Image Making on Letterpress #1: Photopolymer Crash Course

Image Making on Letterpress #1: Photopolymer Crash CourseCourse Code: 26SLP303I This two day, in person workshop takes place on Saturday and Sunday, March 7th 8th, from 11AM to 5PM ET. Saturday, March 7th, from 11AM to 5PM ET Sunday, March 8th, from 11AM to 5PM ET Please Note: Registration for this workshop closes on February 22nd, at 11: 59pm Eastern Time. About the Workshop: The letterpress has so many more capabilities than its classic wood and metal type uses. Photopolymer plates are a new school

Course Code: 26SLP303I

This two-day, in-person workshop takes place on Saturday and Sunday, March 7th - 8th, from 11AM to 5PM ET.

• Saturday, March 7th, from 11AM to 5PM ET
• Sunday, March 8th, from 11AM to 5PM ET

Please Note: Registration for this workshop closes on February 22nd, at 11:59pm Eastern Time.

About the Workshop:

The letterpress has so many more capabilities than its classic wood and metal type uses. Photopolymer plates are a new school material that brings versatility, convenience, and a wealth of design options to the old school world of letterpress.

In this workshop, students will learn how to prepare plates from hand-drawn illustrations and/or digital images. Then students will learn how to make plates using CBA’s exposure unit. Finally, the class will set up the press and print! This workshop is designed for individuals with some letterpress experience.

Fun Fact: In the 1980’s printers discovered that light sensitive photopolymer could replace movable type, meaning they were no longer limited to the amount or kind of type they had in their shop.

Required Materials:

• X-Acto Blade
• Pencil & Eraser
• Clothing you don’t mind getting dirty & close-toed shoes

Optional Materials:

• Image you want to work with
• Opaque black drawing materials
• Materials to experiment with for making transparencies

• Access to Photoshop or Illustrator

About the Instructor:

Elizabeth Castaldo is a New York based artist, printmaker, and bookbinder. Working with collage, drawing, and printmaking she creates multi-layered and visually abundant works on paper and artist’s books that explore nature, the divine feminine and interconnectivity. She was a 2024 art-in-ed workspace resident at Women’s Studio Workshop and has completed residencies at Proyecto ‘Ace in Buenos Aires Argentina, Arquetopia in Oaxaca Mexico, the Center for Book Arts, NYC and Printmaker’s Open Forum, Oxford PA. In 2023, her work was included in an illustrated edition of The Awakening by Kate Chopin published by Kasini House and Kolaj. Her work has been exhibited internationally including with Proyecto ‘Ace, Saint-Paul de Mausole at Saint-Rémy, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Empty Set Gallery, Zuckerman Museum of Art, Center for Book Arts, Saint Joseph’s College, and Landing Contemporary. She teaches printmaking and book arts at Parsons School of Design and the Center for Book Arts. Castaldo received her MFA from SCAD Atlanta where she was a Dean’s Fellow in Printmaking and her BFA from the School of Visual Arts. Her work is held in many private and institutional collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Public Library, SCAD, The University of Alberta, Carnegie Mellon University, Yale University and others.

All images courtesy of the instructor.