Printmaking: Trash to Treasure

 

Challenge yourself to make printing plates from materials found in the recycling bin! In this workshop Laura will demonstrate how to make plates from polystyrene, cardboard, Tetra Pak and milk bottles. Working small with this experimental approach you’ll achieve great results from rubbish!

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Approximate run time: 47 minutes

Presenter: Laura Kemshall

Challenge yourself to make printing plates from materials found in the recycling bin! In this workshop Laura will demonstrate how to make plates from polystyrene, cardboard, Tetra Pak and milk bottles. Working small with this experimental approach you'll achieve great results from rubbish!
To access this content, you must purchase Printmaking: Trash to Treasure, or log in if you are a member.

We’d love to see what you’re working on. Share your work on Instagram and tag us in using @laurakemshall and the hashtag #designmatterstv

To work along you will need:

Recycling! Save printed cardboard (the shiny sort), Tetra Pak containers, polystyrene sheets and plastic milk bottles
Paper (cartridge or watercolour to print on), plus some thin scrap paper
Printing ink (although you can do some techniques with acrylic paint if you wish to experiment). We recommend a safe-wash ink that does not require a solvent for clean up. Laura is using Cranfield printing ink.
Printing press – Laura uses a pasta machine. If you don’t have one, you can try burnishing with a spoon instead.
If you are using a pasta machine you’ll need to cut two pieces of felt or wadding larger than your print plate and paper.
Sharp knife and cutting mat
Container and water in which to soak paper, and a clean tea towel
Pin or large needle, or other alternative sharp, pointy tool

You might also want to have on hand:
A permanent marker
Flat tray palette
Printing roller

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