Thank you for this informative tutorial! I have a gel press sitting waiting in it's packaging for me to use it for the first time.I am new to gel printing but I feel more confident after watching your video! NowI can't wait to get started!
Love your tutorial. Your art work is beautiful! I learn so many tips from you. I did not know that about the gell plate. When I bought my first plate (several years ago) I was told to keep it on the acrylic sheets! Yikes.
Very helpful! Love your prints, and all the tips for items that are cheaper and easily obtainable and can be used to create cool pages! Love that tonic spatula!
What kind of ink works best on the glossy finish of the pages or does it matter?…and do you ever make a cover for these pages, and does that go on while sewing the actual journal pages?… Awesome pages, they all remind me of under water by the beach, where I live.I would love to make these close to the same colors and journal and add my one or two line beach memories/ comments (and beach related art and ephemera for a Christmas Present for my “folks”( relatives) up north. I miss snow and they love the beach!🤣😂 I get snowy winter and fall art from cousins, they get “Florida”!❤️ …. Edited due to chubby fingers, hitting the wrong letters. 🙄🥴😂
Love your prints, and love working with the geli plates! :D That's good to know about the acetate storage issue. I still have the acetate on my plates, I will remove them forthwith. :D **That's a good idea about using the prints as sentiment labels..I never thought of that--and I have hundreds of prints.
I find the storage issues very confusing…. I know the manufacturers suggest taking the acetate pages off but then I get bubbles when I put them back in the clamshells. Another artist suggested using copy paper and the bubbles don’t seem to form. I would like to use the Tim Holtz tin made specifically for gel plates to put them all in one container - maybe the paper “covers” would be ok inside the tin to eliminate bubbles from sticking to the tin and the tin container would keep the plates from drying out ever though I put paper on them? I’d love to hear some thoughts…
I agree. There were some inconsistencies in what I read from the manufacturers. My advice would be to reach out to the manufacturer with direct questions about your intended storage solution. Here's some info from the Gel Press FAQs page. gelpress.com/faqs-frequently-asked-questions/ GEL PRESS STORAGE We do not recommend storing the plates with the Mylar sheets that come with them. These are simply part of the post-manufacturing process and can be discarded after first use. Remove the product insert, and store your Gel Press plate in the clamshell packaging. Storing your plate flat will lead to less weight on the surface and therefore less chance of having a trapped air bubble create a noticeable indentation. HOW TO FIX AIR BUBBLES OR INDENTATIONS ...We have found that placing the clean plate between two sheets of smooth copy paper on a smooth non-porous surface (such as a glass table), and taking care to place the paper on top without trapping air bubbles; then putting a larger item, such as a book on top, for a couple of days - tends to remove any unwanted artifacts from the surface. The copy paper tends to pull out the oil and ‘plump’ up the surface again. But it shouldn’t be stored this way long term because it would continue to do so. Thereafter we still recommend storing upright, in its original packaging, and without the Mylar sheets. Once they are removed, they should be discarded. I hope this helps!
Thank you Amber! This is information and inspirational 🌈👍🏼🙏🏼Is the copy paper glossy or Matte? Your prints have a beautiful sheen to them. You sure do make this look easy Peasy with great outcomes!💕🙌🏼
Thank you! Definitely matte. The only paper you don't want to use on your gel plate is glossy photo paper or paper with that type of finish. It creates such a strong bond with the plate that it can ruin the plate and tear the paper on removal. Happy printing!
Some of your spreads look like the pages are continuations of each other - gold, teal, purple, etc. Do you plan your prints to have commonalities in the center so that when you bind the pages they go together?
Nope, I don’t plan the pages for binding. In fact, this was my first handmade journal. If you choose a three or four color palette the pages will coordinate well with each other. A third color in the middle of the page can also be a nice transition in the binding area. Happy printing!
