became more proficient and confident in using the bookbinding equipment and resources already available to students in the art school.
“The course enabled us to dedicate time to our learning in an enjoyable and welcoming environment. The level of knowledge Tom possesses alongside his approachable manner meant that we were able to take our time, ask as many questions as we wished, and undertake work we were proud of. We are now able to consider within our role how certain procedures may be handled on individual levels. Student projects ultimately come with small budgets and are under the pressure of deadlines. Carrying out the Transferring Design course helped us to slow down and focus on practical skills. Patience and being respectful with materials are definitely aspects we did learn that we weren’t maybe aware we would, and are certainly transferrable to those around us.”
Matthew Walkerdine, Lecturer, Communication Design, GSA.
Glasgow School Of Art, Tom McEwan, 2024: ADVANCED STUDENT TUITION
2024 brought the opportunity for GSA students to visit Tom’s bindery in West Kilbride to participate in advanced bookbinding classes. This allowed a much more detailed and ambitious learning experience in the initial two-day session attended by 5 students. Subjects covered included: folding sections from sheets, sewing on tapes, trimming, rounding and backing, endbands, case making, and metal/pigment foil tooling (by machine and by hand). There was also a surprisingly detailed discussion on material properties, slipcases & boxes and how the techniques practised could be adapted and used on contemporary book art structures. It was a joy to work with such enthusiastic students and Tom is already looking forward to welcoming a new batch of GSA students to West Kilbride in the autumn.
“I had the pleasure of learning from Tom on the GSA bookbinding course twice this year on campus and in the studio. It has been an extremely insightful couple of days and an amazing experience. As a student who has been keen to learn more about bookbinding and not knowing where to start this has really given me an opportunity to learn skills to take forward into my practice and pursue in my final year and further afield. The two days of close tuition in small groups allowed me to learn a lot more than I have in university and to a much higher standard. The experience also gave such a great insight into the working / studio life after university and possible careers within bookbinding.”
Megan Waterston, Student, Communication Design, GSA
Edinburgh College of Art, Tom McEwan, 2024: STAFF TRAINING
Staff training for Edinburgh College of Art took place at Tom’s bindery in West Kilbride where the following subjects were covered over the 3 days: multi-section book sewn on tapes, rounded and backed with quarter cloth case and decorated paper sides. The book was titled using a blocking machine and then had a matching slip case constructed. The sessions also included an introduction to leatherworking and training on how to use finishing tools on paper, cloth and leather.
“I teach across the Schools of Art and Design and offer a series of courses which look at books and bookbinding from a range of perspectives. I find students always hungry to learn new skills and I look forward to sharing what I have been taught by Tom with them. During our workshop we covered a good range of techniques which can be applied in different contexts. We made round backed case bound books, slip cases, looked into leather paring and tooling and fore-edge decoration as well as lettering on our books. We also tried our hands at Suminagashi marbling and explored many of the books Tom has in his collection which stimulated broad insights and discoveries.”
Jane Hyslop, Lecturer in Art and Design, Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh
Lincoln College of Art, Mark Cockram, 2024: STUDENT INTRODUCTORY TUITION
In November 2024 Mark Cockram spent three days introducing books, printing and book arts to 17 students attending the Foundation Course at Lincoln College of Art.
Mark’s involvement, as part of the Transferring Design initiative, was to introduce the students to other forms of book structures and content. The students were encouraged to experiment with hand printing techniques, image making and variations in mark making during an intensive 3 days.
Starting with a blank Drum Leaf case bound book, to learn technique, the students went on to create content for their own project/s. Exploring different mediums, size, form and function. The students expanded their skill range through class or individual demonstrations.
During the 3 days the students became more conversant with the book, challenging what the book could be and is. Investigating variations in creating content and how the reader/viewer engages with the book.
The Transferring Design initiative and Codex at Lincoln College of Art, has, over the last few years, encouraged students, most under 20 years old, to re-evaluate the book and traditional mark making techniques such as printing, to understand that creation is not all keyboard and screen, that the book and allied arts is a medium that is infinite in possibilities. These indelible memories and skills will be with the students for the rest of their education and career, creating artists that have the experience to further their involvement with the book, printing and creation of the hand made.
