EQUIPMENT

We are undoubtedly one of the best equipped print workshops in the country. We have grown and filled the place with as much equipment and resources as we can to make it quite simply a great place to come and print.

Screen-Printing

                         

• 9 Kippax screen beds ranging in size up to 222cm x 149cm
• Over 180 screens available for use (65T mesh to 110T mesh)
• All in one Natgraph exposure unit 144cm x 120cm in a dedicated darkroom
• Screen wash room including washout unit & large K’Archer power hose
• Vertical and horizontal screen drying cabinets
• Various coating troughs, squeegees, palette knives etc.

Etching area

                              

• Rochat etching press; bed size 66cm x 122cm (26″ x 48″)
• Rochat etching press; bed size 53cm x 107cm (21″ x 42″)
• Polymetaal ethcing press; bed size 70cm x 140cm (28″ x 55″)
• Rollaco etching press; bed size 76cm x 102cm (30″ x 40″)
• 3 Hawthorne Etching Presses; bed size  40cm x 92cm (16″ x 36″)
• 2 hot plates
• Nitric, ferric and copper sulphate etching facilities
• Resin aquatint booth/room
• Full range of etching needles, burnishers, rollers, and roulettes for members to use
• Darkroom for photo-etching and photopolymer plate preparation with 2 dedicated light boxes

Relief printing and letterpress

                  

• 3 Albion relief presses; platen size up to 20″ x 26″
• 1 Columbian relief press; platen size 16″ x 21″
• 1 Art Equipment pull proofing press 16″ x 33″
• 1 Gem proofing press bed size; 23″ x 29″
• A very large selection of lead type 12 point upwards including a range of wooden type
• 9 Adana letter presses
• 5 Nipping/vice presses
• Full range of woodcut, and lino tools
• A selection of bone folders, knives and book arts sundries
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General

• 40 plan chests available for members to store work at just £1 a month
• 5 large plan chests available for members with large work for £2 a month
• 24 storage containers for members to store their own ink and tools for £1 a month
• A range of different papers including Canaletto, Somerset, Fabriano, Arches, Zerkall
• We also have a full range of inks from relief, etching, screen-print and even letterpress.
• Zinc, lino, Japanese rubber and aluminium are available for relief printing . We also have a range of book cloth and bookram.

Thanks to those who have helped us to grow!

We have accumulated lots of equipment from various sources over the years without which we would not be operating to the size and scale we are today.

We thank the following for their contributions to our equipment:

Manchester Metroplolitan University; (the wonderful letterpress facility including type and a small but perfectly formed albion, plus small screen bed and our largest etching press; the Polymetaal).

Liverpool John Moores University; (etching booth, aquatint booth and water bath).

People Print in Rochdale; (the washout unit,screen bed and rack).

Wirral Metropolitan College; (a small screen bed).

Two individuals have loaned us Rochat Presses, one of which is now very generously ours, whilst the large Rochat is on a long term loan. 

Other individuals have donated Adanas and letterpress equipment and in 2008 one anonymous benefactor gave us £1,000 to invest in equipment.