FAQ
Take any class without prerequisites to get started!
BARN members can get fob access to the Print and Book studio by attending a free one-hour orientation session. Our studio is available to those with fob access whenever BARN is open and the studio is not in use by a class or event.
The studio has a wide range of equipment for printmaking, book binding and book arts, and letterpress. This includes:
- Two Takach etching presses, press bed sizes 30″ x 60″ and 18″ x 36
- For letterpress, a Challenge Cylinder Proofing Press, two Chandler and Price Pilot platen presses, two Kelsey platen presses, and a Vandercook 99 proof press.
If you have questions about any specific equipment in the studio, please contact print.lead@bainbridgebarn.org.
Our studio presses and letterpress type are available for independent use outside of classes for BARN members who have become certified. To receive certification, you must:
- Be a current BARN member.
- Take a BARN class using the equipment you want to be certified on. If you already have significant experience with similar equipment and would like to pursue certification without taking a class, contact print.lead@bainbridgebarn.org to discuss whether this is possible.
- Master the required skills for the equipment, typically by attending Open Studios after completing a class. Required skills are posted inside the studio.
- Find an Open Studio with a qualified monitor who can certify you on the specific equipment (not all monitors are certified to approve all equipment). Check the instructor/guide bio below to see which equipment the monitor can certify.
- Attend an appropriate Open Studio and request certification. You’ll be certified once you demonstrate, to the monitor’s satisfaction, that you have mastered the required skills.
Etching presses are available during Open Studios for use by non-members who have taken a class at BARN that uses the etching press.
We stock a wide range of supplies for printmaking, book binding and book arts, and letterpress in the studio. Some of these are available for free to BARN members and Open Studio attendees, and others are for sale.
While the exact supplies we have at any time will vary, supplies that are generally available in the studio for free for members include:
- Printmaking inks, including Gamblin etching inks, Caligo Safewash relief inks, and Speedball block printing inks
- Student grade printmaking and drawing papers
- Tracing and transfer papers
- A variety of glues and pastes
- Non-toxic clean-up supplies
Supplies that are generally available in the studio for sale (sold at cost) include:
- Printmaking paper, including BFK Rives and Stonehenge
- Letterpress paper, including Mohawk Superfine
- Book binders board
- Colored paper and card stock and a variety of decorative paper sheets
You may bring your own non-toxic, fume-free inks and other materials to use in the studio. However, if any studio users complain about the fumes from a product that you have brought into the studio, we ask that you stop using it in the studio.
We’d love to have you volunteer! Volunteers are an essential part of running the studio.
If you’ve been spending time working in the Print & Book Arts Studio, please consider becoming a studio monitor. Studio monitors host open studios, conduct studio orientations, assist with classes, and help keep the studio running smoothly. Contact print.lead@bainbridgebarn.org to learn more.
Join BARN Circle, BARN’s online community. This community hub is open to everyone participating or interested in activity at BARN. Consider it the digital equivalent of hallway chats, workbench hangouts, and studio bulletin boards. Learn more and get started >>
Equipment
- 4 cabinets of type, ornaments, cuts and rules
- 5 presses including the Challenge Proof Press, Chandler & Price Pilots, Vandercook 099 and Provisional Tabletop Presses
- 36″ x 60″ Takach etching press
- Two large inking rollers for large-scale plates
- Soaking basin for preparing paper for printing
- Work spaces with individual glass palette and counter area
- Tools for the printmaking process, including brayers and ink knives
We stock a wide range of supplies for printmaking, book binding and book arts, and letterpress in the studio. Some of these are available for free to BARN members and Open Studio attendees, and others are for sale.
While the exact supplies we have at any time will vary, supplies that are generally available in the studio for free for members include:
- Printmaking inks, including Gamblin etching inks, Caligo Safewash relief inks, and Speedball block printing inks
- Student grade printmaking and drawing papers
- Tracing and transfer papers
- A variety of glues and pastes
- Non-toxic clean-up supplies
Supplies that are generally available in the studio for sale (sold at cost) include:
- Printmaking paper, including BFK Rives and Stonehenge
- Letterpress paper, including Mohawk Superfine
- Book binders board
- Colored paper and card stock and a variety of decorative paper sheets
Visit Our Studio
Learn more about the Print & Book Arts Studio. Studio page»
OPEN STUDIO
Work on your own projects during Open Studio. To attend, first take one of our introductory classes. Learn more »
Volunteer
Volunteers keep the Print & Book Arts studio running. You can help! View opportunities »
Discover Print & Book Arts
Try printmaking, letterpress, or book arts today!
Follow Us