San Francisco Center for the Book (SFCB)

I'm so grateful we have this wonderful resource in our community. I've taken multiple classes here (all excellent!) to learn bookbinding and other related arts, and have used studio time to work on projects. Everyone is super friendly too. They also have decorative papers, bookbinding supplies, artist's books, letterpress printed cards, and other fun stuff for sale.

I had a great beginner class here. The instructor was friendly and very informative. The building is nice with interesting equipment. I look forward to taking more classes

The bookbinding classes are great! Also has a free small exhibit you can pop in and see.

I wandered around the workshop and paper art exhibit. I enjoyed seeing all the bookbinding equipment and letterpress supplies. Seems like a cool place to attend a class.

OMG had a blast. Roots of Motor Power from Willits Ca Brought a 1923 Kelly Spring field steam roller.

SFCB is definitely worth a visit if you're in the area - they have a small store onsite with independent books and paper goods from local artists, as well as a gallery space with rotating exhibitions. They also have an excellent slate of 1-day and multi-day workshops, including book binding, printing press / typesetting, and paper marbling. Class sizes are generally small (and popular classes usually sell out) so it's best to sign up ahead of time.

Always interesting things going on at the center. Loads of classes from printing to book binding. Their shop is large and they have many different machines to print in. The staff is friendly and helpful. Check out roadworks, where they bring out a cool fired steam roller to print on the street!

Such a wonderful place full of history and book-making magic! SF Center for the Book has a knowledgeable staff who are able to tell you all about the traditional book-making arts. They also have exhibitions of amazing and creative books. This place also offers classes and is a resource to for those who choose to self-publish (ie digital tools to rent/use for modern book-making). The museum is also no more than a block away from the Wattis muesum- which is also free! One can make a nice day of museum hopping just between these two, terrific places!

I went all of the way out here for some lasses a few years ago and one was an absolute waste. I went because my husband likes to make books and he had some classes there. But his experience was fun. Mine wasn't. It was clear that I wasn't wanted in the class. The teacher asked me, "why are you here?" with a tone that sounded like he was accusing me of something. This was different from the way he seemed to greet others. I was late and thought that had something to do with it, but truthfully, I was waiting for a bus that didn't come. But, I shouldn't have been judged for that. Three people came after me and they received very warm welcomes. Then there was a meal where people were eating together and talking and I sat in a corner. This was many years ago, but all this time later, I still get sick to my stomach thinking of my treatment. Every time I hear about them or see their name, all I can think of was the horrible treatment. It's clear to me that they were set up for a particular demographic and I'm not a part of that group. I don't know what they have to offer and I'm not interested, first because of the location which is a world away from real public transportation (deliberate?) but also because they don't treat all people equally. Center for the book should extend its name to "Center for the book, only if you belong to this group, otherwise, get out and don't look back." That would at least have been honest.

Not sure this is as much a review as it is an enlightenment. SF CotB recently had a cool event which opened its doors to the public and provided a way to support the Center. It featured using an antique, functioning steam-roller to press lino images which were then sold. The cost to go there was zero, and the prints were not exorbitant in price but the service s at the Center were very cool! I really loved the layout and it looks like they have tons of classes and in a very open, supporting environment.

We stopped in for an impromptu visit at the Center for the Book on a neighborhood walk in December. The staff was so welcoming and helpful. Beautiful artwork on display. I'd love to come back and take a class. Thank you!

One of my favorite places in San Francisco! The first class I took was Introduction to Bookbinding, a 3-hour evening class that covers several simple style (including stitching). I eventually went on to take the first coptic binding class, an all-day session that was really fantastic and I left with a beautiful handmade book. My only criticism is that most classes are very expensive, which is unfortunate because it excludes a lot of people from learning book arts. The intro class is $65, which I was able to pay for, but the coptic binding class cost $200--I was only able to do it because my parents bought me a gift certificate for Christmas. Wheelchair accessibility notes: The entrance is even. Tables are at bar height and have bar stools--I'm not sure if they have any normal height work tables you could arrange to use. The bathroom is single-person and I think it was big enough for a wheelchair. Street parking only.

I really have to give the SFCB a 5 star review here. They are an amazing non-profit resource for individuals looking to learn about book binding, paper and printing! They are very organized and the staff are nice and very helpful. I've taken a series of letterpress classes and foil stamping classes - each series certified me to use the machine I was learning on. I'm a digital designer by trade but looking to possibly move into designing and producing more prints, so this is a perfect setup. Renting out their equipment for $10-$20 is a great deal, considering that a letterpress itself can cost thousands of dollars and needs space - not something easily found in San Francisco. I've already printed a handful of wedding invites and party invitations here and look forward to printing more!

I've always wanted to learn calligraphy, so when I got engaged, I thought it would be the perfect excuse to take a calligraphy class. I took the 3-week Hand Lettering workshop with Billy Hutchinson in February 2014. Billy is a gem, and gave us all vintage pens to start our calligraphy career. There was a lot of information packed into the 3 classes, and we went through several types of fonts. At first it just didn't click with me, but after enough practice, I finally had a calligraphy breakthrough. Most of my friends thought we had hired a professional calligrapher to do our invitation envelopes! Success!

I dropped by SF Center for the Book because of The Sketchbook Project that they were hosting July 26-28. I really didn't have any idea what this center did but once I was inside, they had some pretty amazing stuff. On one side, they had what appeared to be a letterpress studio with the works! I think they also teach classes on letterpress printing. Currently, they're showing Joanna Drucker's works. I've personally never heard of her but her books and artwork are really beautiful. The receptionist and the staff were so friendly at the front desk too. I highly recommend dropping by if you're a fan of letterpress printing and the art behind producing books.

SFCB is great! It has wonderful exhibitions, instructors, and awesome events like Steam Roller Printing Festival. Above all, it is a non-profit spreading the joy of the printed word! You can learn all kinds of things here in a beautiful facility.