Welcome!

Most original prints begin with the creation of a printing matrix, i.e. a plate, block, stone, or stencil that is used to transfer ink from one surface to another in a repeatable manner. Some prints are very simple and direct, involving perhaps a single matrix, but others demand relatively complex procedures and the orchestration of many elements.

At Wellesley College, we print etchings from copper plates, relief prints from wood, linoleum, and plastic, and lithographs from limestone, polyester and aluminum plates. We bind our own books and print text from lead type. Some of our activities combine photographic and digital processes with hand printing in unconventional ways. In addition to our main printmaking studio in Pendleton West, we have a papermaking facility, a letterpress studio, a digital media lab, and large format digital printers. Virtually all of the techniques that we use were once cutting edge graphic technology, but now, even the most obsolete printing methods carry fresh potential, thanks to renewed experimentation and engagement among artists.

To speak of printmaking simply in terms of its tools or methods would be to miss one of its most important cultural legacies- the spirit of communal effort, creative collaboration and studio dialogue. Learning to make prints in a shared print studio encourages one to think through multiple options, often in conversation with others. Students drawn to this medium tend to be quintessential liberal arts students, and find that printmaking enhances their work in a range of creative disciplines.

Phyllis McGibbon
Professor of Printmaking