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At Red Hot Press we offer a wide range of printmaking techniques. As well as supporting traditional methods, we have introduced groundbreaking, non-toxic printmaking techniques such as non toxic Etching and Gum transfer printing.
All images shown here have been produced at the workshop.
Booking Binding
Although not a printmaking process the art of making books goes perfectly with handmade prints. Papers are folded and stitched together to make both hard and soft-back books. The books we make range from simple soft covered stab bound books, where single sheets are stitched together in decorative patterns, to more complex hard cover books.
In collagraph printing the plate is made by constructing a low relief collage with textures such as sand, grit, glue and textiles. It is inked up in a similar way to an etching in that the ink is rubbed into it and printed onto damp paper. Collagraphs give very textured prints and are ideal for abstract work.
An intaglio process similar to etching but the image is scratched directly onto the plate by hand. The resulting line is much softer than an etching and has a slight fuzziness. Because the line has been scratched by hand and not bitten by chemicals the maximum edition number for drypoint is much lower.
This technique is suitable for the reproduction of line drawn images although tone can also be achieved by cross hatching.
Gum transfer printing
A way of creating photographic imagery. And making images from drawings with wax crayon or from photocopies. The process works on the basis that water is repelled by grease. An image on paper is treated with a solution and then carefully rolled up with ink. You can take around 10 prints from one image on paper.
A woodcut is similar to a linocut in that a plank of wood with the grain going from side to side is carved into and printed. However, you cannot cut wood quite as precisely as lino and the resulting print can have a much rawer quality to it.
A wood engraving is done on small end grain blocks of box or holly using fine engraving tools. Wood engravings are very detailed and delicate.
This differs to western style woodcuts in the manner of cutting. Areas are outlined with a hangito knife and then the outside areas are cut away. Colour printing is achieved by cutting several blocks which ‘jigsaw’ together to make a finished print. Rather than printing with oil-based inks, Japanese woodcuts are printed with water colour paint mixed with rice glue.
Japanese woodcuts are most suitable for graphic images.
Lino cutting is a relief printing process. An image is transferred onto a block of lino and the areas that you wish to be white are cut away with gouges. The remaining block is inked up and printed.
You can print linocuts in colour either by cutting away the block and over printing in successive colours (reduction printing) or by making several blocks one for each colour (multiple block printing).
It is a good technique for bold and graphic images but less suitable for delicate drawn images.
A mono print is a one-off print. Ink is rolled, brushed or splattered onto a surface and the paper is laid on this to take a print. You can take successive fainter prints from the same plate or work into them to create a series of prints. Monoprinting is suitable for painterly images or for adding blocks of colour to other prints.
An intaglio process of biting into metal plates using a solution of Copper Sulphate. A waxy ‘ground’ is applied to the plate and then drawn into using an etching needle. It is then put into the copper sulphate. Where the plate is exposed, the chemical will bite away at the metal. Tone can be achieved by leaving open areas on the plate in the copper sulphate for differing lengths of time.
To print, ink is wiped into the bitten areas and then printed onto damp paper which presses into the plate and lifts the ink away.
Etching is particularly suitable for drawn tonal images.
