How to Incorporate
Printmaking into
Your Classroom
While on a Budget
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of creating multiple original images, or prints, from one original surface, called a
plate or matrix. Matrices can be made of wood, metal, stone, linoleum, acrylic glass or other found surfaces.
Printmakers can use a variety of media including water- or oil-based ink, paint, oil pastels, and water soluble
solid pigments.
Each of the prints in a print run is considered an original work of art. The artist typically signs, titles, and
numbers the individual prints. A print run is usually numbered and referred to as a series or edition. For
example, 5/20 indicates the work is the fifth print in a series of twenty.
Depending upon the techniques used, the prints can be produced from one plate or many plates printed on top of
each other, each representing a separate color or design.
History of Printmaking
The history of printing started around 3000 BC with the duplication of images. The use of round "cylinder
seals" for rolling an impress onto clay tablets goes back to early Mesopotamian civilization before 3000 BC,
where they are the most common works of art to survive, and feature complex and beautiful images. In both
China and Egypt, the use of small stamps for seals preceded the use of larger blocks. In Europe and India, the
printing of cloth certainly preceded the printing of paper or papyrus; this was probably also the case in China.
The process is essentially the same - in Europe special presentation impressions of prints were often printed on
silk until at least the seventeenth century.
Movable type is the system of printing and typography using movable pieces of metal type, made by casting
from matrices struck by letter punches.
Around 1040, the first known movable type system was created in China by Bi Sheng out of porcelain. Metal
movable type was first invented in Korea during the Goryeo Dynasty (around 1230). Neither movable type
system was widely used, one reason being the enormous Chinese character set.
It is traditionally summarized that Johannes Gutenberg, of the German city of Mainz, developed European
movable type printing technology around 1439 and in just over a decade, the European age of printing began.
There are four types of printmaking:
Relief printing—Parts of the printing surface that will be inked are left raised (the relief), while the remaining
areas are cut away. Ink is applied to the matrix surface, typically with a roller or brayer and then transferred to
paper using direct pressure. A reverse image of the matrix is produced. Whatever is cut away on the matrix
remains white when printed. Types of relief printing are woodcut, woodblock, block printing, linocut, linoleum
block, and wood engraving.
Intaglio—This printmaking process is the opposite of relief printing. The image is drawn, cut, or etched into the
matrix surface. The matrix is inked then wiped so the ink lies below the surface of the plate. The ink is
transferred to the paper under pressure. Whatever is carved away on the matrix, will become black when
printed. Examples of intaglio are engraving, etching, drypoint, Collagraph, aquatint, and mezzotint.
Planographic—This is based on the principle that oil and water don't mix. The image area of the plate attracts
ink and the non-image areas repel ink. Matrices are typically stone or metal (zinc or aluminum plates). The
image is drawn on the surface with a grease crayon or liquid grease solution. The ink will only adhere to the
greased areas. Lithography and monotyping are types of planographic techniques. Because the plate only
“exists” once, each and every print is different.
(Andy Warhol lithograph “Marilyn”)
Stencil—An image is imposed on a fine screen with blank areas coated with an impermeable substance called a
screen filler or resist. Ink or paint is forced through the screen with a squeegee and onto the surface below,
which could be a number of things including T-shirts, tote bags, or canvas. This process is also called
serigraphy, screen printing, or silk screening.
Heliotherapy by Robert Indiana
Other terms:
Gyotaku (Japanese, from gyo "fish" + taku "rubbing") is a traditional form of Japanese fish printing. The fish is
actually inked and printed.
What you will need to do any printing:
o A printing “plate”
o Printing “ink”
o An 16 oz. tube of printing ink costs about $13 but goes a LONG way!—cleans up with water
o Tempera paint can be used—it is a little thinner than printing ink but works and washes up with
water
o Acrylic paint in the bottles works but is thinner than printing ink. Acrylic paint in the tubes is
thicker and very similar to printing ink. Acrylic paint will become permanent once dry so
equipment MUST be cleaned up before the paint dries! Acrylic paint also cleans up with water
before it dries.
o Water soluble markers
o Etching and intaglio inks are more expensive and some are oil based
o Something to get the ink onto the printing plate
o A foam brayer ($4)
o A hard rubber brayer ($5-7)
o Foam paintbrush
o Regular paintbrush
o An inking plate
o A metal bench hook ($8)
o Plastic inking trays ($4.50)
o Styrofoam trays or plates
o Paper plates
o Old plastic plates
o A scrap piece of Plexiglas
o Any heavier scrap paper (that is not textured)
o Make a inking plate out of a sponge and some paint
 Wet the sponge and wring it out.
 Squeeze paint onto the surface and push to work the paint in
 Place into a plastic container
 Push the object to print into the sponge to “ink” it and print
o A means of putting pressure to create the print
o A baren ($10)
o A wooden or metal spoon
o Your hand
o A flat cover turned upside down ( like a peanut butter jar cover)
o A small block of smooth wood
o Paper to print on
o Nearly any paper works. Avoid paper with shiny, smooth surfaces—sometimes the paper will
slide and shift and you will not get a good print.
o Leftover or scrap paper is great to print on—newspaper, book pages, wrapping paper, maps,
other art projects, tissue paper, etc. The paper does not have to white! You can print on any
color. Textured paper makes interesting prints as well.
Hints and Tips:
o Less is best! When printing, do not overload the printing plate with too much ink. You will get a
“blobby” print. Sometimes you get a better print if you print twice from the same ink application (and
the second one will be the good print)
o There is more control in putting the paper on top of the printing plate rather than trying to flip the
printing plate over onto a piece of paper. Make sure the paper is larger so it can be trimmed once
printed. If you are using a stamp of some kind, it is easier to stamp the paper if it is lying flat.
o If you are worried about your printing plate moving, secure the plate or create a registration plate. A
registration plate is needed if you are going to print multiple colors on one print.
o Let the prints dry before doing anything with them. Hang a clothesline and clip the prints there to dry if
you do not have enough flat surfaces.
o Clean up as soon as possible so the ink doesn’t dry. The brayers may have to be washed in between
inkings.
Items to Use for Printing That Cost Little or Nothing
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Sponge paint brushes (watch the sales—pick them up for as little as 10¢ or 15 for $1—20 for $1 on sale
at Michael’s)
Styrofoam meat trays—can be used as trays to roll paint or ink OR can be cut into shapes and glued onto
cardboard or wood OR can be incised and used to print
Cardboard of any kind—non-corrugated (ex. cereal box) will work as backing for stamp piece designs
OR for making registration “plates”—tear apart into layers and you have ridges to print. Corrugated
works well for texture printing
Sponges—any shape and size
Sticky back floor tiles—cut into any shape with a scissors to use for printing. The added bonus is they
already have glue on the back to stick in place to make a stamp—they are also quite durable. The print
will have some texture to it because the tile is slightly textured. Menard’s has them for as little as 28¢!
Caution! Too much ink on the surface will cause the inked surface to slip as it is printed.
Fruits and vegetables—cut into slices and print. Potatoes work well for carving designs and can be used
for several days before tossing out
Yarn—glue in place or dip in paint to make a press print.
Leaves—can be inked and printed OR lay leaves on paper and use a spray bottle to spray color around
them. Let dry. Reposition the leaves in a different arrangement and spray with a different color. Silk
flower leaves can be inked and printed and they are also washable and reusable.
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Foam plates—draw a design with a ball point pen or pencil to create a relief design or cut into pieces for
relief printing. The plate also works for an inking plate (and there is no clean up! Just throw it away
when you are done.)
Glue prints—draw a design in white glue. Allow it to dry completely before printing. The dried glue
can be inked or make prints with a crayon rubbing.
Eraser blocks—used discarded erasers to carve a design and print. You can buy new cheap erasers
during the back to school sales (or clearance). The erasers can be carved with linoleum cutters. They
can be carved on multiple sides too. Vinyl erasers work the best—gum erasers don’t cut as cleanly.
They last quite a while and clean up with soap and water.
Linoleum block printing—linoleum blocks can get expensive. Sometimes a better price can be obtained
if you order from a printing website rather than from an art catalogue. Battleship linoleum can be
purchased by the roll to save money too (it is usually stiffer than other kinds). Unmounted lino is also
cheaper. If you are using linoleum and want to avoid waste because of a mistake, have the students
draw out their design on paper first and color in the areas that will be removed. The penciled design can
be transferred to the block by rubbing the graphite onto the linoleum. (This is a project for older
students. Linoleum gouges will need to be purchased to do the cutting properly and thorough instruction
on safety and knife usage MUST be taught!) Easy cut linoleum is worth the price paid.
Puzzle pieces—can be inked and printed. They can also be glued onto a block to make a more
permanent type of stamp (they should be shellacked to preserve them if you are going to do multiple
printings) Single interconnecting pieces on separate blocks can be inked and printed end-to-end.
Plastic mesh from onions or potatoes—can be inked and printed to make creative textures. Holding the
mesh in place and rubbing it with a finger creates a snakeskin-like or a net-like texture.
Sponge stamps—usually inexpensive and though very simplistic, they can be combined to make
interesting compositions
Sheets of foam or Styrofoam—can be cut into any shape, glued with rubber cement and inked. Michaels
also sells the foam sheets with a sticky back already attached to them (about 89¢ per sheet)
Plexiglas scraps—can be made into printing plates or can be used as an inking plate
Mat board scraps—once cut and glued onto another board can be shellacked to use for multiple prints
Discarded CD’s or DVD’s—use as a backing for relief pieces. Easy to remove once printed because
there is a hole in the middle! The hole can also be used to line things up when doing multiple prints.
Plastic sheets from bacon packages—can be cut for stencils
Any type of rubber stamp (Michael’s carries a line of rubber stamps for $1 each)
Wood block scraps, old wooden blocks or small boxes--use as a base for your relief items. They have
multiple sides for multiple stamps.
Wooden pine blocks can be incised with a ball point pen for a printing block.
Cereal boxes--a great source of thin cardboard. They can be flattened for storage!
Walmart carries mini foam rollers for about $3
Wooden spoons can be used as rubbing sticks. A 4-pack at Walmart costs 97¢
Bubble wrap can be inked and printed for interesting textures
Some of the items listed can be cut with a decorative scissors to create even more variety.
Most items should be glued with rubber cement. It’s more durable than regular school glue and it is
waterproof. Otherwise, hot glue works for most applications too.
Crumpled or shredded newspaper can be used to print texture.
Leftover foam core can be incised with a pencil and printed. Try not to erase—it seals the pores of the
foam and the ink will not stick there. The foam core can be washed and used several times.
Plastic bottle caps can be a printing matrix-glue another substrate on them to print (foam, cardboard,
Styrofoam, etc.). The raised lip makes them easy to remove. Or turn the cap over and print textured
circles with just the rim. http://www.duitang.com/people/mblog/20562142/detail/
Leftover insulating foam panels (from construction)—they carve easily and can be reused.
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Corks from a wine bottle can be incised and printed. Or cut away areas on the sides of the cork, insert
onto a skewer and you have a rolling stamp. Styrofoam can also be glued on the sides too for a rolling
stamp after inserting a skewer. (The plastic corks do not carve but can be used as a base to glue other
materials down.)
The cardboard core from paper toweling (from the school dispensers) is heavier and can also be made
into a rolling stamp and is easier for smaller hands to roll. (Put the relief design towards the middle of
the roll so it can be rolled from the ends without getting the hands full of ink or paint) Use sticky backed
foam, glue down yarn or use hot glue or dried glue to create the design.
Color coffee filters with washable markers (fluorescent highlighters really come out bright). Lay on a
piece of paper and spray with water. The markers will bleed. The more the areas are colored, the more
the markers will bleed. Great for teaching color theory or making springtime decorations. Let the filter
dry. There will be a batik-like “print” of the filter on the paper. (Use black sparingly—it will overtake
whatever it is next to or obliterate certain areas) If your prints don’t work quite the way you want them
to, spray the paper with water first, lay the colored filter down and spray again. The finished coffee
filters can be cut into shapes (like leaves). They look great in a window because the light will shine
through them.
Glue textured buttons onto the end of a cork to make a quick and easy stamp.
Empty threads spools—the plastic ones will make wheel shapes with the end paper removed and
wooden ones can have foam or buttons glued to the ends to make a stamp. It you find a textured button
that has a shank on it, put the shank end in the center hole of the spool and glue into place.
Bottle top stamps http://www.mamajennblogs.com/2011/06/diy-bottle-top-stamps.html
Other Ideas for Projects
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Print on newspaper, book pages or old maps
Print on those watercolors, paintings or other projects that didn’t quite turn out the way they were
supposed to
See-through print—create an object to print. Print the block and cut other paper to cover part of the
print so it looks like you are seeing through to the print, for example, through a forest of trees, through
bushes or through the panes of glass of a window. OR make two blocks—the object and the item that
covers the print to make it see-through. Magazine pictures make great “covers” for see-through prints
OR print the forest and draw what will be seen through the trees.
Cut prints into pieces and put them back together using different colors from different parts (this is a
great way to use those leftover prints
Create a collage using different prints or parts of prints. Students can shares pieces for variety.
Make 3-D designs by cutting out printed elements and gluing them down with a small spacer behind
them. Different layers can be created using more or less spacers.
Save your printing ink or paint from one day to the next by placing the inking surface (ex. a Styrofoam
plate) into a zipper-type bag. If you blow a little air into the bag before you seal it, the paint or ink will
not stick to the bag. Paint will keep for several days this way. The bags can be washed and reused. I
buy the bags from the dollar store.
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Make a positive/negative space print with only half of the materials. An African mask design works
well. Draw the mask and cut in half. Cut apart. Whatever is removed from one half is used on the other
half. Print when completed.
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Sandpaper prints—draw designs on sandpaper using crayons. Make a “print” by covering the sandpaper
with another sheet of paper and lightly ironing it. The print will appear to have been made with little
dots like an impressionist painting. The coarser the sandpaper, the more impressionistic the print will
appear. (Caution: make sure to cover with several pieces of paper to avoid getting crayon on the iron.
Avoid over-ironing too.) Can also be printed on fabric http://alphamom.com/familyfun/crafts/sandpaper-printed-t-shirt/
To print on fabric, purchase textile colors (ex. Jacquard Textile Colors or Handy Art Fabric Paint)
OR try the Sargent Fabric Markers with a stencil (set of 10 for $3.60 from Sax)
Print on paper, newspaper or tissue paper to create wrapping paper (hit two birds with one stone!)
Perler beads that have been ironed together can be inked and printed for a neat “bubbled” background or
shape.
Almost any crayon image can be ironed onto fabric for an original piece of art. The artwork will be in
reverse so be careful and avoid wording. The subject should be heavily colored. How about an original
work of art on an inexpensive shopping bag?
Slice vegetables to use for printing. Drill a hole in each piece (where the caterpillar ate). Once printed,
have the students draw the caterpillar from Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”
Water soluble markers can be colored onto rubber stamps. The inks are allowed to dry in between
colors so they are not smeared. Once done, “huffing” on the stamp a few times puts enough moisture on
the stamp to print. The design can usually be printed at least twice before the color runs out.
Have students print in their journals. They can write about the print or students can trade prints or
combine prints to write about.
Have each student illustrate part of the story with a print. When done, each student gets a copy of the
“book” with everyone’s prints in it.
Make your own plaster stamp. Mix up a batch a plaster of paris. Pour about ¾ inch thick into a Dixie
cup or into an empty ice cube tray (lightly “grease” the ice cube tray with Vaseline for easy removal).
Let harden overnight. Peel away the cup and carve the flat bottom (skewers, toothpicks, nails, etc.
work) Can be stamped again and again and washes pretty clean with soap and dries out quickly.
Make flower prints from soda bottles (great lower grades project)
http://innerchildfun.com/2010/03/flower-prints-from-soda-bottles.html
Leaf prints http://kleas.typepad.com/kleas/2010/10/leaf-printing.html
Soap bubble prints (can be messy but fun) Blow bubbles into colored dish soap and print
http://www.thechocolatemuffintree.com/2011/05/bubble-printing-fun.html
Make a foil print. Use tempera paint on foil. Use a Q-tip to draw design. Print onto paper.
(Another lower grades project) http://artwithmrssmith.blogspot.com/search/label/printmaking
Do it yourself screen prints using Mod Podge http://whimsy-girl.blogspot.com/2009/04/diy-screenprinting.html
Make a watercolor background and print the city over the top.
http://laughpaintcreate.blogspot.com/search/label/printmaking
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Printing with gelatin (like Knox Gelatin) http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/02/leafy-springprints.html
Mirror tile print—draw on a mirrored tile (for self-portraits) or on a piece of Plexiglas with water
soluble markers. Spray lightly with water and print. (This is a planographic print)
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Print part of the background and draw or paint the rest of the picture.
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Printing is a great time to talk about positive and negative space in art!
New Items in Printing:
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Gelli Plates (http://www.gelliarts.com/)
Or make your own gelatin to print with http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/02/leafy-springprints.html
Printing Lesson Plans, Ideas, Videos and Buying Sources from
the Internet
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http://4h.uwex.edu/pubs/showdoc.cfm?documentid=330 (block printing)
http://www.misterart.com/g98/Demco-Unmounted-Linoleum.htm (place to buy unmounted
Easy-to-Cut Linoleum)
http://www.instructables.com/id/Linoleum-Block-Printing/ (how to do block printing)
http://1000woodcuts.com/quest/index.html (many examples of woodcuts)
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http://www.lisastudier.com/reduction.html (how to do a reduction or “suicide” print)
http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_7990_relief-printmaking-print-registration.html (instructional
videos)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9ftmIt9f9c (gyotaku)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbZUYLwE7OM&feature=related (gyotaku)
http://cdn.dickblick.com/lessonplans/pdfs/embossed_prints.pdf
http://cdn.dickblick.com/lessonplans/pdfs/popart.pdf (embossed monoprints)
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ArtStillLifePrintmaking312.htm (Styrofoam plate print)
http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/38993.aspx (Pop Art relief print)
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/high/warholprints.htm (Warhol print project)
http://www.andyenglish.com/ (Many woodcut samples)
http://www.alcorngallery.com/rbp/relief-block-prints.php (relief block samples)
http://www.taospaint.com/Lesson CollographPrint.html (Collograph lesson plan)
http://www.hyatts.com/pdf/ARTLSpeedballBlockPrint1.pdf (Block printing lesson plan)
http://gomakesomething.com/ht/stamping/styroprinting/ (Styrofoam block prints)
http://www.marymark.com/ (samples of prints)
http://www.aptosartshoppe.com/LizLyonsFriedman/Linocuts.htm (lino print samples)
http://www.davis-art.com/Portal/SchoolArts/SADefault.aspx?curPage=School-Arts-DigitalEdition--By filling out a survey, you can receive a free digital subscription to School Arts
Magazine!
http://schools.lwsd.org/ijh/vanalstyne/art/Foundations/Foundations%20PDFs/Relief%20Printma
king.pdf (History of print making)
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/art-indian-block-painting (Indian block printing video)
http://www.carlemuseum.org/studioblog/?p=1270 (printing with found objects)
If you’d like an electronic version of this or any page, please email me at: dschlawin@fvlhs.org