Gel printing

Gel printing is a technique where paint or ink is added onto a flexible gelatin "plate" and is then transferred to paper. The result is often a distressed/rustic look.

What you need

To work with a gel printing plate, you'll need:

• a gel plate (available in a lot of different sizes and shapes)
• paint or ink (acrylic paint is used most often, but alcohol inks, pigment stamping inks or other mediums work as well)
• a brayer

You can also add interest to your prints by using all kinds of random items to create texture: bubble wrap packaging, a comb, leaves, paper shapes, plastic stencils, stamps … Basically anything goes with gel press printing.

How it works

The basics are: add paint to your gel plate, spread it out with a brayer, add a piece of paper on top, and lift it off again. The ink will now have transferred onto your paper.

The fun part is that you can layer these paints by letting them dry in between applications. Also, interest can be added with stencils, stamps, or basically any other item that leaves a fun imprint on the paint. Just make sure you don't use sharp objects that can damage the plate.

Always work "front to back". The color of paint you add first will be the first layer that you see. If you add a bunch of colors and finish with a layer of black, you'll only see the black show up in spots where none of the other paints were applied. For that reason, finishing with white or black is always a good option.

What paints can you use

Gel plates are created to work with acrylic paints, but other paints or inks might work as well. Acrylic paint in itself is available in different "types": heavy body (thicker), glossy, metallic colors, … So those paints in itself give a lot of options to create artwork.

Pigment inks (regular pigment inks or Distress Oxide inks) work as well.

It's possible that dye inks stain your gel press plate, but that shouldn't damage your plate. To remove the staining, you can use baby oil. Make sure you wash your plate afterward with a mild detergent.

Oil-based inks and paints might damage the material if they're left on the plate for a longer period of time. So make sure to clean your plate after you're done using those.

What paper to use

Gel press techniques can be done with almost any kind of paper. From regular 80 gsm printer paper to heavyweight cardstock. Even tissue paper can be used. It's all about experimenting with different papers, paints, and techniques. Keep in mind that thicker paper won't be able to get into the nooks and crannies of a stencil, so for that, a lighter weight paper might give a more detailed result. It's all about what look you're going for.

Glossy paper, and especially photo paper (used to print your own photos on an inkjet printer) should not be used, since the surface might stick to the gel plate, damaging the surface.

Tips

• Letting layers of paint dry in between will layer them. Adding paint while the previous layer is still wet, will mix the paints.
• If your paint beads up on the surface, your paint is too thin (or simply not compatible) or your plate might need a wash with mild dish soap.
• After intensive use, your plate might become cloudy. This will not affect the use of the plate.
• Keep your gel press away from any heat source.
• Gel plates are best stored in their original packaging and/or by covering both sides with plain white copy paper.
• If you place your gel plate onto a glass or other slick surface, it won't slide around. However, don't use it on an absorbant surface (such as wood), since the surface might take up some of the oils in the plate.
• A big gel press plate can be used to create backgrounds, but small plates can be used as accents on your cards. If you use a small, round plate you can press directly onto your card base for a fun focal point.

Cleaning your gel press plate

If you don't want to waste any paint and/or really like a rough, distressed look, you can add a layer of paint (for example white, to be neutral) on top of the whole plate. Add a piece of paper that's big enough, rub it onto the plate, let it sit for a few seconds, and lift it off. This should have removed all of the paint that was initially left on your plate. You can also simply clean your plate with a baby wipe or simply with water and paper towels. Hand sanitizer works well too. Even though dried paint gives fun results on the next prints, it's best to clean your plate before storing it away.

Brands of gel plates

Gelli Arts created the first reusable gel printing plate, but other brands, such as Gel Press, also manufacture these products.