You’ve Got a Printing Press… Now What?

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A practical, confidence-boosting guide for art teachers

If your art department has a printing press, you’re already sitting on one of the most powerful creative tools a school can own. The problem is that presses are often inherited, underused, or quietly intimidating. They can feel technical, time-consuming, or “too specialist” to fit comfortably into a busy secondary curriculum.

The good news? Printmaking doesn’t need to be complicated, precious or perfect. With a clear starting point, a handful of essential materials and a realistic lesson structure, a printing press can quickly become one of the most engaging, inclusive and rewarding parts of your art offer.

This guide is designed for art teachers who want to use the press they already have, understand what they actually need to get started and feel confident running a successful printmaking project in the classroom.

Why Printing Presses Still Matter in Schools

Printmaking sits at a rare intersection of process, craft and creativity. It slows students down, demands planning, and rewards experimentation, all things that are increasingly hard to protect in a pressured curriculum.

Working with a press helps students to:

- Understand positive and negative space
- Think carefully about composition and sequencing
- Accept variation and imperfection as part of making
- Experience repetition as exploration, not boredom

It’s also one of the most inclusive processes in art education. Students who lack confidence in drawing often thrive in printmaking, while more able students can push complexity through layering, scale and refinement.

And crucially, printmaking creates results. Students finish lessons with work they’re proud of, tangible evidence of learning that feels intentional and professional.

A Very Short (useful) History of the Printing Press

The printing press is most often associated with Johannes Gutenberg and the spread of knowledge in the 15th century, but for artists, its legacy is just as important.

From the 18th century onwards, presses became tools for:

- Reproduction and communication
- Political and social commentary
- Experimentation with texture, layering and repetition

Today, when students use a printing press, they’re not just making images, they’re engaging with a process that has shaped visual culture, protest, publishing and fine art for centuries. That historical context gives real weight to what can otherwise feel like a purely practical activity.

What a Printing Press Actually Does (in plain terms)

At its simplest, a printing press applies even pressure to transfer ink from a prepared surface onto paper or fabric.

In schools, presses are most commonly used for:

- Linocut and woodcut (relief printing)
- Drypoint and simple intaglio
- Typography and poster design
- Repeated pattern and design work

If your press can take lino blocks and paper, you already have everything you need to start.

What You Really Need to get Started (and what can wait)

Printmaking can look equipment-heavy, but most successful school projects rely on a small, well-chosen core kit.

1. The Printing Press

Most secondary schools use:

- Tabletop or manual presses — ideal for lino and woodcut
- Roller or etching presses — useful if you’re introducing drypoint or intaglio

You don’t need a large or complex press to achieve strong outcomes. Consistent pressure matters more than size or brand.

2. Printing Surfaces

Start simple:

- Soft lino blocks – forgiving, affordable and ideal for beginners
- Standard lino – good for more confident groups
- Wood blocks or acrylic plates – optional extensions

Soft lino in particular reduces frustration and helps students focus on design rather than fighting the material.

3. Inks and Rollers

For school settings:

- Water-based printing inks are the most practical choice
- Easy to clean, quick to dry, safer for classrooms

Rubber rollers (brayers) are essential, ideally a few different sizes so students can work efficiently.

4. Paper

Paper makes a bigger difference than students expect:

- Printmaking paper gives the best results
- Heavyweight cartridge paper works well for learning
- Coloured or textured paper is brilliant for extension and experimentation

Testing different papers is a valuable learning moment in itself.

Tools, Safety and Classroom Set-Up

Printmaking is tactile and physical, which is part of its appeal, but it does need structure.

Cutting Tools

Lino cutters are sharp, but manageable with clear routines:

- Always carve away from the body
- Use a bench hook or non-slip mat
- Encourage large shapes first, detail later

Soft lino significantly reduces risk and builds confidence.

Pressing and Burnishing

Even with a press, hand tools like barens or spoons are useful for:

- Touching up pressure
- Understanding how ink transfers
- Printing without the press if needed

Drying and Storage

Prints need space:

- Dry flat where possible
- Label work clearly
- Store plates and rollers separately to avoid colour contamination

A simple system saves time and sanity.

Artists Students Can Reference

Traditional printmakers help students understand the printing press as a tool for craft, process and expression. Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt show the technical discipline of woodcut, engraving and etching, including how plates can be reworked to create variation. Käthe Kollwitz demonstrates the emotional and political power of relief and intaglio printmaking through bold contrast and simplified form. Hokusai’s Japanese woodblock prints are ideal for exploring relief printing, registration and colour layering, while Edward Bawden and Sybil Andrews provide clear, classroom-friendly examples of linocut focused on shape, rhythm and movement.

The Flight into Egypt by Albrecht Dürer, c.1504, via National Gallery of Art, Washington

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) Two Woodblock Prints, Edo Period (19th Century)

Classroom Project: Relief Printmaking with Confidence

Project Aim

Students will design and produce a lino print, exploring positive and negative space, texture and repetition.

Materials

- Printing press
- Soft lino blocks
- Lino cutting tools
- Water-based inks
- Rollers
- Printmaking or cartridge paper
- Aprons and cleaning materials

Lesson Structure

1. Design
Students sketch a bold design, focusing on shape and contrast. Encourage simplified imagery.

2. Transfer
Transfer the design onto the lino using pencil or tracing paper.

3. Carve
Students carve away areas that will remain unprinted. Emphasise safety and patience.

4. Ink
Roll ink evenly onto the surface. Test prints are encouraged.

5. Print
Run through the press or burnish by hand. Celebrate variation between prints.

6. Reflect
Discuss what worked, what changed, and how repetition affects meaning.

Extension Ideas

- Multi-colour reduction prints
- Repeated pattern designs
- Collaborative class editions
- Links to protest posters or book illustration

Why it’s Worth Doing

A printing press isn’t an add-on or a luxury. It’s a tool that:

- Builds resilience and problem-solving
- Encourages risk-taking without fear of failure
- Produces work students genuinely value

Once it’s embedded, printmaking often becomes the lesson students remember, and the process teachers return to year after year.

If you already have a press, you’re more prepared than you think. You just need permission to start simply, embrace imperfection, and let the process do the teaching.