Gel Press Mono Printing Kit Limited Edition

Everything for gel printing comes in one box, so the shopping list stops being the obstacle.

Contents

• Gel Press Mono Printing Plate, 5 x 7 inch, reusable and a comfortable size to start on
• Gel Press Placement Tool, the clear corner that keeps the second layer in line (the limited edition piece)
• Amsterdam Standard Series Acrylic, 120ml Titanium White
• Two Amsterdam Standard Series Acrylics, 20ml each: 577 Permanent Red Violet Light and 582 Manganese Blue
• X-Press It Soft Rubber Brayer; hard rollers skid, so the soft one suits a gel plate
• X-Press It Blending Card, 6 x 8 inch, a smooth coated stock that releases prints cleanly
• Printed step by step tutorial

Staff tip

Leave the plate alone between the first and second pulls. The paint left behind makes the ghost print, which is often the better one. Cleaning too early is how most people lose their best image.

No press, solvent or etching acid is needed. Spread acrylic over the plate, mark it with bubble wrap, a fork or a leaf, lay your paper down, then peel the print up by hand. The plate resists breakdown, so one plate can serve for years, where a homemade gelatin plate spoils within a week.

A baby wipe, a drop of mild soap or hand sanitiser lifts paint off, and a little vegetable oil loosens stubborn marks. Keep harsh chemicals and rough cloths away from it. Keep it flat, out of sun and heat, and never fold it.

No two prints match, and the second and third pulls from one inked plate are often the best. People then turn the results into collage papers, cards, journal pages or book covers, so very little ends up in the bin.