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  • Screen Printing a Repeat Pattern

    Screen Printing a Repeat Pattern

    Printing a length of your own designed fabric is so exciting but most of us do not have the luxury of a fabric registration table. So using a bit of logic we have come up with step by step guide to printing a repeat pattern on a length of fabric using an A4 screen. You …
  • Drypoint with Aluminium Plates

    Drypoint with Aluminium Plates

    Drypoint is an intaglio printmaking method that involves scratching an image into a plate with a pointed tool. These lines create a burr that holds ink, meaning that the print reveals the drawing. Drypoint is an easy technique to get to grips with and is a great method if you would like to take your drawings into print. It’s easier than . . .

  • How to Design and Print a Half Drop Repeating Pattern

    How to Design and Print a Half Drop Repeating Pattern

    A half drop is a great way of creating a repeating pattern where the repeat is slightly obscured. It can make for a less gridded-looking structure and add complexity to your design. Here's a simple, analogue way to make one...
  • In the Studio 2022

    In the Studio 2022

    We have had the pleasure of hosting lots of new and exciting Fab Friday workshops and wonderful Guest Tutors in 2022, exploring a variety . . .
  • Using a Thermal Screen to Print Festive Wrapping

    Using a Thermal Screen to Print Festive Wrapping

    Printing your own bespoke wrapping paper or fabric can be very rewarding especially when the gift is for a loved one. This week we're printing our own. . .
  • Using Schmincke Water-Based Inks to Create a Jigsaw Linocut

    Using Schmincke Water-Based Inks to Create a Jigsaw Linocut

    We love the range of colours that are available in Schmincke water-based inks. We’re creating a jigsaw linocut to allow us to use multiple colours of Schmincke ink in just one block! We are using Easy Carve Blue as it’s soft to cut up with a scalpel, making it ideal for a jigsaw linocut. To …
  • Making a Stamp with Japanese Transparent Stamp Carving Block

    Making a Stamp with Japanese Transparent Stamp Carving Block

    This new Japanese Transparent Stamp Carving Block enables you to carve your design and bake it in the oven until it appears clear. Clear stamps are so handy as they let you see where you’re printing! This is great for repeat patterns, accurate registration, multi-colour designs and lots more. Begin by tracing your design onto …
  • How to Design and Print a Straight Repeating Pattern

    How to Design and Print a Straight Repeating Pattern

    Here’s an easy way to design a repeat pattern (without using a computer) and to block print it on to fabric. We used MasterCut for our block because it’s an easy to cut stamping material that prints beautifully...
  • Screen Printing with Permaset Puff Paste

    Screen Printing with Permaset Puff Paste

    Puff Paste is a great way to add a little something extra to your fabric prints! It adds depth and texture and is so much fun to use. In this project, we have exposed a screen and used it to print with Puff Paste onto a tote bag: Half-fill the coating trough with photo emulsion. … Continue reading "Screen Printing with Permaset Puff Paste"
  • Speedball Speed Screens for Easy Screen Printing at Home

    Speedball Speed Screens for Easy Screen Printing at Home

    Speedball’s Speed Screens are a great new way of exposing a design at home without the mess of Photo Emulsion. Speed Screens are light sensitive, pre-coated emulsion mesh sheets. This means they’re ideal for a home studio setup as you don’t need anywhere dark for a screen to dry. They come in packs of three …
  • Exposing a Screen using Speedball’s UV Light

    Exposing a Screen using Speedball’s UV Light

    Speedball’s new UV Light makes it so simple to expose screens at home. It has a fold-out bracket that can be mounted or hand held. Its small size makes it ideal for a home studio setting. For our project, we hung the might from a tripod, but you could hang it from the back of …
  • Speedball Block Printing Ink – Black and Extender

    Speedball Block Printing Ink – Black and Extender

    Speedball Block Printing Ink is a great water-based ink for relief printing! We love the combination of black and extender to make beautiful grey tones, like this graduated moon, made using the rainbow roll technique! Start by drawing your design onto a block. We are using a piece of Speedy Carve to create two blocks …
  • Screen Printing onto Furniture: How to Print a Table Top

    Screen Printing onto Furniture: How to Print a Table Top

    One of the best things about screen printing is that it allows you to print onto almost any flat surface! This week, we have been using Speedball Acrylic Screen Printing Inks to print on this gorgeous 1960s coffee table. Here’s how to do it: You will need: A table top, side board or whatever piece …
  • Rainbow Spiral Tie Dye T-Shirt

    Rainbow Spiral Tie Dye T-Shirt

    You only need three colours of dye to create this amazing rainbow tie dye T-shirt. This is a brilliant project to work on with children as it can be used to teach about primary and secondary colours and colour mixing. Peg the centre of your T-shirt with a clothes peg. You will need to choose …
  • How to Block Print onto Fabric with Speedball Fabric Block Printing Ink

    How to Block Print onto Fabric with Speedball Fabric Block Printing Ink

    Speedball's Fabric Block Printing Ink creates a bold print onto fabric so you can create your own striking designs! We're using a piece of traditional lino to create our block and then printing it onto a piece of cloth to upholster a stool for the studio...
  • Using Diazo Photo Emulsion - Tips, Tricks and Troubleshooting

    Using Diazo Photo Emulsion - Tips, Tricks and Troubleshooting

    We are often asked for guidance with screen printing and the most common request is for help with exposing screens and the problems encountered. Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” – I don’t know how good he was at screen printing but it sounds like he …
  • Making a Thermal Screen using the MiScreen

    Making a Thermal Screen using the MiScreen

    Thermal Screens or Thermofaxes are often made using traditional photocopy technology from the 1950s. However, here at Handprinted, we use a machine called a MiScreen to process our screens. The MiScr. . .
  • What is a Thermal Screen?

    What is a Thermal Screen?

    Thermal Screens or Thermofaxes are a great alternative to exposed silkscreens. They are made using a Perspex frame stretched with RISO digital screen mesh. The design is transferred to the me...
  • Gelli Plates

    Gelli Plates

    We’ve been having a lot of interest in Gelli Plates recently so thought it was about time we posted a few of our own Gelli Plate experiments for you to have a look at. If you haven’t already heard of Gelli Plates, they’re reusable, durable printing plates that allow you to mono-print without a press. …
  • Jigsaw Linocut

    Jigsaw Linocut

    Jigsaw Linocut is a fantastic way of creating a multi-coloured print from just one block and just one layer. By cutting our carved block into jigsaw pieces we can ink them up separately before putting them back together and printing. Scroll down for a video or read on. When using this technique, it’s necessary to …