From start to finish, Arion Press handcrafts its limited edition fine art books on-site. Its 10,000-square-foot facility, designed by JENSEN Architects, houses a foundry, press room, and bookbindery — a unique operation yielding limited-edition volumes that combine classic literature with original contemporary art.

Arion’s creative team collaborates with the artists to develop the concepts for each title — including the type, paper, and art. The latter entails the cover as well as works within the pages of the book. In 2024, to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Arion released Fables of Aesop, featuring a Kiki Smith-designed sculptural box; works by 15 additional artists; and modern morals penned by San Francisco native Lemony Snicket (author Daniel Handler). The production of Arion’s books honors centuries-old traditions and techniques. In the foundry, molten lead is cast into letters, which are arranged into lines. The lines form complete pages that are positioned in the press. As the paper is carried onto the inked metal type, an impression is made (this is known as letterpress printing). In the bookbindery — once the pages are folded, collated, stitched, and trimmed — the covers are adhered by hand. In addition to a retail/gallery space, visitors to Fort Mason Center For Arts & Culture can enjoy glimpses of Arion’s exquisite process first-hand.

Image Credits: Photography by Nick Bruno, Courtesy of Arion Press