Intro to the Printing Press

This course meets 1 time per class session. Please check the Agenda above for the dates included in each session. By purchasing a ticket, you are committing to attend all meetings included in that session. The title of the Agenda page will indicate which ticket to purchase for that session.

Our Conrad Printing Press has a 30x60in bed that is used for a wide variety of block printing techniques, including intaglio, etching, engraving, woodcut, linocut and lithography.

The 4 basic elements of this class:

1) How to operate the printing press including blankets and pressure settings

2) How to make and use a simple registration template to align paper with printing plate

3) You will keep the registration template you make in class to reuse on your own

4) Review the MANY traditional printmaking methods available using our press

• Learn to make a simple, physical registration template using mat board and Ternes Burton registration pins
• Accurate and repeatable alignment of your paper and print block will allow you to register prints across editions and a wide variety of print making styles
• Learn to set pressure and register paper on sample block prints provided by the instructor
• Learn proper combinations of the 3 printing blankets used to position and dampen pressure known as the Catcher, Cushion and Pusher blankets.
• Learn to use our torque wrench to equalize pressure and create repeatable settings
• This class acts as a tool test to use our Conrad printing press at your own discretion.
• This class is mainly concerned with learning how to operate the printing press and register prints. Any prints made during the learning process may be taken home, but the goal of this class is to learn skills, not produce artwork
• We will review traditional print making techniques like block printing, linocut, etching, and lithography to demonstrate all the things our printing press can do
• This class does NOT TEACH traditional print making techniques
• Traditional printmaking techniques suitable for our printing press will be discussed and reviewed in class
• We will offer a separate, more in-depth course teaching the traditional print making techniques discussed in this class
• This class is a tool training on our printing press and an opportunity to build your own registration template to produce repeatable prints on your own

All printing materials including ink, paper and printing plates

Mat board, cutting tools and all materials for constructing registration templates

Ternes Burton registration pins and tabs

Class process outline, tool guidelines and resource list will be emailed to each student after class meeting

Please wear closed toe shoes and clothing you don't mind getting ink on, printing can be messy!

Whatever mode of note taking makes the most sense to you

Under 18 please be accompanied by an adult who has also purchased a ticket to the class