Courses
We are currently planning weekend and evening courses for 2026. We are still taking bookings for the yearlong for The Complete Printmaker, Letterpress and Book Arts courses. We still have a couple of places left on Introduction To Screenprint course on 17th & 18th January. We will announce new weekend courses in a few weeks time. Read on...
Course listings
The Complete Printmaker 2026
Long Course
Due to very high demand we have now added another yearlong course on Thursday mornings. Dates will run Thursday 5th Feb - 17th Dec 2026.
The Complete Book Artist 2026
Long Course
Bookings are now open for The Complete Book Artist 2026! Run over 30 weeks from 4th Feb 2026 to 2nd December 2026 this course will give students a full and comprehensive grounding in Book Arts, with a sprinkling of printmaking to incorporate into your beautiful books and design your book forms around. The course will take place on Wednesday evenings between 6.00pm and 9.00pm.
The Complete Letterpress 2026
Long Course
Bookings are now open for The Complete Letterpress Printer 2026! Run over 20 weeks from 4th Feb 2026 to 22nd July this course will give students a full and comprehensive grounding in Letterpress Printing The course will take place on Wednesdays between 10.30am and 3.30pm.
Introduction To Screenprinting (January Weekend)
Short Course
Spend a weekend being shown how to screenprint. From mixing your water-based inks and printing using simple paper stencils you will go on to layer and build up colours. Mandy will show you how to coat and expose a photographic image onto screen, register and print your final ‘key’ colour bringing the image together. You will come away with a small edition of screenprints and can go on to print further designs and editions.
The Magic of Marbling
Short Course
Join artist and bookmaker Bev Doughty as she introduces you to the colourful world of paper marbling. You will be able to create your own decorative papers to use as wrapping, covers or end-papers for artists books or just lovely artwork. The day will start with a calming dip into the Japanese art of Suminagashi using water, ink and brushes. You will then move on to investigating western marbling techniques creating intricate patterns using a variety of traditional implements. You will come away with your own selection of marbled papers and the skills to continue your marbling journey.
Enquire about a course
faq's
We are happy to answer any questions on the phone but here are some commonly asked questions and answers below.
Do I need to be experienced to come on a course?
No experience necessary! Some courses are specifically designed for beginners; such as Introduction to Screenprint, Print or Letterpress, Painterly Screen-printing or The Art of Etching. Other courses such as Mokuhanga, Screen-printing with Natural Dyes or Photopolymer Printing are more tailored to those with some previous experience. However, if in doubt phone us to discuss.
How do I book a place on a course?
The best way to book a place is to phone us on 0161 743 3111. Our courses book up so quickly that we can be answering the phone all day whilst e-mails may take more time to get through every enquiry and still need us to phone or e-mail you back. We are a friendly bunch and can answer any of your questions when you ring to book.
Do you take a deposit to reserve a place?
No sorry, we are a small team and don't have capacity to have multiple systems in place. We only confirm bookings on full receipt of payment
What materials do I need to bring?
Nothing! We provide all materials for courses. All we need you to bring is some inspiration and clothes you don't mind getting ink on. (In Winter it is best to dress up warm too.) You will receive an introduction letter letting you know what to prepare, such as drawings, photos, photocopies, collected images, and what size you can expect to work to.
Is food provided?
If you are on a day or weekend course please bring your own food. In our small kitchen we have tea, coffee, milk, and sugar and an urn as well as a microwave. The Co-op and Sainsburys are both nearby and we have the luxury of a couple of cafes nearby now with fancy coffee.
Do you have disabled access?
We are limited in our access, with the workshop situated on the first floor and no lifts. We purchased the building in 2017 with the aim to expand and create a fully accessible facility. Unfortunately our ambitions have been set back by covid and other challenges. We are still trying to get full funding to develop the building further and be fully accessible.
Do you have any teacher training courses?
We have Wednesday evening specific CPD teacher training sessions situated under short courses or please email our education officer on education@hotbedpress.org for the details of our latest courses or to discuss bespoke courses.
Membership
Come And Join Us
We welcome new members all year round. Anyone can join. You need a little bit of experience; but that can be from doing one of our weekend or evening courses, after which you can carry on and practice what you've learnt on the course. We've got a few types of membership to suit your purse or your time. Just g to our Membership section for more details.
Send us a message!
Let us know what you are enquiring about.