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Fine Arts · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Printmaking & Digital Fabrication

This hybrid course merges the 15th century with the 21st. It explores “Post-Digital Printmaking,” where laser cutters, CNC routers, and 3D printers are used to create matrices for traditional printing presses. Students will learn to laser-etch woodblocks for relief printing, create intaglio plates from acrylic using vector files, and 3D print textures for embossing, expanding the definition of the “handmade” print.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Integrate Vector Design (Illustrator) with fabrication hardware (Laser/CNC)
  2. Execute "Laser Woodcut": Cutting relief blocks with precision
  3. Create "Digital Intaglio": Laser etching acrylic (Plexiglass) plates
  4. Utilize 3D Printing to create Collagraph plates and embossing textures
  5. Combine digital matrices with traditional hand-wiping and press techniques
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01The Hybrid Studio: Safety & Workflow
  2. 02Vector Design for Fabrication: Stroke vs. Fill
  3. 03Laser Cutter Basics: Power & Speed settings
  4. 04Laser Woodcut I: Engraving depth
  5. 05Laser Woodcut II: Cutting shapes (Jigsaw)
  6. 06Registration systems for Digital Plates
  7. 07Printing the Laser Block: Ink viscosity
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Digital Intaglio I: Laser Etching Acrylic
  10. 10Digital Intaglio II: Inking & Wiping Plastic
  11. 113D Printed Plates: PLA textures
  12. 12Blind Embossing with 3D Prints
  13. 13CNC Routing: Large scale blocks
  14. 14Vinyl Cutter: Stencils for Screen Print
  15. 15Mixed Media: Digital + Hand Carved
  16. 16Final Project: The Hybrid Edition

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Hybrid Edition

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Post-Digital Printmaking: CNC, Traditional and Hybrid Techniques by Paul Catanese
  2. Digital Handmade by Lucy Johnston
  3. Printmaking in the Expanded Field
  4. Laser Cutting for the Arts (Online Resources/Manuals)
  5. Installations and Experimental Printmaking by Alexia Tala
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