Tutorial: gel plate printing in a vintage book.
TUTORIAL
Got a pile of gel printed papers stacking up? Here's an idea: print into an old book!
It satisfies your love for gel plate printing and keeps your paper pile from growing.
In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to use uncoated (not glossy) pages in old books for gel printing.
Old books work perfectly for gel printing. The paper absorbs the paint nicely. Plus, it's a great way to recycle and give new life to old books.
You can easily print directly in to an old book. There are three methods. Let’s get started…
METHOD 1: BOOK FACE DOWN
Use the gel plate how you would normally… squeeze acrylic paint onto the gel plate and use the brayer to spread the paint evenly over the surface.
Open the book to the page you want to print on. Turn the book over onto the gel plate. Lift the cover and press the page onto the plate.
METHOD 2: LIFT THE PLATE
You can also lift the gel plate, turn it over, and place it onto the page. Press to ensure the paint transfers. Then pull the plate off the page.
This way, you can easily see where on the page you are printing. Although, it can be tricky juggling the floppy gel plate.
METHOD 3: TURN THE BOOK OVER
This method combines the first two…
Place the book on to the plate, turn both the book and plate over, press the plate to ensure the paint transfers, then pull the plate off the page.
This method is good if you are using stencils/masks. This way, they won’t fall off the plate.
EXPERIMENT AND HAVE FUN
Gel printing in vintage books is a fun and creative way to make art.
Use your favorite gel printing techniques and experiment with paints, colors, and layering.
So, next time you find an old yearbook, or any book with uncoated pages, give it a try.
Happy printing! 🎨
Check out my favorite gel printing supplies. Everything you need to get started with gel plate printing…
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