Supplies – Soft Plate Block Printing Course

Supplies soft plate printmaking class

Relief printing supplies for online printmaking course from Linda Germain on Vimeo.

  • Styrofoam plates thicker produce style are best
  • Styrofoam dinner plates
  • Make sure they are smooth and not dented. You might be able to use dented ones for another purpose.
  • The type that are used for meat generally have a white thing stuck to it which damages the surface.
  • Some thin foam is best mounted on to a sturdy surface. You can use the thicker tray foam, or wood or acrylic. I like acrylic because it is see through and easy to cut to size. You could get this at the hardware store. Or you could by a poster frame and score and snap it to size. (wear safety glasses and be careful of the sharp edges and the fiberglass dust) I am super cautious about these things, it is not a scary as it sounds. It is possible to mount soft foam to foam core or cardboard. But these are less washable.
  • 2 pieces of smooth wood, plexi glass or plastic chopping mats to make a foot press

Alternatives to the recycled styrofoam:

  • Sticky back craft foam
  • Scratch Foam
  • Then keep your options open for new alternatives. I have tried foam core and removed one of the paper sides but it was too porous for my liking.
  • Each type of foam will hold and edge differently and transfer ink differently. Generally the goal is to get a smooth application of ink that can transfer the detailed image to paper.

Inks or paints:

For printing on paper

For printing on fabric:

Brayers:

2” or 3” soft rubber brayer is good for working with these small relief plates but use what you have.

Paper

choose what works best for your application:

  • Sketchbook, doodle pad for generating ideas
  • Lots of cheap newsprint or copy paper for testing
  • Masa paper is a good choice if you are looking for a little higher quality It is thin but strong. It has smooth side and a slightly textured side.
  • found papers may be fun
  • Rice paper or Mulberry paper
  • Mixed media paper or drawing paper is a good choice as well.

Mark Making tools:

  • Stylus like this EK tool set makes very nice lines
  • ball point pens try different sizes
  • pencils
  • skewers
  • bendable wire
  • metal wheels, rollers,
  • Anything that you could press into the foam to make a mark
  • caps and covers
  • old cd
  • sewing pattern wheel
  • small twigs, sturdy weeds
  • rice
  • metal spring or coil of wire
  • fork
  • elastics
  • part of the fun is discovering new tools from your home, studio and life

Baren either homemade or purchased whatever works for you

Palette for rolling up ink, could be plexi glass, plastic chopping mat, taped down freezer paper, glass with the edges taped

Back to the Soft Plate Block printing workshop page