June 10 | Two Color Tees (2 Weeks)

In this two-week course, students learn the ins and outs of the t-shirt press — how to set it up, load and secure a garment, mix and set ink, and register two colors for a clean, layered print. Getting layers to line up correctly is one of those skills that makes a huge difference in the finished product, and this course breaks it down so the whole process feels approachable and repeatable.

Working directly on t-shirts, you’ll spend real time at the press getting comfortable with the equipment and the workflow. You’ll learn how ink behaves on fabric, how to mix a custom color, and how to get consistent results across multiple prints. Registration — the process of aligning your second color precisely to your first — gets dedicated attention so you leave with a clear understanding of how to nail it every time.

Students will leave with finished printed tees and full authorization to use the screenprinting studio independently, so you can keep coming back and making.

Please note: The start of the class has been moved from June 3 to June 10. (Note: Your payment confirmation may reflect the original date).

June 18 | Letterpress Posters (4 Hours)

Join us for this fun, social workshop to see what letterpress printing is all about. During this workshop, you’ll be able to design and print your own poster using vintage type and a traditional Vandercook press

Each attendee will be able to choose from a variety of fonts in our collection. With these fonts, they will learn how to set and print their own short saying, phrase, or statement to create a professional one-of-a-kind poster. Our Teaching Artist will share what moveable type is, how it works, why it’s so special, and how its invention changed the world.

This one-day workshop combines an overview of letterpress printing and its unique history with hands-on making. It is a great way to try out a new craft and find out if you would love to learn the full process.

July 11 | Text // Image-Etching + Letterpress (8 Weeks)

Intaglio etching and letterpress printing are two of the oldest printing techniques in the world, both dating back to around the 15th century. Etching, engaging the basic concepts of using resists and acids to create surfaces that are inked and printed, has been employed by artists for hundreds of years to create images, tone, and mark making. Letterpress, utilizing a raised inked matrix (often movable type) and a variety of machines to create consistent prints, revolutionized literacy and the spread of information throughout the last several centuries and is still not only relevant, but a highly sought-after and important method of printing in the modern age. 

Students of all skill levels will learn through this class both the basics of intaglio printing, incorporating the use of resists, acids, and inks to etch lines and tone into copper and produce images, as well as the basics of letterpress, learning the mechanics of the letterpress machine, typesetting, registering, and producing editions. Students will combine these two traditional printing methods to achieve prints that explore layering, language, composition, and image making. Each of the 8 weeks will involve becoming comfortable and knowledgeable in both methods, and will focus on two main projects. Students will be encouraged to work independently between classes. Students completing this class will become authorized to print at Spudnik through our Open Studio program.

July 12 | Experimental Narratives- Riso (4 Weeks)

Since the debut of zine culture and indie publishing in the 1950s and 60s, alternative comics and zines have forever changed the notion of narrative. By introducing visually led dreamlike scenarios, diary comics, fragmented storytelling, and DIY guides, these DIY movements—from punk to queer zines—opened up entirely new ways to share ideas. This entry-level class is perfect for anyone interested in Risograph printing techniques and experimental storytelling, offering a space to develop your printing skills and narrative voice in unison.

In this course, students will learn both digital and analog techniques for printing via the Risograph. You are free to explore any type of story, whether that takes the form of a comic, a pamphlet, a DIY guide, or a review. To inspire new methods of narrative building, we will also read and discuss a variety of local and non-local alternative comic authors. Students will gain authorization to use the Risograph machines after the very first class, and will solidify those technical skills through hands-on printing in the following weeks.