FACILITIES

OUR FACILITIES

Our print studio is based in old town Poole in a heritage building with its own courtyard.

We provide;

A large Albion press and two smaller Albion presses for relief printing (eg lino cut)
A large Rollaco Etching Press and a small etching press for Intaglio printing (eg etchings and collagraphs)
Small presses for letterpress
A wide range of wooden and metal type and letterpress equipment.
A UV cupboard for solar etching
Some facilities for screen printing.

Members are provided with rollers, printing inks and other printing equipment. A range of paper stock is available to purchase.

Members can book unlimited studio sessions through an on-line booking system once they have paid their annual studio fee.

Access

Our studio has uneven surface access and a high step to the entrance, the toilet is not fully accessible. However Poole Printmakers welcomes prospective printmakers who may have specific needs which require support, and will actively facilitate access to print making opportunities if we can.

OUR HOPKINSON PRESS

We have a beautiful example of an Albion model press, typically used by jobbing printers from around 1830 to 1930. Designed for printing relief letter press documents such as pamphlets, handbills and books, it could also produce posters. This press was built by the Hopkinson and Cope Foundry based in London, circa 1850s. It was a design with a patent number 3545 and a serial number 3101. The design is strongly influenced by the motifs popular in Victorian Gothic architecture in the 19th Century. The Poole Printmakers press has a bed size 740mm by 530mm making it one of the larger versions of the Albion and able to print images close to this size. The pressure is exerted by a wedge and lever mechanism and this can deliver strong loads.

We also have a smaller model of Hopkinson for printing sizes less than A4.