Print Workshop: Hand-Printing Techniques and Truly Original Projects [Paperback]

Christine Schmidt (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 28, 2010

This is a book for low budgets and high ambition. Read it and you will learn how to put images of things onto other things. You will start by rolling up your sleeves. Your shirt will be stained anyways. At some point, you will harness the power of the sun.
 
Go ahead, look inside. You will see that you do not need a fancy studio to print a T-shirt or a picnic blanket. There is no specialized machine required to print anything you want in any room you want. A mural, a dartboard, a deck of cards, these are all possible.
 
In a week or a month, you will wake up to find you know words like acetate and substrate. You will be comfortable talking about ink and shopping at military supply stores. Perhaps most important of all, you will be printing images of things onto other things.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Print Workshop radically transcends conventional printmaking guides. Schmidt's witty, conversational approach illuminates one graphic project after the next, from pinprick stationery to royal wax seals and jar decals." -Chantal Lamers, San Francisco Chronicle

"[Print Workshop] celebrates the imperfect, the humanness of printing and the beauty in that. Geared for the home printer, the materials and tools are simple and easy to find at a local craft store. The book is a great way to dive into hand printing, an amazing starting point for customizing household items and a really nice guide for bringing more life into your every day. The aesthetic of the projects is incredibly current and inspiring and still approachable enough to feel comfortable attacking them on your own."  -Laure Joliet, Apartment Therapy

"I’ve always loved the voice and style that Christine [Schmidt] has brought to the printing community. Her style is unique and fresh and I’m so excited to see that celebrated and translated into book form. Her book will teach you how to roll up your sleeves and create fantastic home, fashion and accessory-based projects. I love that the book keeps budget in mind and will give you a wide range of ideas that won’t drain your wallet. Whether you’re looking to create a custom t-shirt, deck of cards (my favorite) or dartboard, Christine has you covered (including all the basics tools and terminology you’ll need for printing)."  -Grace Bonney,  Design Sponge

"A thoroughly engaging entry into the world of personalization through print."  -Dwell Magazine

"Artists who love what they do are infectious: They motivate the rest of us to give creativity a shot.  Just talk with Christine Schmidt, who fairly gushes about her printmaking efforts, both in a phone interview and in the pages of "Print Workshop: Hand-printing Techniques & Truly Original Projects". -Associated Press

"While the range of projects is impressive, the real beauty of the book is its comprehensive nature. Each section begins with a description of the specific tools necessary for each topic, followed by straightforward directions on execution. Schmidt offers an immense amount of details for all the different categories, and the utility of having a single-source of tried-and-true design at your fingertips is invaluable. Schmidt's language is casually encouraging, and in true DIY spirit every paragraph makes you feel more confident in your ability to complete the task at hand. While the book won't tell you how to rubber stamp the Mona Lisa, it's an excellent launching pad for imaginative minds."  -Cool Hunting

About the Author

CHRISTINE SCHMIDT is the founder of Yellow Owl Workshop, a company known for its distinctive designs printed with natural materials. Their products are carried in more than 500 stores worldwide, including Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art). Yellow Owl Workshop has been featured in ReadyMade, Martha Stewart Weddings, Daily Candy, Design Sponge, and Apartment Therapy. Chris lives in San Francisco with her husband, Evan Gross, and their two crazy mutts, Calvin and Clementine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Potter Craft; Original edition (December 28, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307586545
• ISBN-13: 978-0307586544
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.7 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,694 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > Arts & Photography > Graphic Design > Printmaking
  • #37 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Papercrafts, Stamping & Stenciling > Papercrafts

More About the Author

CHRISTINE SCHMIDT is the founder of Yellow Owl Workshop, a company known for its distinctive designs, stationery and rubber stamps. She is the author of Print Workshop: Hand-Printing Techniques and Truly Original Projects, an instructional book for various printing techniques, published in 2010. Christine lives in San Francisco with her husband, Evan Gross, and their two crazy mutts, Calvin and Clementine.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Even I can do these! A book that lives up to its title! January 11, 2011

By fredricka

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

My creative undertakings in the past have consisted in buying creative things made by o-t-h-e-r people - like one of my faves, Christine Schmidt at Yellow Owl Workshop. But her book is so clear and thoughtful AND easy that she has me succeeding in making really neat things myself! I have finished three projects from her book and my only problem is that no one who knows me believes that I made them. She knows what she is talking about and makes it doable - even for people with high hopes and limited artistic confidence. I have been a fan of her for work several years and am even more so now as she has managed to make me see myself as creative too! (I'll still be buying her cards and jewelry and ceramics, though.)

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars fun book - distracted by grammatical errors September 9, 2011

By Holly Troy

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I kept seeing this book in shops. It looked cute, and having taken printmaking in college, I thought it would be a fun book to have. For the beginner, this book is good. I just felt like there could be more techniques, say, for image transfers, or block printing. Then I was thinking, "OK, these projects are good for jump starting ideas," and they were, until I was distracted by grammatical errors. Maybe I am uptight, but it annoys when books are loaded with grammatical errors. There is even an error on the back cover! Where was the copyeditor when this book was going through publishing?

Besides the grammatical errors, the ideas are fun - though I wanted more. The publisher did a disservice to the author by not being more thorough in the editing process.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful - Easy for Beginners to Follow December 29, 2010

By beautifulpaper

Format:Paperback

I'm a longtime fan of Yellow Owl Workshop, particularly their stamp sets and screen printed stationery. Through Print Workshop, Christine imparts technical knowledge regarding various printing methods along with basic principles of design, all geared towards novice printers looking for fun projects that can be completed at home. Print Workshop is full of fun projects that would be great for kids/group activities and great ideas for customizing everything from personal note cards to clothing. Highly recommended!