About The Lemonade Press
The Lemonade Press is a brand new printmaking studio in Bristol dedicated to lithography, and the only print studio in the area offering this unique process. Offering facilities for stone, plate and photo plate lithography to use on a membership basis or as a collaborative editioning service for artists who would like to make editions in the graphic arts. The studio has the unique asset of a plate graining machine which provides an essential service for lithographers in the UK. Supplying aluminium and zinc ball grained plates to Universities, Colleges, Open Access workshops and Private Presses.
What is the project?
The Lemonade Press is raising £3,00 to move a Ratcliffe offset press to their new lithography workshop in Horfield, Bristol. This press is currently in a studio in Devon, used mainly for teaching stone lithography and monoprinting. The current owner is retiring from teaching and cannot fit it in their home studio and would very much like it to be used at The Lemonade Press.
£3,000 is for the entire cost of the move; dismantling the press in Devon, loading it and the lifting equipment into three vans, unloading in Bristol, assembly and levelling. This will take 3 days from start to finish. The narrow roads and access leading to the studio mean that the press has to be dismantled.
This press would be a major asset to the studio, enabling us to offer the use of it to visiting artists and members to make prints. The offset press can print lithographic plates; photo plates and ball grained plates as well as lithographic stones and relief printing such as wood blocks and lino blocks.
So why?
Finding an offset press like this is rare! What is special about this press is that it is big with a maximum printing area of 94cm x 94cm, but even more exciting is that the press beds lower and raise. The offset press can print lithographic plates; photo plates and ball grained plates as well as lithographic stones and relief blocks such as wood blocks and lino blocks.
Having an offset press would mean the studio could add capacity; an extra press means more bookable presses! But it means that other print processes can also be offered with scope to combine lithography with other techniques and produce hybrid prints; combining stone lithography with woodblock for example. The offset press also makes it possible to lock the stone into position, make edits to the image and then print new colour layers in perfect registration. With the offset, the entire surface of the stone is printed, so you can print that lovely edge and make multi colour images that utilise the whole surface and really show off the shape of the stone itself. Here is a video that shows how an offset press operates... Printing a photoplate on an offset press
What rewards are available?
There are lots of great rewards on offer for pledges such as prints, t shirts, aprons and stickers and gift vouchers too, check them out below. If you want to pledge and get a reward then click on the reward you want on the sidebar on the right to make your pledge.
If you are an artist who would like to collaborate: there are more ways you can work at the studio, how about coming to Bristol to make a hybrid lithograph- relief edition?
If you are a printmaker: You can join as a member and get an induction on this press!
Winter by Catherine Ade. Lithograph 40 x 60cm
Homage to Motherwell by Steph Turnbull. Lithograph.
Lucky dip mini print: Homage to Margaret Mellis by Steph Turnbull. Lithograph.
Superlitho spitfire
Lucky dip mini print: Spot of time by Catherine Ade. Lithograph
Postcard print. Lithograph
Postcard print. Lithograph
Lucky dip mini print: Fish by Steph Turnbull. Lithograph
Lucky dip mini print: Bullfight by Steph Turnbull. Lithograph.
Lemonade tee and apron
Lemonade apron
Lemonade tee
Monotype reward: Portrait in interior by Catherine Ade 21 x 26cm
Print reward: Crowd by Catherine Ade. Four colour Lithograph.
Print reward: Judith 38 x 50cm, three colour lithograph
Print reward: Lit 38 x 50cm. Three colour lithograph