design binding


A Design Drop Spine Box for ‘Fish and Waves’

M. C. Escher’s final small-format print ‘Fish and Waves’ was included in the Dutch book De Tekens Van De Dierenrim (The Signs of the Zodiac) published in 1963. In it Escher and other contemporary Dutch printmakers interpreted the twelve signs. The owner of this copy of the book offers an appreciation: “ ‘Fish and Waves’ […]

The design binding box for Escher's 'Fish and Waves' in full leather.

Design binding by Jack Fitterer for White Tulips, full leather with feathered onlays and raised onlays.

Creating a Design Binding for White Tulips 2

As you can see from other posts and pages on FittererBookbinding.com, most of our work is in the area of restoration, repair and rebinding. My earliest interest in bookbinding, though, was design binding and I do receive commissions for these as well. More rarely, I take on a project of my own choosing, such as […]


Another Definition of “Book Restoration”

When we think of book restoration, what first comes to mind most often is to return the book as closely possible to its original appearance and functionality. As we discussed in this November 2015 blog post, the work often includes paper repair, resewing, reattaching loose boards, and/or filling in missing material. The job is deemed […]

The completed book restoration using an onlay design to cover the stained leather.

Wall Street Journal, design binding, bookbinding, Jack Fitterer

Jack Fitterer Design Binding Featured in The Wall Street Journal Magazine 2

Jack Fitterer is one of four design bookbinders featured in an article by Michael Clerizo in the December 2015 issue of The Wall Street Journal Magazine. Click here to see the online version. The print edition appeared the weekend of December 5. You can see more of our design bindings at fittererbookbinding.com/our-services/bookbinding/design-fine-binding/  I’ve added a […]