Posts Categorized: 1 Day

June 21 | Risography 101 (4 Hours)

The Risograph is an automated duplicator from Japan that efficiently produces offset-like prints in a variety of saturated colors. Though not originally intended for artistic application, the machine has gained traction (and notoriety) in small-press culture for its distinctive effects and efficiency—as well as for being rather finicky.

This 4-hour workshop will walk students through the fundamentals of risography for bookmaking and fine art printing. Students will learn techniques and best practices for reproducing imagery, giving consideration to ink density, drying time, paper choices, registration, and patience. Students will become acquainted with the mechanics of the printer and learn basic maintenance, including how to change the master roll and a drum’s ink tube. Everyone will leave with an individually designed two-layer print.

Students will receive risography authorization and an Open Studio coupon, redeemable within the following 60 days. The Open Studio coupon is worth 4 hours of studio time (valued at $35) to work independently and continue what you have learned from the class. 

June 21 | DIY Letterpress Cards (1-Day)

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 greeting cards using vintage type and a traditional Vandercook press. The rich, tactile quality of ink pressed into paper will leave an impression on the lucky recipients of your handmade cards!

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 and one-of-a-kind set of cards. 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.

June 22 | Bookbinding 101 (4 Hours)

This workshop focuses on styles of bookbinding that are low-cost yet dynamic, and well suited for poetry chapbooks and portfolio books. Students will learn how to choose materials and create simple book structures that best highlight the content within their book.

The lessons will address the logistics of organizing poetry or artwork into a book form, explore the book as a vessel for information, and how material choices can inform how the book is read. While the workshop will create blank books, each style of binding will begin with standard 8.5” x 11” paper to allow your poetry or artistic content to be easily printed from a common inkjet or laser printer. 

Students will complete four sample books: Two pamphlet stitch varieties, a perfect bound book, and a more elaborate Japanese stab binding.

In addition to learning hand skills, the class will discuss the history of chapbooks, their role in publishing over time, and ways to share and sell chapbooks. If you have writing or images you would like to promote, this is a great workshop to jump start your self-publishing!

June 24 | Risography 101 (4 Hours)

The Risograph is an automated duplicator from Japan that efficiently produces offset-like prints in a variety of saturated colors. Though not originally intended for artistic application, the machine has gained traction (and notoriety) in small-press culture for its distinctive effects and efficiency—as well as for being rather finicky.

This 4-hour workshop will walk students through the fundamentals of risography for bookmaking and fine art printing. Students will learn techniques and best practices for reproducing imagery, giving consideration to ink density, drying time, paper choices, registration, and patience. Students will become acquainted with the mechanics of the printer and learn basic maintenance, including how to change the master roll and a drum’s ink tube. Everyone will leave with an individually designed two-layer print.

Students will receive risography authorization and an Open Studio coupon, redeemable within the following 60 days. The Open Studio coupon is worth 4 hours of studio time (valued at $35) to work independently and continue what you have learned from the class. 

June 25 | Screenprinting Refresher & Authorization (4 Hours)

This refresher & authorization workshop welcomes students with previous screenprinting experience who are feeling out-of-practice or fuzzy regarding the finer points of the process, or who have never printed at Spudnik before, and want familiarity with our facilities and offerings. Students should have already completed a one-day workshop or full class, although it need not have been at Spudnik. We also welcome printers that would like support working through a particularly complex project or reoccurring printing issue.

The class will review an assortment of skills such as selecting the best mesh count, applying the perfect coat of photo emulsion, troubleshooting and diagnosing exposure and printing issues, ink mixing, registration, and screen reclamation. Equally as importantly, we will address how to consider these technical factors and limitations when designing a project for printing.

During the workshops, each student will expose a screen, and work with peers to print a two-color image designed to hone nuanced printing skills. Students are welcome to bring specific questions about their next project.

To help build printing confidence at Open Studio sessions, students are invited to return within the week to put their freshly acquired knowledge to use. Through this workshop, students will not only brush up on old skills and become authorized to print at Spudnik, but are sure to walk away with new morsels of useful information regarding the art of screenprinting.

June 26 | Writing Your Artist Statement, Bio, and CV (VIRTUAL)

Would you like to build more of your livelihood around your art practice, or get your work out into the world more? Catch all 3 sessions from our Professional Practices for Artists virtual workshop series!

Topic for this session (June 26th):

Writing for Yourself, Writing for Your Audience:

The Artist Statement, Bio, and CV

Professional Practices for Artists is a series of online stand-alone workshops that focus on different professional skills and practices that working artists depend on for entrepreneurship in the real world — helping you make a good start on your goals!

July 26 | Studio Access Training: Letterpress

Studio Authorization is always required prior to attending your first Open Studio or becoming a Keyholder. Experience is required for all Studio Access Trainings.

Please take some time to read and ensure that you meet the minimum requirements stated below.

What Are Studio Access Trainings?

Studio Access Trainings ensure that those with have prior experience from school or another print studio will be proficient and confident using the equipment in our studio.

What you can expect:

These sessions are NOT lessons, but specifically for makers who already have thorough experience with similar equipment. 

Minimum Requirements to Become Authorized:

  • Have recent experience with the equipment you would like to use (within 2 years)
  • Have thorough experience with the equipment you would like to use (8-week class or equivalent; Experience required varies based on process and equipment).
  • Be comfortable working independently.
  • Demonstrate safe and clean printmaking or art-making habits.
  • Demonstrate respect to our staff and our equipment.

If you do not meet these requirements, please enroll in a class that includes authorization or schedule a series of private lessons.

Studio Access Training: Letterpress

This 2-hour authorization will allow participants to be authorized to print on our platen presses (Pilot and Pearl) and Vandercook Press. Printers may need to book a second on-site session to be authorized for both types of presses.

Every letterpress authorization will ensure that printers are familiar with setting up the press, mixing inks, inking the press, adjusting pressure and registration, printing, and thorough cleaning of the press and all tools. There may not be time to practice printing both a polymer plate and movable type, but both methods can be reviewed as needed.

As with all our Studio Access Trainings, we will also cover equipment available to check out and press reservation policies.

August 10 | DIY Letterpress Cards (1-Day)

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 greeting cards using vintage type and a traditional Vandercook press. The rich, tactile quality of ink pressed into paper will leave an impression on the lucky recipients of your handmade cards!

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 and one-of-a-kind set of cards. 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.