STUDIO

The Lower East Side Printshop offers 4,000 sq. ft. of printmaking workspace in two studios and two workrooms. The facility is located on the 6th Floor of an industrial building facing West 37th Street in New York City. Both studios are filled with northern light. They have concrete floors and 11 ft. ceilings. Passenger elevators are available 24/7, and freight elevators are available during regular business hours M-F, 8am-5pm.

Studio Manual

COMMUNITY STUDIO

The shared Community Studio, with the adjacent etching/solvent room and the darkroom, is accessible 24/7 for participating artists and during regular business hours for class students. Facilities are available for intaglio, relief, monoprint, waterbased silkscreen techniques, photo and digital processes, and other techniques that employ the tools at hand.

Personal storage includes screen storage, personal shelves, flat file drawers, and mordant and chemical storage.

EQUIPMENT

  • Screenprinting hinge table (60” x 96”)

  • Screenprinting vacuum press (32″ x 48″ printing area)

  • Griffin Intaglio press (40” x 66 ”)

  • Charles Brand intaglio press (20” x 40”)

  • Charles Brand Intaglio Press (28” x 50”)

  • Glass-top inking table (30” x 84”)

  • Light table 36” x 48”

  • Stainless steel cleanup sink (18” x 18” with a shelf)

  • Paper soaking sink (36” x 48” stainless steel)

  • Paper blotting and curating table (48” x 96”)

  • Flat drying system with Homasote boards

  • Movable drying rack (27” x 35”)

  • Large movable drying rack (38″ x 50″)

  • Cast iron book press (8.5” x 11”)

  • Workstations (30” x 72” sturdy steel tables with laminate tops)

  • Refrigerator, microwave, filtered water cooler

DIGITAL EQUIPMENT

  • Epson SureColor P600 inkjet printer - capable of printing films 13" wide film

  • Laser printer - US letter size

  • Desktop computer with Adobe Photoshop

  • Epson Perfection 1660 Photo scanner - A4 size max

PROVIDED MATERIALS

  • Newsprint

  • Brayers and rollers

  • Squeegees and scoopcoaters of various sizes

  • Spatulas

  • Solvents (mineral spirits, denatured alcohol, rubbing alcohol)

  • Household cleaners (simple green, windex, comet)

  • Brasso

  • Putz Pomade

  • Scissors

  • Rulers and tear bar

Lower East Side Printshop is a not-for-profit printmaking studio in New York City that helps contemporary artists create new artwork and advance their career since 1968. Four artists, Tatiana Arocha, Emma Safir, Qiaoyi Shi, and Caroline Ongpin (in the order of appearance) shared their participation at the Printshop's community studio.

PUBLISHING STUDIO

Publishing and contract printing projects are produced in collaboration with LESP staff in the Publishing Studio. Facilities are available for intaglio, relief, monoprint, waterbased silkscreen, collage, digital techniques, photo and digital processes, and other techniques that employ the tools at hand.

Publishing Residency artist Carrie Moyer, 2023
SCREENPRINTING

  • 94"x64" vacuum table and one arm press

  • 48"x40" vacuum table

  • 63"x 44" light table

  • Screens up to 68"x43"

  • 68"x49" movable drying rack

  • TW Graphics water-based professional screenprinting inks

  • Large worktables

INTAGLIO

  • 60"x36" Charles Brand etching press

  • 96"x32" Glass counter/ink surface

  • 36"x27.5" Conrad Machine Co. hotplate

DIGITAL STUDIO

  • Epson SureColor P8000 inkjet printer

  • Epson Expression 10000XL flatbed scanner

ETCHING/SOLVENT ROOM

The solvent/etching room is accessible 24/7 to artists working in the community studio. It has adjustable exhaust ventilation. Only ferric chloride solution is used for etching.

EQUIPMENT

  • Large rosin aquatint box

  • 24"x18" hotplate

  • Spray nozzle and sink

  • Ferric chloride

  • Trays in various sizes for etching plates

  • Degreasing materials

DARK ROOM

The darkroom is accessible 24/7 to artists working in the community studio. It has adjustable exhaust ventilation.

EQUIPMENT

  • 78"x58" exposure unit

  • 50"x42" exposure unit

  • 39.5"x23" exposure unit

  • Large washout booth with backlight

  • Clean-up sink with hose

  • Power washer for reclaiming screens