A professional and premiere service! I've book looking for…read morea quality bindery in Seattle for some time now who actually does above average work and Ars Obscura seems to be exactly what I've been looking for! All of my interactions with Mia have been incredibly positive as she is a very friendly and professional women to deal with. Its not so easy trusting someone with your beloved books but this wasn't an issue for me after feeling well assured that my antiques were in the hands of someome who was genuinely interested and devoted to the work that they do. The quality of the work itself has exceeded my expectations which is why I felt compelled to write this review along with the fact of how wonderful my overall experiences have been in general. I highly recommend this service for those looking for a craftsmen who is an expert at what they do and who wouldn't settle for anything less.

This past two weekends, a friend and I took Ars Obscura's Basic Bookbinding Class. M.H.R taught the…read moreclass and I must say, this was the most amazing experience I've ever had in a teaching environment. From the very start, we were welcomed into the bindery by M.H.R and Joel. We knew we would be spending the day here, so we brought our own snacks and drinks. The bindery studio is small, organized and compact. It has a wonderful vibe - you know good work is being done here. We were immediately at ease. M.H.R was ready for us - all of our materials were on the table. Joel left for the afternoon to run errands, leaving us to our devices and that's when the learning began. Before getting started, we were walked through a review of different types of bindings. M.H.R wanted to ensure that our expectations were level and we both understood what we would be creating in this experience - a great way to start. M.H.R is incredibly wise and detailed in their craft. No question is unanswered, no curiosity left unexplained. As an amateur bookbinder, I thought I had the "basics" down, but I was wrong! I quickly understood that I had room to improve on even the smallest techniques. Within the first hour, I knew that this class was worth every hour and penny spent. Over the next two weekends (2 days, 14 hours), we created the most beautiful case bound books. The first day is all about the text block - folding, sewing, gluing, etc. The second day was the case - cutting boards, measuring spine, adhering the bookcloth and then applying gold tooling using the Quickprint machine. M.H.R's instruction is hands-on. We're first shown the technique and then asked to perform it on our own books. Throughout, M.H.R was with us checking on the progress, answering questions and challenging us to try again in order to improve on our technique. When the whole project came to an end, I was sad to learn that my book would need to stay in the press overnight. Fear not - M.H.R packaged the book wonderfully and mailed it to me the very next day (I live a fair distance from Seattle) along with a note via email thanking us for spending time in their bindery. This was a fascinating opportunity that I would do a thousand times over. I hope M.H.R decides to teach more advanced bindings at some point - I'll be the first return customer! Some notes: Joel was there later in the afternoons, but was quietly working on projects while listening to some pretty smooth tunes on the radio. He was very kind and I got a 60s/70s vibe from him. The studio has various animal skins (goat, calf, python, to name a few) hanging here and there. We found it added to the character and didn't bother us at all, but I'm sure some folks might take offense so I figured I'd tell you. There are plenty of places nearby to have a snack break or eat dinner. The bindery is focused on binding, not eating, so don't expect to find a vending machine ;) The phone would ring after 5pm while we were there and it would go to voicemail as this was after hours. They were very polite the one time I heard them answer the phone. I encourage you to check this place out, it's a unique, rare gem with a timeless feel in an age where everything is manufactured.

Pavel is a treasure and a craftsman. He restored my Ancient copy of Chaucer's works ( 1721) keeping…read moreall the original features . He meets you at the Kent library (all safe and sound) . I trusted him immediately- a true gentleman. His prices are very reasonable and the turnaround great. I will use him again.

Pavel restored and rebound two family Bibles with important hand-written family geneology…read moreinformation in them along with another book written by an ancestor in the 18000's. Pavel did an impeccable job in a little less than two weeks and restored these beautiful books to us! He did what we thought was not possible. Thank you so much Pavel!

Great service. The employees were great to work with and made recommendations on what to do. Will…read moredefinitely use them again. Quick and professional service.

Jonathan and Dean work so well as a team and can service your printing needs with professional…read moreresults. They recently showed me their new Canon Imagepress V800 printer that offers outstanding color quality results. They keep up with the latest printing technology which proves to be invaluable during these challenging times so we don't need to think about it. I truly recommend their consultative advice, being able to deliver on time, and being the printing experts in this area. It was great meeting you this week.

Had my wedding invitations printed here, they turned out amazing. Service was great and they…read moreshipped fast once everything was in order.

I note with pride, and am please to commend Blue Sky Printing for their performance of duty while…read morecreating these amazing drill job aids! The price was more than reasonable, and the quality was outstanding. The owners are very professional and detail oriented, as they went above and beyond what I expected by identifying errors in the print job and correcting them before it was too late. Two words: detail oriented. The printing device is authorized.

Only does complete recovering of books with $300 minimum. We just wanted our book repaired. It only…read morehad a small tear.

From the owner: Restoration of antique and rare books , Books restored, Paper and document restoration, Object and…read moreartifact restoration,Custom hand bookbinding Family Bibles, ...

F-I-V-E-star rating for the professional printing services provided...from idea development to…read morestock selection and postage, doesn't begin to credit Nate and the team! Emily designed and produced a STATEMENT. Ken Avery

they want your personal information along with --I don't know--…read more It is making out a form to get a quote when they don't even know what you want it for.

Great service, friendly folks and good prices. Now is my go-to place for copying/printing.read more

I had a wonderful experience printing our wedding invitations here! They went above and beyond by…read morehelping me scan, format and print my invitations, and then they cut them for us for free! Would highly recommend.