Collagraph Printing with the Sizzix Big Shot Plus

I am a big fan of collage, I may take a break from it now and then but it always seems to find its way back into my art.

So collagraphy, which is basically a form of printing from a collaged plate, seemed a natural addition to my creative process.

Handprinting however has its restrictions as you can’t always get an even pressure across the plate and/or your pressure may not be strong enough to get a well defined print.

I don’t have easy access to a print studio or the funds to purchase a home printing press so a perusal online showed printmakers using craft die cutting machines to print with.

A favourite seems to be the Xcut Xpress which has adjustable rollers so pressure can be changed according to how thick your printing plate is. Unfortunately it is no longer in production. If you are lucky you might pick one up on eBay or a similar site.

I had no such luck so settled for what seemed the next best option for me - the Sizzix Big Shot Plus.

Unfortunately it doesn’t have an adjustable roller so I have to adjust the pressure manually by adding or taking away cards or sheets of paper to increase or decrease the pressure from the roller onto the plate. 

On the upside it can print papers up to 8 inches wide and any length as long as you have a suitable board that will go through the press. Handprinted in the UK do an accessory pack for the Xcut Xpress which is also suitable to use with the Sizzix.

I used akua intaglio inks and created a number of collagraphy plates to test the whole process from beginning to end.

Overall it was pretty successful, It took a few runs through the press before I came to recognise the ‘correct’ pressure for the prints. 

I see this as a process I will revisit both as part of my mixed media paintings and as a way to create stand alone prints.

In the meantime you can view some of my most recent paintings here