CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

Stack of four hardcover notebooks with elastic closures on a wooden sideboard, with a book leaning against the side of the furniture.

Bookbinding

Learn leather bookbinding and uncover the secrets of a craft that has transcended generations across the world. By practicing this trade, you can help preserve invaluable knowledge, ensuring that stories and wisdom endure with every fold and every stitch.

Our certificate programs

The bookbinding advanced study is part of the leather School’s craftmanship program and is structured into two semesters, designed to provide solid and progressive training in manual bookbinding techniques: Basic Semester and Specialization Semester.

Each semester consists of 312 hours, totalling 624 hours for the full program and integrates theoretical and practical areas of study, taught by highly qualified instructors.

  • During the basic semester students acquire fundamental knowledge for the bookbinding practice.

  • In the second semester, they explore various bookbinding methods, refining their skills and understanding the different structural compositions of bookbinding.

  • The training is conducted in person, ensuring hands-on learning experience and feedback closely connected to the realities of the trade.

Course Details

  • Bookbinding

  • Next opening 2027

  • Monday to Friday

    7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

  • Upon completion of the program, students receive the Technical Labor Certificate in Bookbinding, with the related specialization, approved by the Bogotá Secretariat of Education under Resolution 170017 of November 27, 2024.

Our programs offer an exceptional opportunity to build a career in artisanal excellence.

Through a hands-on approach guided by expert instructors, students gain in-depth knowledge and unique opportunities within the world of traditional crafts.

The programs are the gateway to a successful career with artisanal excellence. Discover all that you can achieve, secure your place today and set your career in motion!

Hands sewing a book with needle and thread, binding it with multiple strings on a wooden surface.

Curriculum

Next opening 2027

Basic bookbinding

Three stacked notebooks and a leather planner on a wooden table.

  • During the basic Bookbinding semester, students obtain foundational skills, exploring every stage of the process, for planning and crafting products such as notebooks and journals.

    Main topics include project definition, template creation, material selection, and the proper use of bookbinding tools. Additionally, students learn various stitching techniques and structural assembly methods.

    This semester also introduces the handling and treatment of specialized leathers, including kid and calf leather, allowing students to develop technical and aesthetic sensitivity while working with high-quality traditional materials.

  • The program includes the use of specific bookbinding materials and tools, helping participants understand their use and application. Various stitching and structural assembly methods are studied, in order to reinforce concepts in durability and strength in bookbinding products.

  • To complete the training, students learn how to handle materials such as kid leather, calfskin, and other specialized hides, adapting their use to various bookbinding applications. This allows the students to explore exclusive finishes and enhance the aesthetic and functionality and quality of their projects.

    This program offers comprehensive technical training, blending tradition and artisanal precision with the development of advanced skills.

    Subjects covered in the Basic semester:

    • History and Context

    • Planning for Bookbinding

    • Templates, Molds, and Volume Construction

    • Materials and Tools

    • Leather Handling

    • Bookbinding Stitch Techniques

Advanced bookbinding

Close-up of hands working on a traditional handloom, weaving fabric with multiple colored threads.

  • Through advanced training in book assembly, enhancement, and restoration, students intensify their expertise in preserving history and knowledge, elevating the craft through mastery and dedication.

    In this cycle, students refine their skills in manual bookbinding, exploring classical structures and advanced decorative methods.

  • Students master four bookbinding styles, tailored to different cover types and booklet structures, ranging from traditional board binding (encartonado) to flexible leather covers.

  • The semester concludes with expert training in gilding and embossing methods, enhancing the aesthetic value of bound works.

  • The program covers essential techniques for book preservation and restoration, ensuring both the longevity of bound works and mastery of traditional manual bookbinding.

    Subjects covered in the Advanced Cycle:

    • Flexible Cover Bookbinding

    • Independent Cover Binding

    • Traditional Board Binding

    • Oriental Binding Constructions

    • Decorative Techniques

    • Book Restoration and Rebinding

Bookbinding master

A woman with dark, wavy hair wearing a brown jacket and a black turtleneck garment, standing at a table in a room with a plain wall and some furniture in the background.

Laura Sanchez

With 11 years of experience, Laura values the thoughtfulness and care inherent in artisanal work, excelling in bookbinding and handmade leather goods.

Set of three wooden bowls of different sizes on a white surface, with the smallest on the left, the medium in the middle containing two wooden spoons, and the largest on the right, against a beige textured background.

Craft your future

Admissions