About

It’s easy enough to send out to have polymer plates made, but wouldn’t you like the control (and economy!) of making your own? Learn the process in this one-day workshop. Carl Youngmann and Ellie Mathews, letterpress printers, will demonstrate do-it-yourself, U-V exposure, water-wash methods for producing raised images using the BARN equipment or at home in your kitchen sink.

We’ll start by discussing high-contrast images—whether from photographs, digital files, or scanned drawings—from which we’ll select an example and make an inkjet negative. We'll expose the polymer to UV light, and we’ll process it in ordinary tap water. Then we’ll print proof copies. Specific products, timing and details will be outlined.

Ellie Mathews began using photo-polymer plates forty years ago to make Braille signage. More recently, Carl Youngmann has figured out the intricacies of printing ink-jet negatives, exposure times, and washout temperatures to make his own plates at home, sometimes by using nothing more complicated than the sun as his light source. Together, they will guide you through the basics and share their enthusiasm for DIY methods.

Please note a $10 materials fee will be added to the class cost when you register.