A Collagraph is essentially a print from a collage—a variety of textured materials glued onto a solid base such as cardboard or wood—that is then inked and printed onto paper using a press.

Intaglio comes from the Italian word intagliare, meaning “to incise.” An image is scratched with a pointed tool or “bitten” with acid into a metal plate, usually copper or zinc. The plate is then covered with ink and wiped so that only the grooves contain ink. Paper is added to the plate and then run through a press. The intaglio family of printmaking techniques includes engraving, drypoint, mezzotint, etching, aquatint, and spitbite.

A Lithograph is created using an oily medium such as a crayon or tusche (an oily liquid wash) to draw an image on a flat, ground limestone. The surface of the stone is then flooded with water, which is repelled by the greasy areas and stays only where the drawing isn’t. Printer’s ink is applied to the stone which sticks to the greasy sections, as the water repels it elsewhere. The stone is covered with a sheet of paper and run through the press. Grained metal plates can also be used in place of a stone.

Polyester Plate Lithography also known as Pronto Plate Lithography, is capable of reproducing the full spectrum of lithographic marks such as: hand drawn brush strokes, ink wash, texture, crayon and pencil marks, and is equally well suited for digital imaging. Plates can also be imaged directly with a laser printer or a photocopier. Printed plates are then inked with a roller and printed on a press.

A Monotype is often called a painterly print. It is a single impression created by applying inks on a plexiglass plate and transferring the image to paper with a press. It is a one-of-a-kind print; however, repeatable elements such as stencils and drypoint can be incorporated.

Relief Prints, including woodcuts, wood engravings, and linocuts are created by carving away the negative areas of an image from the surface of wood or linoleum. A roller is used to apply ink to the raised surface and the image is transferred to paper with a press or by hand. Relief prints are characterized by bold dark-light contrasts.

Screenprint is a versatile process based on the stencil principle. A fine woven fabric is tightly stretched to a frame. A stencil is then created on the screen by applying a “blockout” such as glue, paper, hand-cut film, photosensitive emulsion or gelatin film, to all non-image areas. Ink is then applied to the screen using a squeegee which forces it through the open area of the stencil.

A Solar Plate is a light-sensitized steel-backed polymer material used as an alternative to traditional printing techniques. A transparency that has an image drawn, painted or printed on it, is placed in contact with the plate and exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, then developed using tap water. The plate is inked and printed on paper through use of a press.

Also offered: Encaustics, Bookbinding, Letterpress, Book Art Workshops and Youth Classes

We also look forward to partnering with other arts organizations with educational workshops, collaborations and retreats.