Welcome to The Ben Elbel Academy
Who I am
I am Ben Elbel, a French bookbinder, mostly known for my exploration of bookbinding structures, and the originator of designs such as the onion skin binding, the elbum, the pixel binding, to name just a few.
I have been a independent bookbinder since 2008.
Together with my partner in business and in life Kieke, we have been suppliers to the hospitality industry (making restaurant menus in the thousands!), we ran a print and bind service, and for the last ten years mostly serve the rare book world and occasionally do editions for publishers.
I also have lots of experience in teaching: in person, online and in written form (tutorials). During my time in the UK I taught extensively at the London Centre for Book Arts, Shepherds or BINDING re:DEFINED. In 2014 I did a tour across the USA, teaching at Penland School of Crafts, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, San Francisco Center for the book, to name just a few. Around the same time I was the first to successfully run online classes, teaching to bookbinders in Europe, USA and Asia.
I am passionate about pedagogy, how to pass on knowledge, because I am passionate about this quirky craft of bookbinding, and if you are reading this, you probably are too.
What to expect from the Ben Elbel Academy?
By joining the Ben Elbel Academy, you will get access to a growing archive of members-only content, covering subjects as:
• News from the bindery (recent work, etc.)
• Peeks in the bindery
• Tips on equipment, productivity etc.
• Ben's lecture in New Zealand 2025 (and other previously unreleased lectures)
• Finds in history of bookbinding
• Mini tutorials, small projects (glue box, card case, cd case etc.)
• Add-ons to our Bookbinding out of the Box tutorial series
• Surveys of techniques (gluing techniques, cutting techniques, etc.)
• Thoughts on bookbinding, philosophy of craft, art etc.
• Whatever's on my mind that I like to share with a group of like-minded people
As you can tell, this content is for a variety of people. I'd like to use this channel to deliver highly specialised content for seasoned practitioners, but also use this opportunity to get back to foundations which I find lacking and needing refreshing. Whether you are a beginner, or an accomplished binder, whether you are into alternative structures or high-end bookbinding and boxmaking, whether you are a dedicated hobbyist or planning to go pro, start your own bindery and/or teach bookbinding, there should be useful content for you (and you will not find it anywhere else).
By becoming a member, you will also get:
• Pre-announcements and discounts for all our new projects (tools, tutorials, courses etc.)
• Access to a forum with like-minded practicioners
• Occasional 'ask me anything' sessions
How does it work?
When you join The Ben Elbel Academy, you can choose between a monthly subscription or a yearly subscription at a discounted rate.
We recommend joining our members-only WhatsApp group to stay up to date with new content releases and to follow Ben’s latest posts and updates from the bindery. Alternatively, you can also choose to simply check in from time-to-time to see what new content has been released.
You will have complete control of your subscription and can cancel at any time.
Subscribe now and receive a free welcome gift
When subscribing to our membership you will receive a free welcome gift.
You can choose from the following options:
• The Zooming in on Corners tutorial for free (worth €29)
• A voucher worth of €30, to spend in our online shop
• The next 2 months free membership (after subscribing for the 1st month)
