this is my first post. I’m from the UK and struggling with finding good craft forums and came across this one.
I recently came across a gelli plate tutorial on youtube and was fascinated and have been practicing using alternative methods due to the cost of the plate. I’d like to invest in one after getting a few answers to my questions.
My hope is to sell some of my prints. Obviously these would look far better framed but the cost of framing large format prints is too expensive and I’d rather leave this to a customer to do.
Firstly, if I were to ever sell a large gelli print say A2 size (16.5" x 23"), how would I send this out to a customer if it wasn’t framed. Is it safe to just roll it up in a tube?
What are the best large format papers for gelli plate printing? I’d like a fine art finish but can’t afford massive outlays as sometimes there can be a lot of waste when prints don’t come out that well.
For the shipping questions I would honestly suggest searching up how people ship their art prints/original works. I did a quick search and there are tons of links that pop up with suggestions/instructions. I know an artist I follow on tiktok layers a lightweight paper with their print to help protect it. The few posters I’ve ordered that are bigger have come in those tubes. So I would use those for shipping if you can roll the work. I have gotten smaller prints in the mail (the size of a piece of printer paper or smaller) and those come in an envelope with cardboard to help it stay nice. All my small prints have arrived to me perfectly and I’ve gotten a few from the UK.
I mostly do gelli printing on junk mail and inexpensive paper The best quality paper I’ve ever tried was some watercolor paper. The watercolor paper worked fine but I think thinner papers are a little easier to get all the paint transferred. Although too thin and the paper can rip easily…
I also don’t do a lot of “art” with my plate… I mostly make masterboards so there is no wasted paper. When things don’t go right, I just add more layers! On the occasions where I do make art I scan the original and work digitally.
Sorry I don’t have any more relevant knowledge to share.
Hi Dave, welcome to Lettuce Craft! and g’day from Australia!
I sometimes mail artwork on paper in flat cardboard envelopes, but never larger than A3 at the most. I’d echo what others said - those tubes are probably fine for larger pieces, but there’s probably a few tips out there on the net. If rolling it up, does it need a layer of acid free tissue? and making sure the surface isn’t at all sticky?
For papers, I don’t do gelli printing, but I do watercolour and also other types of printmaking (lino, drypoint, monoprint). For printmaking, the papers I like to use are specifically for prints, smooth surface and a little softer than a drawing paper. Somewhere between 200-300gsm is a good weight. I got some Fabriano Rosaspina which I like, but it really depends on what you enjoy using and your budget. It might be worth trying samples of a few different papers to see what works for you.
I hope you’ll post pictures of some of your prints for us to see!
HI Dave.
I just started to experiment with gelli, no i can not answer your questions.
I got a pencil drawing from Australia last week which was between 2 cardboard and it was indicated in red not to blend it.
It came out wery well
I was thinking the same thing. When I order large sheets of paper, 22x30” for example, from DickBlick they are always sandwiched between 2 large pieces of cardboard to protect them.
As for which paper to use, I use my gelli prints mainly for cutting up into collage so I use cheaper paper. If I wanted to sell large prints I’d look into printmaking paper like BFK Rives.
Thanks for your replies so far everyone. There’s definitely more activity on here than some of the other forums I’ve visited where you could spend days waiting for just one reply.
I’m looking forward to using these forums over the coming weeks.
The best quality paper I’ve ever tried was some watercolor paper. The watercolor paper worked fine but I think thinner papers are a little easier to get all the paint transferred. Although too thin and the paper can rip easily…
On the occasions where I do make art I scan the original and work digitally.