Our studio is fully equipped with facilities for etching, screen printing, relief printing and dark room methods. We currently occupy three studio spaces on the ground floor of Banks Mill Studios.
Studio 0.2
Our screen printing studio hosts our screen preparation and printing facilities. We currently have three working vacuum presses installed, each having their own enclosed working space and drying rack. Additionally, we house a 4-colour, 2 platen carousel press for printing T-shirts and garments.
We also have a range of screen sizes and mesh counts to rent as part of your session (from A5 – A0, 55T – 120T).
Equipment
Edith
Large format E.M.U.S. Elite screen press with vacuum and printing arm. This press is suitable for both paper and textile printing and can hold a screen up to A1 in size. Bed size: 132cm x 95cm. Previously owned by Martin Maywood.
Nora
Medium format screen press with vacuum. Nicknamed ‘Noisy Nora’ because this press’ vacuum is rather loud! This press is suitable for printing onto paper and can hold a screen up to A2 in size. Bed size: 84cm x 72cm. Gifted to the studio by an annonymous donor.
Gladis
Medium format screen press with vacuum. This press is suitable for printing onto paper and can hold a screen up to A2 in size. Bed size: 84cm x 72cm. Gifted to the studio by an annonymous donor.
Henderson
4-color, 2 stations carousel press for T-shirt & garment printing, with micro-adjustment. Platen size: 55cm x 45cm.
Studio 0.3
Our intaglio studio hosts our facilities for Acrylic Resist Etching, Collography, Drypoint on Copper, Monotype and Waterless Lithography. We stock Caligo and Hawthorn intaglio inks as well as specialist rollers and tools for printing. We have a paper soak sink and blotters for printing with cotton-rag based papers.
Additionally, our designated sinks for etching and metal preparation have a filtration system installed to ensure that any water going back into the drainage will be safe for the environment.
Equipment
Archibald
This was the first press we acquired when setting up Green Door, and over a decade on it is still going strong as the most used press in the studio! Bed size: 46cm x 84cm. Designed and developed by Art Equipment Ltd.
Adapted Victorian Mangle Press
When this Victorian mangle was first built, little did its designers know that it would be converted years later and used as an intaglio press! Still featuring its original wooden rollers (though, now steel plated!) and features, we now use this press primarily for our collography and waterless lithography techniques. Bed size: 44cm x 86cm. Adapted for Green Door.
Little John
Adapted Hunter Penrose LittleJohn press. Bed Size: 92cm x 53cm. Gifted to the studio by an annonymous donor, repaird by The Press Gang.
Edward
Edward is our sheet metal guillotine used for cutting plates to size prior to creating etchings or drypoint. Edward’s blade is very sharpe and cuts through metal like butter using a foot pedal. Use of this guillotine is limited to those members who have first been inducted for safety reasons. Platen width: 65cm.
Drying Racks
Large format drying rack that can hold sizes up to A0. Large rack measures: 106cm x 81cm. Small rack measures: 61cm x 40cm. Previously owned by Noel-Baker School.
Studio 0.3
Our relief studio hosts our facilities for book making as well as relief processes (lino, blind embossing and woodblock).
We stock Caligo relief inks in a wide range of colours as well as specialist rollers and tools for relief printing.
Equipment
Teddy
‘Teddy’ is our small-scale nipping press. Teddy was lovingly named by Alethe Barber (the same lady whom our library is attributed) and is most often used for small-scale lino printing as well as bookbinding. Platen size: 30cm x 25cm. Previously owned by Noel-Baker School.
Armstrong
Large format Hampson, Bettridge and Company Ltd. nipping press. This press was gifted to the studio when we were first setting up and used to reside in the original printmaking facilities of the University of Derby’s Green Lane Campus. Our nipping press is probably used most frequently as a relief printing press for lino and woodblock. Platen size: 64cm x 48cm. Previously owned by the University of Derby.
Miller & Richards Guillotine
Large format paper guillotine. Platen width: 46cm. Gifted to the studio by Arvon Wellen.
Evil Slicey
‘Evil Slicey’ is our small-scale paper guillotine, named by Pan after she witnessed how sharp his blade is! Evil slicey, as the name would suggest, is a guillotine, and due to his nature is a staff-use only piece of equipment. Previously owned by The Labour Party Headquarters, Charnwood Street.
Studio 0.4
Our Dark Room facilities include a UV exposure unit, used for both photographic etching and screen printing techniques.
We also stock and sell Photopolymer Film worldwide, which is available at a discounted rate to members of the studio. Our dark room also doubles-up as our general store room for stock and additional materials.
Equipment
UV Exposure Unit
Our Theimer Copymat UV exposure unit with vacuum installed safe-light. This unit is suitable for exposing photographic etching plates (up to in size) and screens (up to A1 in size). Bed size: 73cm x 63cm.
Other Equipment
Screens for Hire
We have a large range of prepared screens for screen printing, from A5 – A1, available for sessional hire by our members. Our screens meshes range from 55T – 100T. We also host regular re-meshing sessions for members and public who would like to refresh old screens. Members of the studio are also invited to store their own screens at the studio for ease of use. Hire price: £5 per session (plus materials). Unfortunately, we do not have the facilities to sell these screens to members but they are available for regular use during pre-booked sessions.
Apple iMac
Featuring:
– A wireless internet connection
– Adobe Photoshop software
HP All-in-one A3 Printer/Scanner
Lovingly called ‘Inigo Montoya’. Used primarily for creating acetates for photographic etching and screen printing processes (we stock these in A4 and A3).
Materials and Sundries
We stock a small range of specialist cotton-rag based printmaking papers including Hahnemuhle, Somerset and Fabriano. We also stock metal (copper and zinc) and other printmaking sundries which can be purchased from the studio.
Studio 0.4
As well as our printmaking studio facilities, we also have a kitchen/office space within Banks Mill Studios. This area is open to members of the studio, and we invite you to pause for a break, make yourself a cuppa and relax at our kitchen table.
This studio is also the location of our printmaking library that we lovingly refer to as ‘Alethe’s Library’ (named after Alethe Barber, a member and great friend of the studio who sadly passed away in 2014).
Become a Member
Join the Green Door community