Explore printmaking through print sessions, workshops, and special events
Print Sessions, offered weekly or by appointment, invites everyone, from those new to printmaking to advanced printers, to explore printmaking at their own pace and with as much or as little direction as needed.
Process Spotlights brings people together around a particular process to show off the full range of what is possible with print.
Guest Artist Workshops offer bespoke opportunities to explore a new skill or process alongside a contemporary artist who incorporate printmaking materials or processes into their artistic practice.
Special events round out the calendar of opportunities to visit, learn, and print at Campfire Printing Press.
Drop in any Wednesday between 5 and 7pm to see the studio and talk about project ideas.
Process Spotlight: Monotype
Monotype is a versatile approach that can combine an inked plate with painting, drawing, and collage, to create unique images. Unlike most print techniques that produce multiples, monotype is a process that creates single, one-of-a-kind artworks.
Process Spotlight: Halftones
Halftones are the modern-day solution for reproducing photographic and other “continuous tone” imagery in print. They have been prominently used in comic books and newspaper printing since the 1880s, and remain the primary way to produce “full color” prints.
This process spotlight offers an orientation to “the halftone” for printmakers and its many applications for photographic images, digital designs, and artwork.
Process Spotlight: Woodcut
Woodcut is one of the oldest—and most versatile—forms of printmaking. Artists and artisans have long used this process to print everything from textiles and books to grassroots political posters. With “the hand” clearly visible, woodcut prints remain wonderfully tactile and expressive in an otherwise very digital world.
Process Spotlight: Screenprinting on Fabric
Have a t-shirt idea or a graphic you’d love on a tote? This spotlight provides an orientation to screenprinting on fabric. We’ll move through the entire process of printing a one-color design on fabric using ecofriendly water-based inks. You’ll coat your own screen with photographic emulsion, use our darkroom to expose your image onto a screen, then we guide you through setting up your print station and the printing process. We’ll finish by reclaiming screens and heat-setting your garments so they’re wash-safe.
Process Spotlight: Screenprinting on Paper
Learn the ropes of screenprinting by “translating” a simple image (bring your own, or use a sample from our image library) into a two-color print. Working with analog materials, we will explore various ways to use color, texture, and shape to produce stunning screenprints. Along the way, you’ll get a full overview of the process and learn how to prepare and develop an image or design specifically for screenprinting.
Process Spotlight: Drypoint
A Friendly Introduction to Intaglio Printing
Using plexiglass plates, explore drypoint—a direct and intuitive gateway into the world of intaglio. This session demystifies the intaglio process by first demonstrating traditional copperplate intaglio, then inviting everyone to create and print their own 5”x7” plate. This is a great entry point for anyone curious about the many intaglio printing, which includes dry point, etching, engraving, aquatint, mezzotint, and more. Participants are welcome to bring images to reference or to trace.
Process Spotlight: Block Printing Stationary
Block printing is one of the oldest—and most versatile—forms of printmaking. From a hand-carved block (typically wood or linoleum), artists have long used this process to print everything from textiles and books to grassroots posters. With “the hand” clearly visible, block printing remains wonderfully tactile and expressive in an otherwise very digital world.
Process Spotlight: Screenprinting on Fabric
Have a t-shirt idea or a graphic you’d love on a tote? This spotlight provides step-by-step instruction in printing a one-color image on fabric. We’ll start with a tutorial on screen exposure, help you set up your print station, guide you through printing, and finish by heat-setting your garments so they’re wash-safe. This is a great entry point for anyone curious about printing on fabric, and offers a foundation for larger or multi-color projects.
Looking to book time to print? Make a reservation for an Individual Print Session or Independent Print Session.