Printmaking Studios
The UT Print Workshop covers 4,500 square feet. Our studio facilities are large and comprehensive. The shop is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for graduate students and until midnight for undergraduates. Faculty members have studio/offices adjacent to the print shop and use the facility to produce their own work. Graduate students in our MFA program have individual studios in a nearby building. In addition, the UTK Letterpress Studio provides a creative space for members of the university community, including many students in art, design, architecture, and creative writing an opportunity to experience setting type and printing posters, broadsides, and even small books. Below is an inventory of the facilities and equipment.
Intaglio
One Charles Brand press (36 x 60 inch bed), one Charles Brand press (16 x 30 inch bedsize), Takach Intaglio Press (24 x 48 inch bedsize), a new Kewaunee glass enclosed acid bath (12 x 4 foot), large dual ferric chloride vertical etching bath, 2 hot plates (28 x 36 inch), large upright aquatint box with an electric fan, kick shears, Delta scroll saw (for plate shaping) and an extensive number of viscosity and relief rollers. Many of the table surfaces are covered in glass to assist in ink preparation and printing.
Relief
One Charles Brand press (36 x 60 inch bed), Vandercook Proof Press (24 x 40 inch bed), Franklin Press (26 x 20 inch bed) and a large collection of Takach inking rollers.
Lithography
Over 150 stones, three stainless steel faced plate backings, two Charles Brand presses (30 x 48 inch bed), one Charles Brand press (24 x 40 inch bed), one Takach Press (34 x 60 inch bed), six leather and eight composition rollers (including a 26 lb. Takach full sheet bleed roller), 16 foot stainless steel graining sink, Big Joe hydraulic lift (with metallic glitter flame decals).
Screenprinting
A flexible working space with tables and a large screen storage area. Screen printing is serviced by a large, stainless-steel sink with a power washer and a Lawson large (48 x 72 inch) format exposure unit, and two Lawson Proto 24 x 30 inch (vacuum) presses.
Paper Making
David Reina Design Hollander Beater, Lee S. McDonald Hydraulic Paper Press, 12 deckel boxes, extensive supply of felts in a dedicated wet area with a floor drain.
Faculty and Graduate Student Pressroom
Takach intaglio press (40 x 70 inch bed), Takach lithography press (34 x 60 inch bed), Vacuum screen printing table (48 x 68 inches). An American French Tool intaglio-relief press with a 5 x 10 foot bed. AWT screenprint press (72 x 98 inch bedsize).
Letterpress and Book Art Lab
The UT Letterpress Studio, with an SP-15 Vandercook (15 x 17 inch bed) and Challenge Press (20 x 30 inch bed) and a large inventory of type, is a joint project of the Graphic Design and Printmaking programs at UT. The studio provides tutorials in letterpress printing to both graduate and undergraduate students at the university, and since 2016 has made it possible for students in Studio Art, Graphic Design, Architecture, Creative Writing and other disciplines to work on books and broadsides created through letterpress. Additionally, the facility has been used as a resource and teaching tool for a variety of classes at the university.
The Printmaking and Graphic Design programs include a letterpress studio for creative research, collaborative projects and instruction. The studio is located in Rm. 335A of the Art + Architecture Building.
The Letterpress facility is open to UT students, faculty, and staff by appointment.
Fall 2023 Open Hours
Monday 1:30pm-6:30pm
Wednesday 1:30pm-9pm
Friday 10:30am-4:30pm
In order to reserve a time to use the facility go to:
https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/UTKLetterpressShop@live.utk.edu/bookings/
Printmaking Digital Resource Lab
Seven iMac Computers with 21.5 inch monitors, Epson 11 x 17 inch flatbed color scanner, Epson Stylus Pro 9890 Inkjet Printer, Epson Stylus Pro 7600 Inkjet Printer dedicated to film printing, Xante 12 x 19 inch Platemaker 5 with a Filmstar system, HP Laserjet 5200 Printer. The lab is equipped with a full range of licensed software. The Art and Architecture Building has wireless internet.
Photo-Printmaking Areas
A stand-alone darkroom film and plate processing with an Omega color-head enlarger with 50mm and 80mm lenses. Amerigraph flip-top plate maker (33 x 42 inch exposure area), a NuArc line table and additional light table, a vacuum frame (20 x 24 inch) with a point light source (for film reversals). Graphtec CE 6000-120 Vinyl Cutter.
