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Upcoming Events: Common Press

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Nov 11
  • Workshop
Open to Penn Students, Faculty, and Staff

Making Books for Class Projects

The workshop covers how to design, layout and print content for this structure, as well as how to bind the final book

  • November 11, 2025
  • 11:00am - 12:00pm
  • Fisher Fine Arts Library
Nov 11
  • Lecture
Open to the Public

The Messiness of Independence

Dr. Emily Sneff, a leading expert on the history of the Declaration of Independence, will share some of the stories behind the first printings of the founding document of the United States.

  • November 11, 2025
  • 5:30pm - 7:00pm
  • Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, sixth floor
Original print of the declaration of independence
Nov 20
  • Workshop
Open to the Public

Bookbinding Workshop: Sewn Boards

learn the Sewn Board Binding, designed by Gary Frost. This binding includes sewing and board attachment features of the earliest form of the codex; however, the final form has a modern hardcover look.

  • November 20, 2025
  • 5:00pm - 8:00pm
  • Fisher B Level Seminar Room
bookbinding tools
Nov 24
  • Workshop
Open to Penn Students, Faculty, and Staff

Studio Use Training: Letterpress Printing

Learn and practice the basics of letterpress printing and typesetting. This orientation is required as a prerequisite for working on independent projects at Common Press and can be taken multiple times.

  • November 24, 2025
  • 10:00am - 12:00pm
  • Common Press Space
close up of movable type being arranged on a printing press
Jan 16
  • Workshop
Open to the Public

Reinterpreting the Declaration: A Creative Typesetting Workshop

In this creative typesetting workshop, the Declaration text will be split amongst registered participants, and each participant will have the freedom to choose to include, edit, or redact the words in their segment.

  • January 16, 2026
  • 12:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library, Lower Level
thomas jeffereson early edits
Feb 20
Open to the Public

Papermaking Open House: Rag Preparation

See how rags from our community cloth collection are processed in preparation for papermaking. Stop by the Common Press to participate in removing buttons, tags, and zippers and cutting the fabric into tiny pieces.

  • February 20, 2026
  • 2:00pm - 4:00pm
  • Common Press Space
Black and white illustration depicting the processing of rags for papermaking
Mar 06
Open to the Public

Open Studio Session: Indigenous Space

Join us for a drop-in Open Studio at Common Press to print a broadside about the Lenape, the original users of the land around the Historic Rittenhouse Town papermill!

  • March 6, 2026
  • 2:00pm - 4:00pm
  • Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library, Lower Level
A portion of a vintage, hand-drawn map showing townships, creeks, and the names of land owners.

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