Specialization in Creative Artisanal Printing Techniques

How to prepare your images for transfer

In this lesson, we'll look at how to process images to make the transfer process as easy as possible. We'll clean and edit them in Photoshop.

Direct transfer 1

In this lesson, we'll show you how the direct transfer technique works. We'll teach you how to apply our drawings and illustrations directly to the desired surface and create an interesting composition with different elements.

16m

Direct transfer 2

We continue to see how to make the direct transfer, in this case transferring the image of the beetle we have chosen onto a bisque ceramic plate.

17m

Photographic transfer 1

Next, we'll show you how to make a photo transfer. Using this technique, we'll create a collage.

We continue to see the process of photo transfer little by little to complete the collage we started in the previous video.

Photographic transfer 2

Now we'll show you how to transfer color images with acetates and explain all the options it offers.

Acetate transfer

In this lesson, we want to share some tips and tricks with you to protect your pieces or transform them.

Protection and care

Tips and troubleshooting

Let's review some of the most common errors we may encounter. We'll also discuss how to fix them, of course!

Finally, we'll show you other transfer apps. Some are simple, while others are a little more advanced.

Other applications

13m

Module 3

Join Fábrica de Texturas on a creative journey to discover the art of photoengraving on photopolymer stamps. With accessible materials and simple processes, you'll learn how to transform your illustrations into unique stamps. Experiment with textures and finishes to take your printing to the next level. Unleash your creativity with Gabriela and Xavier!

13 lessons (1h 46m)

Manual printing systems

We'll briefly cover carving, screen printing, stencil printing, and block printing techniques, as well as their applications and tools. We'll also explain the advantages and disadvantages of each to put the photoengraving technique used throughout the course into context. This more comprehensive explanation aims to demonstrate the opportunities offered by photoengraving and the types of work it is suitable for.

Engraving and photoengraving

This lesson introduces the printmaking technique we'll use throughout the course. We'll begin by demonstrating different types of stamps and printing with them. We'll discuss printmaking as a classic fine art technique and how to adapt it to a more immediate and domestic application within the non-toxic photoengraving movement. We'll present the non-toxic polymer photoengraving technique.

Materials and tools

You'll see the materials we'll use during the course. We'll also show you the tools and some "home" alternatives you can use and are sure to have on hand. We'll explain in detail the course's core materials: photopolymer plates, the only specialized item needed.

Step by step

You'll be able to see how to make a stamp by cutting the necessary amount of plate, preparing it and the photolithography for exposure to light. During the exposure process, the light will harden the design you want to engrave on the plate, and you can then develop it with water. Using a brush, we'll remove the remaining photopolymer, leaving only the relief that forms our stamp with the chosen design or image. Once dry, we'll have the "matrix" with which we can stamp our image as many times as we like.

Negative Preparation 1

We'll show you different options for preparing your images and producing the negatives to create your stamps. From simpler options that require no prior knowledge to more complex options like creating a photo stamp with Photoshop.

We'll work with grayscale images using halftone in Photoshop. We'll adjust the line width to avoid moiré and improve the polymer's exposure. Then, we'll create a duotone by separating colors into channels, generating two negatives. Finally, we'll print on transparency for UV exposure in the next lesson.

Negative Preparation 2

We'll show you the types of UV light sources you can use to create your stamp, from sunlight itself to other household and accessible resources for making your stamps at home.

Insolation options

Tips and FAQs

In this lesson, we'll address questions and potential errors in the stamp creation process. We'll also show you three failed cases and how we resolved them.

Mounting the stamp and stamping

Let's assemble our stamp so we can stamp with it. We'll look at the stamping options and pressure tools available; transparent bases, grips, moldings, and their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, we'll walk through a step-by-step guide on how to assemble your stamps so you can stamp comfortably.

Inks, finishes and textures

Photopolymer stamps are very versatile and can be used with almost any ink. We'll show you the most common and affordable ones for use in a small workshop or at home: stamp pads, water-based paints, and oil-based etching paints. We'll cover how to apply each one and what tools you'll need for each technique.

In this lesson, we'll show you manual pressure printing systems. We'll provide tips and tricks to improve printing, as well as demonstrate various defective printing and how to resolve it. Printing on various surfaces: special papers, textiles, or packaging.

Manual stamping

Registration marks

We'll show you how to print with multiple layers of color on a stamp, along with registration tricks using multiple colors. More complex prints with multiple colors and repeating elements.

14m

Different types of printing

In this lesson, we'll look at some examples of stamping using some of the inks we've seen before applied to different surfaces, such as a pattern on a box, an overlay on a t-shirt, or a fabric with a repeating motif. We'll cover tips and tricks for each, and how to create amazing prints with your stamps.

What will we do in the module?

Module 4

Immerse yourself in the magical world of cyanotype with Xavier and Gabriela from Fábrica de Texturas. Discover how this ancient photographic process transforms light into prints of a unique, intense blue. You'll learn how to prepare the photosensitive solution, create images on different media, and apply your prints to paper, fabric, wood, and ceramics. Experiment and create unique impressions!

10 lessons (1h 23m)

This lesson will give you an overview of the technique. You'll see some print samples and different applications so you can understand the variety of options the course offers, from cyanotype applied to photography to illustration, including botanical cyanotype, and more.

Materials and tools

We'll show you all the materials needed to produce a cyanotype, including more home-based and more professional alternatives. We'll help you get your home cyanotype studio up and running and help you find alternatives to some tools and materials.

Preparation of solutions and application

In this lesson, we'll teach you how to choose surfaces for cyanotype printing. We'll also show you different compositions and give you some tips on purchasing materials.

For the exposure process, we'll need to use a UV light source. In this lesson, we'll show you different alternatives and how to work with our favorite source: the sun.

Insolation tests

Preparation of digital and manual negatives

In this lesson, you'll learn how to prepare the negatives you'll use to make your cyanotype prints. We'll create digital negatives for printing photographs and manual negatives for printing illustrations.

Exposure and development of photographs and illustrations

During this lesson you will learn how to create blue prints from the negatives created in the previous lesson.

Botany and physiograms

Now you will learn how to use both plants and other objects (physiograms) to create paper records.

19m

Other porous surfaces

In this lesson, we'll show you how to adapt the process for printing on other porous surfaces.

Whitening and toning

Once the process is complete, there are several options to modify or tone the result. In this lesson, you'll learn how to alter the tone of your cyanotype with natural elements and some chemicals.

Frequently Asked Questions

After several years teaching this technique, we know the most common questions and the most useful tips to get you started. In this lesson, we share them with you.

Module 5

Join Noelia Tramullas on a journey through the magic of four-color screen printing. Discover how to transform photographs into stunning color prints by layering ink. From her studio, Amazink Print, Noelia will guide you step by step through this process so you can capture your images, designs, and illustrations with a unique and detailed style. Dare to experiment!

11 lessons (1h 37m)

What will we do in the module?

I'm going to tell you everything we'll learn in this course. Our final project will be a small collection of four-color silkscreen prints, meticulously selected to form a complete artistic project, either for sale, exhibition, or promotion.

Photography

We'll start by selecting the most suitable photograph for screen printing. To reproduce a full-color photograph using screen printing, we need to keep certain important things in mind; I'll explain them in this lesson.

14m

Color separation

Next, I'll show you how to create CMYK photolithography and add registration marks to each one for more accurate registration.

In this lesson, I'll explain the materials needed for screen printing and what you'll need in your workspace.

Materials

Screen preparation

In this lesson, I'll teach you how to optimally set up your screen and explain some tips for getting better results.

Next, we'll prepare our workspace with all the materials needed to achieve a clean and precise production.

Workspace

Stamping process 1

Now we print the four colors of the four-color process with their respective registers.

We continue the printing process step by step. After printing the yellow, it's time for the rest of the colors.

Stamping process 2

14m

Other ways to use photography in screen printing

In this lesson, I want to show you other ways to use photography in screen printing. From the most common, such as black and white photography, to mixed media, combining photography, photography and collage, photography and post-printing plastic techniques. We'll also look at other types of screen printing, such as stochastic and color variations.

The limited edition screen print

Now, I'll tell you about the value of a limited edition and why it's important to sign and number each piece, so you can sell it as unique and authentic.

How to promote your work

Finally, I'll tell you how to promote your work. We'll discuss pricing, group exhibitions, and much more.

History of photoengraving

Module 6

Explore the fascinating world of photoengraving with Juan Lara, an artist who combines tradition and experimentation in each work. Discover how digital and analog merge in this contemporary printmaking technique, creating images full of nuances and contrasts. Join Juan on this creative journey and learn how to bring your own prints to life with a unique approach.

13 lessons (1h 50m)

Let's take a journey through the history and evolution of photoengraving. I'll tell you how it all began and where we've come from.

The photopolymer

Photopolymer is the technique that has revolutionized the world of printmaking in the 21st century. In this lesson, I'll discuss the possibilities this technique offers.

Materials needed to work with photopolymers

You don't need a large infrastructure to work with this technique. In this lesson, I'll tell you what materials we'll need during the course.

The plot

In this lesson, I'll explain what screens are, their characteristics, and the different uses they can have in creating photoengravings.

Insolate frames

Now I'm going to suggest an exercise. We're going to make a photogram using a photopolymer plate, a frame, and ultraviolet light. We'll have everything ready to print the result.

13m

Inking and stamping

Now, I'm going to explain what inking is and how to use it with photopolymer. Then I'll explain everything about the printing process.

16m

The image on the screen

In this lesson, I'll explain the necessary monitor settings and how to use Photoshop to manage the image we're working with.

Scale processing and stamping

Now I'm going to explain how to process the grayscale that we previously printed with the printer.

Create an exit curve

Next, we'll create an output curve from the test results. To do this, we'll use the scale we've printed.

Let's start working on the course project by preparing the image and configuring it using Photoshop.

Image management in PHS

Iron processing

Now we're going to apply the knowledge acquired in the previous units to process the plate and obtain the best possible result.

Artistic printing 1

In this lesson, we'll focus on stamping, one of the most exciting stages of the process, where we'll reveal the results of the process.

Now I'm going to do a slightly more creative print than the previous ones. The process will be similar, but I also want to use green ink.

Artistic printing 2

Module 7

Join Mario Nieto and Katalina Fuentes of Tipia Lab on a journey where photography and painting merge. Discover the gum bichromate process and learn how to create unique prints by combining chemistry, art, and natural light. Without the need for a laboratory, you'll experience how a simple emulsion and the sun can transform a negative into a unique work. Let yourself be surprised by this artisanal technique!

13 lessons (1h 41m)

Gum bichromate: featured artists and works

We'll take a brief look at the history and origins of this wonderful process so you can understand what it's all about. We'll also talk about some prominent artists and explain the module project.

The materials

In this lesson, we'll show you all the materials you'll need to make gum bichromate.

Prepare your photograph

It's time to prepare your image, whether it's a photograph or a drawing. We'll give you some tips and recommendations and explain how to perform basic image processing in Photoshop to create your digital negative.

Let's begin by explaining the different types of papers suitable for this technique and their subsequent preparation. We'll cover both classic and contemporary paper preparation techniques.

Prepare the paper

Prepare the emulsion

In this lesson, we'll teach you how to mix the components. We'll also teach you how to prepare the gum arabic solution, the dichromate (potassium/ammonium) solution, and then mix it with pigments.

Print the digital negatives

Below, we'll give you essential tips and recommendations for printing your negatives on different types of acetate.

First emulsification session

We've reached the point in the course where you'll learn the technique for applying the first layer of rubber and how to combine this technique with other alternative photography techniques.

Now we'll give you a series of tips and recommendations for proper exposure to ultraviolet light, and we'll explain how to align your negative.

UV exposure

The revealed

In this lesson, we'll walk through the process of developing the exposed layer. We'll explain how to do it step by step.

Second layer

Once we've made our gum bichromate with the first layer of color, we need to apply the second layer. In this lesson, we'll teach you how to apply it correctly without negatively altering the initial result.