Things to do · Arts and crafts
Try monoprinting
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
A monoprint is a one-off print, closer to a painting than to a run of copies, made by inking a smooth plate and pressing paper onto it. You can learn it in a single workshop, and with a gel plate you need no press at all.
GentleUnder £100 / $130An afternoonIndoorsAlone or with othersUK and US
What you learn
Most classes teach two basic methods. In the additive method you build up an image by adding ink to the plate; in the subtractive method you wipe ink away to make the image. Layering prints on top of each other gives textured, blended effects.
In a print studio you usually paint and draw with ink on a sheet of Plexiglas, using stencils and found objects too, and take the print on a press or by hand. Gel-plate (or gelli) printing is a form of monoprinting without a press. You build layers of colour and texture on a gel plate with inks and mark-making tools, and use thin objects such as leaves, lace and threads for texture.
It is messy work. Classes ask you to wear old clothes and closed-toe shoes and to bring an apron or paper towels, and one US college asks students to tie long hair back.
You can carry on at home. City Lit's online course teaches monoprinting without a press using a hard rubber roller, printing ink, ordinary copy paper and a sheet of plastic or acetate to roll the ink on.
Where to learn, and what it costs
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| City Lit, London | Monoprinting workshop; three daytime sessions over three weeks; press and hand printing; basic inks and paper included | £249, or £199 senior and £162 concession |
| City Lit, online | Printing without a press: five live online sessions; you supply the roller, ink and paper | £229, or £183 senior and £149 concession |
| GPC, Griffin Mill, Stroud, Gloucestershire (past run) | Six-hour gel-plate printing day on paper or fabric; basic materials, ink and paper provided | From £85 |
| The Art House (past run) | Three-hour gelli printing taster; A4 monoprints to take home; all materials provided | £45 |
| Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven, Connecticut (past run) | One four-hour session; oil-based inks on Plexiglas, printed through a press; up to eight people | $124, including a $10 materials fee |
| Minneapolis College of Art and Design (past run) | Evening class; water-based inks on Plexiglas with stencils and found objects; 18 and over | $243.50, including $52 material and $52 facility fees |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago (past run) | Five-day intensive in monoprint and monotype, with collagraph and chine collé | $810 |
The Art House taster sends people home with instructions for making their own gel plate. Minneapolis College of Art and Design is for over-18s, and Creative Arts Workshop suggests 18 and over.
How to start
- Book a monoprinting or gel-plate taster at a print studio or adult-education college; most include inks and paper.
- Wear old clothes and closed-toe shoes, and bring an apron.
- Take along sketches or photographs to work from, and thin, flat objects such as leaves, lace or threads to print with.
Where to go
- City Lit: monoprinting workshop (London) UK
- City Lit: printmaking at home, printing without a press (online) UK
- Creative Arts Workshop: the very basics of monotype printmaking, past workshop (New Haven, Connecticut) US
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design: introduction to monotype printmaking US
We opened these links on 13 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Two ways to plan it.
Plan it yourself Free
The links you need to book it, get there, find somewhere to stay and eat, and see what else there is to do nearby. They are searches for you to run; nothing is saved.
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Plan it with dates
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a monoprint and other prints?
A monoprint is a one-off print rather than one of a set of copies. City Lit describes it as similar to a painting.
Do I need a printing press for monoprinting?
No. Gel-plate printing needs no press, and City Lit runs an online course in monoprinting at home with a roller, ink and ordinary paper.
What is gelli printing?
It is monoprinting on a gel plate, without a press. You build up layers of ink on the plate and add texture with mark-making tools or objects such as leaves and lace.
How much does a monoprinting class cost?
Listed prices run from £45 for a three-hour gelli taster to £249 for three day-long sessions at City Lit in London. In the US, a four-hour class at Creative Arts Workshop in New Haven was $124 including materials.
Where this comes from: City Lit, Monoprinting workshop; City Lit, Printmaking at home: printing without a press; GPC, Gelliplate Printing with Jeanette Newell; The Art House, Gelli Printing Taster; Creative Arts Workshop, The Very Basics of Monotype Printmaking; Creative Arts Workshop, Introduction to Monotype/Monoprint Printmaking; Minneapolis College of Art and Design, One of a Kind: Introduction to Monotype Printmaking; School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Intensive, Exploring Monoprint. Opened 13 November 2026.
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