Collagraphy is a simple print technique, using a piece of card as a base plate to create a collage which is then inked up for printing. No need for expensive or hazardous materials, this is a great way to use up scraps of material you have left over from other projects. 

The technique is hands on and you never quite know how the results will turn out - all part of the fun of printmaking! This project requires 60 – 90 minutes!

Materials:

• A piece of smooth, thick card • Paper and fabric to make textured areas (e.g. lace, doilies, tissue paper, etc. – plunder your scrap bag!) • Scissors • Cutting mat • Gloss varnish • Block printing ink • Craft knife • PVA glue • Paintbrush • Roller • A smooth surface, like a piece of glass or Perspex, to roll out ink • Wooden spoon or a clean roller • Paper to print onto • Babywipes and cloths to clean up with. Printmaking can get messy! 

https://media.craftscouncil.org.uk/documents/collagraphy_print_making_tutorial.pdf

Warning! This activity uses a craft knife. This sharp tool should only be used by children under close adult supervision. 

Steps:

Make your printing plate by creating a collage of different materials on the piece of card. You can be as figurative or as abstract as you like. Play with shapes and textures, and combine contrasting materials. The fun of collagraphy is not really knowing how the image will look when it’s printed! Bear in mind that the image will be reversed, especially if you’re using text. Tip: use scissors to cut out simple, bold shapes. For more intricate cutting, use a craft knife, taking care to cut away from your hands. 

Use the paintbrush to cover your collage with a thin coat of varnish. This will make your plate water-resistant and give you a better print by stopping the paper from sticking to the collaged materials. Leave the plate to completely dry, which should take around an hour. 1 Finish your printing plate by gluing everything into place and let the glue dry (about 10-15 minutes). Inking time! Squeeze some ink onto your piece of glass or Perspex. Dip the roller in the ink and roll out a neat square to get an even, smooth amount onto the roller. After you have rolled for a bit, you will notice that rolling gets noisy, and the texture of the ink changes. Now roll onto the plate until all the raised parts of your design are inked. Roll across the plate diagonally to get the corners. 

Printing. The moment of truth! Lay your paper on top of the plate, being careful not to move it, gently pressing the paper down to help it stick to the plate. Use either the back of a wooden spoon or a clean roller to rub over the whole area to be printed, using firm pressure. You should start to see the image appearing. Lift the paper off the plate by peeling it back from the corner

 Your print is ready! Once you get the hang of printing, you could try overlaying different colours, and printing onto different types of paper. Experiment with the kinds of materials you use, lots of textured materials will work well, but steer clear of anything too bulky. Have fun!