How To: Printmaking!

Printmaking is the process of making a piece of art by "printing" an image. Prints can usually be reproduced (or created over and over again) because you are using a printing plate (which is basically a large stamp). Printing plates can be made of wood, linoleum, fabric, metal, or even found objects. For our printing project, the printing plate will be a piece of styrofoam.

Even though we had some fancy tools like printmaking rollers and a press when we did this in class, with a couple little changes this is something you can do easily at home too! (If you need to see any of the pictures bigger, just click on them!)

Materials you need:
-Two or more styrofoam plates or trays
-Scissors
-Tape
-A pencil
-A few pieces of paper
-Paint (or washable markers)
-A paintbrush


STEP 1
Cut one of the styrofoam plates or trays so that all you have is the FLAT part. This will be your printing plate!


STEP 2
Use your pencil and one of the pieces of paper to make a drawing that you will print. Remember two things: your drawing can't be bigger than the piece of styrofoam you just cut, and that anything you write will come out backwards when you print it! So if you want words, you have to write the word and the letters backwards!


STEP 3
Tape your drawing on top of the printing plate, and trace over your drawing. Make sure you press hard! You might rip through the paper a little bit but that's okay.


STEP 4
Peel off your drawing. If the drawing is not clear or deep enough, you might have to trace over it again with your pencil.


STEP 5
Cut your printing plate into any shape you want.


STEP 6
If you are using paint: Put your paint into the extra styrofoam plate. Use your paintbrush to move it around the whole plate.

If you are using markers: Skip step 6!

STEP 7
If you are using paint: Put a piece of paper under your printing plate so you don't get paint on your table. Then use your paintbrush to put paint on your printing plate. Try not to get it in the parts where you traced in your drawing, or the drawing won't print as well!

If you are using markers: Draw on your plate with the markers. Try not to get it in the parts where you traced in your drawing, or the drawing won't print as well!


STEP 8
If you are using paint: Skip step 8!
If you are using markers: Your paper has to be wet first for the marker to go from the printing plate to the paper. Don't get it SOAKING though, or it will be too wet. A good way to do it is to rub the paper with a wet paper towel.


STEP 9
Put a piece of paper down on your printing plate. Hold the paper down with one hand and use your other hand to rub all around the paper. Press hard!


STEP 10
Peel off your paper! You made a print! Put it somewhere flat to let it dry.

Now you can rinse off your printing plate and print again! Try using different colors, printing on different kinds of paper, or adding to your drawing and printing it again to see how it changes!