My name is Rob Luckins I’m a printmaker and commercial photographer. I make screen prints, letterpress and linocuts under the name Triffid. My inspiration
comes from 1950’s television shows and packaging. I love old tin toys, model kits and the 1950’s view of what the future would look like.
Describe your printmaking process.
My printmaking process is screen printing. The way I approach a piece is to create a very small sketch roughly the size of a small matchbox to work out
composition, I’ll then shade this to work out roughly where I want light, shadow and texture. I then scan this and drop it into Adobe Illustrator and
block out all of the shapes. From here the artwork goes into Adobe Photoshop where I texture it and create my final separations ready for printing.
How and where did you learn to print?
We had a 1-day introduction to screen printing at University, but it wasn’t until I saw the work of Peter Lloyd and his series Royal Rumble that I got
really excited about what could be achieved using the process.
Why printmaking?
There’s something deeply satisfying about the whole process that I’ve never gotten from painting. The ability to lay down perfectly flat colours and layer
something up is something that really appeals to me.
Where do you work?
I work and teach at Badger Press, which is an open access printmaking studio situated in Bishops Waltham in Hampshire. I also have a small set up at home.
Describe a typical day in your studio.
Get in early, get all of the screens coated, exposed and washed out, cut paper and mix up inks. All peppered with plenty of tea drinking.
How long have you been printmaking?
Since 2001 when I worked as a commercial screen printer, printing t-shirts.
What inspires you?
People who are passionate and proactive about what they do, people like Lord Lav, Curxes and Tom and Emily over at CreatureHut who are all friends of mine
and fit the above description perfectly.
What is your favourite printmaking product?
I would probably say well used wooden handled squeegees that are splattered with paint.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
Apart from my two boys, I would say my most recent piece featuring a 1980’s style gumball machine.
Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?
You can see my work over at my Etsy store www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TriffidPress where my work is also for sale. It is also available for sale at Aspex gallery in Gunwharf Portsmouth and on the wall of the Butchers Hook micro Brewery
in Southampton.
What will we be seeing from you next?
I am working on an A2 piece of a pinball machine and plan to produce a new series of letterpress prints.
Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?
Don’t feel like you have to have access to expensive equipment in order to get started and if you’re unsure about a process, reach out to printmakers and
ask them questions. I would highly recommend attending courses and talks and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. It’s the best way to learn!
Our Christmas Makers’ Market is just around the corner! We have an amazing selection of makers selling a variety of handmade goods including prints, paintings,
glass, homewares, jewellery, cards and pottery. This is the perfect opportunity to shop local and support independent makers this Christmas.
The Makers’ Market will be open on Friday 30th November from 6-8.30pm and on Saturday 1st December from 10.30-4pm at Handprinted in Bognor Regis. Entrance
is free – please pop in. Here’s a sneak peek at who will be there:
Bobbie Print – A stylish selection of screen prints, riso prints, cards, notebooks and enamel pins.
Vicky Gomez – Mixed media prints, greetings cards and postcards, tote bags and notebooks with a sea life theme. Plus, some new Christmas
themed prints!
Lin Crompton – Bags, scarves and other handmade items.
Felix & Tabitha – Lots of arty, crafty loveliness: glass and textile gifts, cards, décor and jewellery with a whimsical twist. Handmade
by the sea in sunny Bognor.
Please come along to our Christmas Makers’ Market on Friday 30th November from 6 – 8.30pm and on Saturday 1st December from 10.30am – 4pm
at Handprinted, 22 Arun Business Park, Shripney Road, Bognor Regis, PO22 9SX.
Hi, I’m Katie Edwards and I’m a freelance illustrator and screen printer, I produce conceptual illustrations for a wide range of international clients
from editorial to advertising. I also sell screen prints online, in galleries and at art shows.
Describe your printmaking process.
Using traditional photographic and silkscreen printing techniques. Focusing on metaphors and symbolism, reflecting enjoyment for the natural world, evoking
thoughtfulness and humour.
How and where did you learn to print?
I first tried my hand at screen printing on my art foundation course, I’m pretty sure I loved the process from the get go. Then at University where I studied
Graphic Arts and Design, if I wasn’t in the printmaking studio I was in the darkroom developing my photos onto lith film to make my screen from. My
way of working came from a love of photography and screen printing.
Why printmaking?
I find all printmaking techniques extremely satisfying, that moment you reveal the print is very pleasing every time. Screen printing appealed to me because
it could be combined with placing photographs in unusual compositions and I enjoy the printing process, other techniques can be very laborious. The
planning and set up of screen printing can take some time, but once your ready to print it can be fairly quick and enjoyable, producing unique textures
every time.
Where do you work?
I work from my home studio in Newby Bridge, The Lake District.
Describe a typical day in your studio.
I don’t really have a typical day, it depends what project I’m working on and at what stage. It varies from generating ideas for a commission, creating
the design, planning the colours and layers. If I’m printing a limited edition print run, I’ll be exposing screens and printing. Or if I have an exhibition
coming up I’ll be preparing frames and mounting prints. Then there’s all the nitty gritty stuff, such as paperwork and packing online orders that need
doing in between and goes hand in hand with running a business.
How long have you been printmaking?
14 years
What inspires you?
Growing up in the Lake District and spending some time in Canada, I’ve been closely in touch with the outdoors, the countryside and animals. My screen
print illustrations reflect this appreciation for natural beauty, yet sometimes mixed this with familiar cityscapes. My style of illustration came
about from the juxtaposition of different objects to communicate a new idea. This way of working appealed to me in a way that I could create quite
imaginative pieces with quite ordinary photos. I didn’t consciously always include an animal or nature in my pieces, but this was what I was interested
in and so were the basis of my ideas. Animals also hold so many hidden meanings and so often create a symbolic image.
What is your favourite printmaking product?
My exposure unit, it’s not a full-size one: I can only fit up to an A2 screen, but it fits perfectly in the corner of my studio. It was a game changer
having to not go to a workshop to expose my screens and a must when I moved from the city back to the countryside.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
‘Joy’ was for a competition of the same title, which I struggled with an idea for a little while but when I thought of the horse escaping the carousel
it was a real ‘Aha’ moment. Also ‘Think Big’ is my biggest selling edition.
Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?
I sell on my website https://ktedwards.co.uk in galleries across the country and at Art Fairs.
What will we be seeing from you next?
This year I have been working with the Apartment Hotel chain Roomzzz and there’s lots more to come from this exciting partnership.
Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?
My way of working came about in my final year of University, I think before then I’d tried too hard to create a style. When actually it should come naturally
by doing what you love, in my case combining photography and printmaking, my two passions. And enter competitions, they are great for getting noticed.
Choosing the right roller for your relief printing can get confusing. Different uses, budgets, sizes and preferences can dictate which roller is best for you. We’ve put together a guide to lino rollers to help you choose the best roller for you. This guide has now been updated to include all of the rollers we now offer.
There are several factors that decide how a roller will perform:
There are hard rollers and soft rollers – hard rollers will ink up less of the ‘noise’ n the carved areas but can leave roller marks at the edges, soft rollers can roll ink more evenly but can deposit more ink in the grooves. Soft rollers can be especially useful when the roller is narrower than the block.
The circumference of a roller can affect your inking – the larger the circumference, the more ink it can put down in one roll.
Rollers come in different widths – it can help to have a roller that is slightly wider than the block you are inking. This can help with even inking without roller marks. If printing in a rainbow roll, you’ll need a roller as wide as your gradient area. Smaller rollers can be useful for inking up small areas of lino or ‘free inking’ in a more painterly style.
There are also rollers that can be used for block printing onto fabric as they allow other inks to be used.
Read on for a comprehensive list of all our rollers…
These little rollers come in two sizes: 60mm wide with a circumference of 6.5cm and 90mm wide with a circumference of 10cm. The wire handle provides a stand to keep the roller off your inking plate. Although they may not be the best roller for inking up large-scale linocuts, these little wire handled rollers are a great addition to your lino kit. The rubber has a slight give in it, making it easier to roll without pecky roller marks.
They’re inexpensive, easy to clean and can hang neatly in on your workshop wall. Particularly good for small relief prints for cards or for free inking smaller sections of larger prints. They’re easy to move around curves and make great shaped rainbow rolls:
These red lino rollers are a classic. Many people’s first relief printing experience is with one of these rollers. They come in a variety of widths, from 50mm to 200mm and have a 10cm circumference.
They are inexpensive and are therefore a great entry-level roller. The roller is hard so will not deposit ink in the recesses of your block but may cause roller marks if the block is wider than your roller. They can be turned over to keep the roller off the inking plate.
This is the blue handled version of the roller above but the rubber is a lot softer. This can make it a little easier to use. There are several widths available: 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, 150mm and 200mm and they have a circumference of 11.5cm which is a little wider than their red-handled counterpart. Like the red rollers, they can be turned over so that the roller is kept away from the inking plate.
This black-handled roller is a heavier weight than the red and blue handled alternatives. It has a medium hard rubber but with a slightly rougher texture than the red and blue rollers, allowing for a more even distribution on ink. The rubber is thicker than the red and blue rollers above.
Available in two sizes 50mm and 100mm with a 12cm circumference.
This soft rubber roller by Speedball has a ‘pop in’ mechanism so the roller can be separated from the handle for cleaning. They are 10cm wide and have an 11cm circumference.
The roller is soft, allowing for even ink distribution but they can become a little sticky after being cleaned with solvents – this does not affect their use. When turned over, the rollers rest of their plastic stand and so the roller is held away from the inking plate.
This Deluxe Rubber Roller from Speedball comes in three widths: 1.5″, 4″ and 6″ and has a 10cm circumference.
The rubber is soft for even ink distribution but, like the Speedball Soft Rubber Roller, can become when sticky after being cleaned with solvents. Again, it doesn’t affect its use so is thankfully not an issue. Turn it over to keep the roller away from the inking plate.
The 1.5″ roller is particularly popular as it can be used for free inking for more painterly linocuts or small detail.
These wooden handled rollers are available in eight widths: 9mm, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, 60mm, 120mm, 150mm and 200mm. They have a wide circumference of 16cm allowing ink to roll out more ink before the surface of the roller touches the block twice.
They are relatively inexpensive and are made from a thinner tube of rubber around an aluminium core. The rubber has a little give in it making them a pleasure to use.
The wide range of widths of these rollers makes them a unique addition to your printmaking kit. The more narrow rollers allow for very fine detailed inking and free inking whilst the large circumference spreads ink further.
The larger rollers can be turned upside down to rest on a stand, keeping the roller off the inking plate. The more narrow rollers do not have this feature.
This pin roller is a different style than the others – it has one handle on each end like a rolling pin. It’s 300mm (12 inches) wide with 5mm thick rubber and a circumference of 16cm.
It’s strong and hard-wearing and has an aluminium core that rotates through plastic bearings (handles rotate independently from roller allowing for easy inking). The price of this roller is extremely reasonable compared to other pin rollers on the market.
These Japanese Hard Rubber Rollers are lovely to work with. They are available in four widths: 30mm, 100mm, 165mm and 210mm. They have a wide circumference of 15cm allowing you to roll out your ink evenly over large areas. The hard surface of the rubber means that less noise is picked up from the background when inking. This is a high-quality roller, especially for the price.
These rollers have a plastic handle and metal frame. The rollers can be turned upside down to rest on the frame, keeping the roller off the inking plate. The rollers rock a little from side to side on their spool but this doesn’t affect their use.
The rollers come boxed separately from their handles (with the exception of the 30mm which comes ready-made) but are easy to put together.
These Japanese Soft Rubber Rollers are of equally high quality with thick rubber. Like the Japanese Hard Rollers, they are available in four widths: 30mm, 100mm, 165mm and 210mm. They have a wide circumference of 15cm allowing you to roll out your ink evenly over large areas. These rollers have a softer rubber surface, making it easier to roll evenly without roller marks. This is another high-quality roller, especially for the price.
The Soft Rubber Rollers have a wooden handle and metal frame. Unlink the Hard Rubber Rollers, they cannot be turned upside down to keep the roller off the inking plate but rather have a ‘leg’ to hold the handle out of the ink. The exception to this rule is the 30mm roller which has a red plastic handle, not a wooden one, and can be turned upside down to rest off the inking plate.
The rollers rock a little from side to side on their spool but this doesn’t affect their use.
The rollers come boxed separately from their handles (with the exception of the 30mm which comes ready-made) but are easy to put together.
This Hawthorn Inking Roller is a great all-rounder. It comes in 3 sizes: 3″, 6″ and 12″ wide, has an impressive circumference of 17cm and is reassuringly heavy. The rubber is soft and inks evenly. When turned over, it rests on a stand to keep the roller off the inking plate. This is a high-quality roller, especially for the price.
The frame features a stand to keep the roller off the inking plate when flipped. The stand can vary a little – some batches of rollers have a third leg at the base of the handle to hold the handle away from the inking plate too.
Sponge rollers are a really useful bit of kit when you’re wanting to print your lino designs onto fabric. They’re very inexpensive and refill sponge rollers can be fitted to the handle when they’re worn out or to swap to when the first is wet.
They’re roughly 10cm wide and have a circumference of 15cm. The smoothness of standard lino rollers means that only block printing inks will roll out evenly – other inks will cause the roller to slip. Using a sponge roller allows other inks and paints to be rolled out. For example, fabric screen printing inks can be easily rolled out with a sponge roller and then used to print lino blocks onto fabric.
These sponge rollers do soak up a lot of ink and can leave a bubbly texture on the blocks.
We have had this roller specially made to be perfect for block printing onto fabric. Like the sponge roller, it allows you to roll out slippery fabric screen printing inks but this roller creates a more even texture. The ink goes further as none is soaked up into the roller.
The Textile Roller is approximately 10cm wide and has a circumference of 10.5cm.
I’m Turid, I live in West Sussex. I’m a mum of three teenagers and owner of two cats and a nutty spaniel called Peggy. I was a teacher then children’s
counsellor, but gave that up a few years ago, and took the plunge with setting up a small business. Now I’m lucky enough to balance family life, and
a part-time job, with working from home drawing, designing and printing fabric, and hand making linen products.
Describe your printmaking process.
I’m a lover of pattern in nature and take lots of photos as I walk. So I generally start with a photo (normally something botanical), which I then sketch
in pencil, and then once I’m happy with it I draw over in ink. I scan this into my computer and do final adjustments in photoshop, and eventually print
it out on acetate. I coat a screen with photosensitive emulsion and once dry, expose the image (I simply use a 500W lamp with the glass removed) –
I wash the screen off and, assuming all is well, then it’s ready to print.
How and where did you learn to print
I’ve always been interested in lots of different forms of printmaking but only had a go at screen printing a few years ago – I was given a gift from my
husband of a short course at Inkspot Press in Brighton, with Jane Sampson. I instantly loved it, and have been playing around with it ever since!
Why printmaking?
It’s a lot of fun! I love that with screen printing you can print detail. I worked with stencils initially but was a bit frustrated by it, and found that
once I could in effect print my ink drawings I enjoyed it all the more. I’m excited at the prospect of learning loads of new techniques. I’m just at
the start but raring to go!
Where do you work?
I’m very lucky to have a studio in my garden where I work. It’s insulated but gets seriously chilly in the winter, so I tend to migrate to my kitchen when
it’s cold for the designing and sewing process, and just soldier on in the cold for the printing part! I expose the screens in a makeshift darkroom
that is my daughter’s bedroom (she is now at university, and it’s the smallest and darkest room in the house!) and my poor utility room is where I
coat and clean the screens (lots of evidence of this on the floor!).
Describe a typical day in your studio.
The only typical bit to my day is that I always go for an early dog walk, and make myself coffee and toast on my return. I have weeks when I’m designing
and screen creating – this can be a rather slow process as it’s often that it’s not til the screen is made and the first print produced that I know
if I’m happy with the design, so it may mean going back to the sketch and redrawing it and starting the whole process again. I am still learning about
what mesh count is best with what design and also with what fabric. Some of the finer detailed designs don’t print so well on the linen as the weave
is too coarse.. so I’m experimenting all the time. I have days when I’m mainly washing, drying, cutting or printing the fabric, heat setting the prints,
sewing the products, creating lampshades, or any combination of the above!
I’m largely self-taught, and so I’m still very much learning as I go along, so I’m often trying things out and making mistakes and trying again, so things
tend to develop rather slowly, but it’s very satisfying when things go well…
How long have you been printmaking?
I only began screen printing a few of years ago, and feel really excited about all I have still to learn. At the moment I mainly print simple monochrome
designs, but I’m keen to start introducing more colour and layers.
What inspires you?
I guess I’m mainly influenced by nature…Living at the foot of the South Downs, I’m surrounded by trees, fields and hills – it’s very inspiring and
it would be impossible not to be influenced by it! However, I’ve also spent a lot of time in Norway (my mum’s Norwegian) – and I think you can’t fail
to be influenced by Scandinavian style and design when you spend lots of time there.
What is your favourite printmaking product?
I think my favourite product at the moment isn’t strictly a printmaking product, but it is very important in the fabric printing process… it’s my
heat press. Before I got it, I spent so long neurotically ironing every print for far longer than was probably necessary, for fear of it vanishing
in its first wash… I can relax a little more now that I’m confident it will remain!
What have you made that you are most proud of?
I think this will be my Norwegian Forest design, simply because it was the first design that I printed on to fabric, created a cushion from, and was confident
enough to sell!
Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?
I sell in Lewes at the monthly Saturday craft market, and on my Etsy shop (kviladesign.etsy.com).
I also sell in the local Artist Open Studios and will be at a number of Winter and Christmas markets in Sussex. My website will be launched in the
near future (www.kviladesign.com ).
What will we be seeing from you next?
I’ve recently started printing fabric for lampshades, and I’m really excited about some new bold designs, these will be ready in time for Christmas!
Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?
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