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Workshop
Aberystwyth Printmakers (A/P) operates a printmakers' workshop
on the
Llanbadarn Road in Aberystwyth situated behind the Gorwelion Day
Hospital (Workshop Opening Times and How To Find Us ). It is
quite small measuring 5m x 6.5m - perfectly formed though. The
workshop is open to all members of the group.
Charges
The rates are £1/hour + any materials you use.
Equipment
The available equipment comprises:
- a Tofko etching press; 1.8m x 1.0m
- a small bench mounted etching press; 0.76m x
0.38m - (no manufacturer's label)
- an Albion relief press; 0.53m x 0.41m
- a Rochat hotplate; 0.61m x 0.46m
- a ferric chloride etching tank; 0.6m wide x
0.46m deep
- an air compressor for doing aquatint with a
sprayed on acrylic ground.
- a limited collection of lead type and the
frames to set them in
Printing Technolgies available
The workshop is currently set up with equipment that allows us to do
intaglio (etching) and relief printing. There are a number of
screens available for screen printing but this has to be done on a
bench at the moment, as we have no room for the screen printing table
that is on its side in our Group Secretary's barn at present.
We can do etching with copper plates using traditional wax grounds but
we also offer the use of an acrylic ground developed by Andrew Baldwin,
the printmaking technician at the School of Art in Aberystwyth.
This is rolled onto the metal plate and then cured on a hot plate or in
an oven.
We can and do use other metals and mordants, other than ferric
chloride. These are set up on an as needed basis in horizontal
baths. We have been having a lot of fun recently etching
aluminium plates in a copper sulphate/sodium chloride mordant.
This gives shades of grey and a nice black on an open bite; no aquatint
required.
In addition to etching the etching presses are also used for drypoint
plates and for producing monoprints.
Relief printing - lino, woodcut, collograph etc - is done
mostly on the Albion press. For larger prints, however, we have
calibrated the Tofko etching press to take a wide range of plate
thicknesses and we have used it successfully for relief printing.
Printmaking Supplies available
We supply a range of printing paper, relief and etching inks, wax and
acrylic grounds, copper and aluminium plates, tissue paper and
newsprint. Our artists can purchase these as required or bring
their own materials to the workshop.
© Copyright 2008 Aberystwyth Printmakers All Rights Reserved