Month: December 2021

We’ve loved creating videos and blogs to aid and inspire your printmaking throughout 2021! What started out as a way of reaching our customers whilst our workshops had to be closed down, turned into an ongoing project that’s reached so many more printmakers all over the world. Thank you for watching our videos and supporting us this year.

Browse through all the videos from this year below to see if there are any you’ve missed or want to revisit:

There has been a mini-series on prepping for linocut, including choosing a suitable block, transferring a design and staining your lino:

Choosing which Type of Lino is Right for You

Cutting Down Lino to Size

Preparing Your Lino

Staining Lino to See Your Carving More Easily

Transferring your Design onto Lino

We have made loads more relief printing videos including colour mixing, how to fix ink reticulation and repurposing items for your relief printing kit:

Taking a Proof of your Linocut with a Rubbing

Oil-Based or Water-Based Relief Printing Inks?

Different Ways to Transfer a Linocut to Paper

Repurposing Items for Linocut

Block Printing with Gold Ink

Colour Mixing with Schmincke Relief Printing Ink Set

Using Slama Presses for Relief Printing

Khadi Papers and Mini Kean Ball Bearing Baren

How to Fix Ink Reticulation when Relief Printing

We haven’t forgotten to make more videos about block printing on fabric (something we get asked about all the time!):

Block Printing on Fabric without a Roller – Make Your Own Stamp Pads

Heat Stamps

We’ve even tackled the dreaded clean-up! Screens, blocks and rollers can be saved using the proper clean-up techniques:

How to Fix a Sticky Roller

Removing Dried Ink from Rollers using Zest It Printmakers Washdown

Removing Ternes Burton Tabs from Delicate Papers

Using Zest It Printmakers Washdown to Remove Tape Glue Residue from Screens

Removing Dried Ink from a Screen using Zest It Printmakers Washdown

Screen printing remains one of our passions at Handprinted so there have been loads of screen printing tutorials:

Screen Printing with Puff Paste – Puffy Spiders

Repurposing Items for Screen Printing

Coating a Screen with Photo Emulsion

Mono Screen Printing with Brusho

Screen Printing a Gradient with a Split Fountain

Mixing Your Own Screen Printing Inks for Fabric

Screen Printing onto Dark Fabrics

Screen Printing a Graphite Drawing

If you fancy dipping your toe into the world of exposed screens we’ve got some information to help:

What is an Exposed Screen?

What’s a Halftone?

Creating Hand Drawn Designs for Exposed Screens

Artwork Requirements for an Exposed Screen

Intaglio printing produces such lovely results! Try your hand at the techniques we’ve explored this year:

Drypoint Etching (with Drypoint Plastic)

Using Carborundum Gel to Create an Intaglio Plate

Using Mirror Card to Make an Expressive Drypoint Print

Cardcut Collagraph

One of the most popular projects we’ve done is this monoprint scrim print:

Using Scrim to Monoprint

We’ve got colourful with dyeing too!

Rainbow Spiral Tie Dye

Sgraffito Batik

Finally, there are a handful of other projects we’ve had fun with:

Gum Arabic Transfer

Embossing using Card

Low Tech Lithography: Making Cards with Polyester Litho Plates

Fabric Painting

You can find all of our videos on Youtube, our website, or on Instagram!

Grab your red, green and gold ink and let’s go! Here are 20 Handprinted Christmas projects to keep you in the festive spirit this year.

Gift Wrapping

Handprinted Christmas Project: Bridget’s Furoshiki Fabric Wrapping
This beautiful way of wrapping presents in paper is traditional in Japan but is rising in popularity in the UK too! This fabric wrapping can be re-used again and again. Print your own fabric for an extra personal touch.

Handprinted Christmas Project: Holly’s Stamped Newspaper Gift Bags
Another eco-conscious wrapping option is to make your own gift bags. The project shows you how to make your own from over-printed newspaper but you could use scrap paper, magazine pages or old misprints too!

Easy Block Printed Christmas Wrapping Paper
We love this easy printed wrapping paper idea! Just add a few squiggly lines and some bauble stamps for a bright festive paper.

Printing Wrapping Paper for Christmas!
This project is actually 4 wrapping paper printing techniques – thermofax screen printing, stamping, repeat pattern block printing and Indian block printing!

Screen Printed Wrapping Paper Using Screen Filler
If you’re a screenprint lover this wrapping paper option is for you! Use drawing fluid and filler to create a festive screen and wizz through metres of paper in minutes.

Soft Cut Lino Stamped Tags
Every gift needs a tag. This quick stamp is fast and adds that personal touch.

Printed Christmas Wrapping Tape
Don’t forget the tape! Lots of gift givers are opting for paper tape (no single use plastic and the whole lot can be recycled after use!) If plain isn’t your thing, stamp your own!

Decorations

Handprinted Christmas Project: Shirley’s Star Garland
This star garland is a gorgeous addition to a mantelpiece, banister or window!

Handprinted Christmas Project: Jez’s Printed Bauble
Use your favourite pattern and print up a batch of these beautiful paper baubles. Extra festive points for gold ink!

Stamped Christmas Bird DIY Decorations
These paper birds hang so delicately on a tree. We’ve brusho dyed and stamped them but you could decorate them in any way to like – get the kids involved too!

Printing a Christmas Star
If your tree is lacking a topper, this cardboard star is a low (or no) cost addition. Screen print, stamp, draw or scribble to decorate in your favourite colours and style!

Christmas Veg Printed Place Names & Tags
Add more veg to the Christmas table with these stamped name placecards.

Cards

Drawing Fluid and Filler Screen Printed Christmas Cards
Screen printers rejoice! This fluid and filler method will have you speeding through that stack of blank cards.

Soft Cut Printed Greetings Card
Linocut beginners will especially love this easy block printed card.

Foiled Christmas Card
Add a bit of razzle dazzle to your cards with foil.

Easy ‘Bah Humbug’ Reduction Linocut Christmas Card
Scrooges welcome here with these multi-block cards.

Drypoint Robin Christmas Card
Try something new with these intaglio and monoprinted cards.

Easy Stamped Holly Christmas Card
A Christmas classic for good reason

Safeprint Bauble Christmas Card
Safeprint is a great block printing alternative for kids – no carving tools necessary!

Screen Printed Snowflake Christmas Card
Bring back the classic papercut snowflake with these screen printed stencil cards.

Happy printing!

Hello, my name is Susan and I’m a printmaker/illustrator living in West Sussex with my Italian husband and little boy. I moved back to the UK 6 years ago after living abroad in Rome and Barcelona for 20 years.

Describe your printmaking process.

I work mainly in collagraph and intaglio. I also like to combine mediums, often using drawing, ink, embossing and hand embellishing areas.

The process involves making a plate using a thick card. I normally draw directly onto the card from a drawing/design and use a scalpel and start to carve and tear areas to form textured raised areas and deeper grooves and marks which will pick up the ink. Paper/textiles/PVA/carborundum/string etc can also be added to create the textures required. The plate is then coated in sealing wax to make it waterproof. It is inked and rubbed off using scrim and tissue paper to create tones in colour. It is then passed through the press.

How and where did you learn to print?

I did an art foundation course followed by a textiles degree at Loughborough University. This is where I learnt to screen print, lino print, a little bit of etching and drypoint and learned some more commercial elements of printed textiles, such as repeat patterns and using CAD.

The course was multi-disciplinary. The first year gave us the opportunity to try print, weave or textile art, then specialising in the second year. It was a fabulous course, giving us freedom, but also structure towards the end and a large trade fair in London and an exhibition at the Mall Galleries where we exhibited our work.

I returned to printmaking after many years, after I had my son. I found it was a way to be creative again using few materials and little space. I fell in love with the process and have slowly taught myself how to make collagraph.

Why Printmaking?

Printmaking enables me to combine different mediums, embossing, ink, hand embellishments and my love of drawing. These reveal subtle textures, marks and layers, often evoking more depth in a piece. I also enjoy the surprise element that comes with pulling each print and the labour-intensive process. I often find that I enjoy making the plates as much as inking and printing.

Where do you work?

I work from my studio in my parents’ garden. It is very basic! But it is a huge space and free! It also gives me an area for my beautiful new Gunning etching press, a drying area, an inking area and lots of storage.

Describe a typical day in your studio

I have slowly started to work full time as a printmaker. A typical day varies greatly. If I have some finished plates I will drive the short distance to my studio to start on inking and printing editions. But I often work from my dining table at home when I’m carving plates, drawing and doing admin. My time also revolves heavily around school runs and pick up!

How long have you been printmaking?

I have been printmaking for 2.5 years.

What inspires you?

The main inspiration for my work is my family and our mixed Korean, Italian, British heritage. Where we began and our journey along the way. My little dark-haired son is often depicted in my work. I often depict stories in my prints; animals or landscapes, a nursery rhyme or a tale or a memory. Many times, I will slice the plate up into pieces that can be inked separately and puzzled together to tell a story.

What is your favourite printmaking purchase?

I have recently purchased a Gunning etching press which has changed my whole printmaking process. The difference in the details of my prints is remarkable. It’s wonderful.

What have you made that you are most proud of?

I have recently created six small winter landscapes made from a six plate collagraph. Each tiny piece interlinks to form one whole piece but can be layered individually in different combinations to form different compositions.

I’m also proud of the pieces that manage to come together at the end. I often make a plate that I feel will work but is often impossible to print. The pieces that work design-wise and print easily are like magic.

Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?

I sell my work through my Etsy shop.

What will we be seeing from you next?

I have several projects coming up, focusing more on original, larger pieces for galleries and shops.

Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?

My advice to other printmakers would be to continue what you truly enjoy. Don’t compare yourself to others and have the confidence to keep trying different techniques and mediums. Truly absorb yourself in the process.

To see more from Susan, follow her on Instagram.