East London Printmakers started with a group of printmaking artists exhibiting together and hoping to eventually create an affordable print studio in East London. For a short period, an interim studio was set up in a sublet half-room at Bow Arts. When Space Studios were opening a new building near London Fields, it was negotiated that in return for Space paying for a few basic pieces of equipment, ELP would rent a studio and provide Printmaking facilities for the wider community. There were about ten in the group at that time, and through working hard collectively, building work benches, sourcing equipment, they established a functioning studio which was available for Open Access in 2003. These were facilities that the individual artists could not afford on their own but could manage to acquire communally.

The group grew to between 15 and 20 people and expanded into a second room. Studio maintenance was carried out collectively, so everyone had to know how to look after the studio. Administration was carried out voluntarily. The cost of the equipment initially bought by Space was repaid gradually through proceeds from studio bookings, and as the group expanded Wednesday courses began with the aim of educating local artists and designers about printmaking techniques.

By 2010 a one-day-a-week technician was hired and in 2012 a paid administrator became a necessity. The studio grew further, to about 35 keyholders, and a third room was taken on as a clean space. Despite this growth, the cooperative ethos of the studio meant fees for keyholders could be kept as low as possible.

However, in 2016 a massive increase in rent at Space Studios, meant that to keep the studio affordable, new premises needed to be found. Fortuitously for ELP, three rooms became available in ACME’s Mile End location, our current site. It was a mammoth task to relocate such an established print studio – but thanks to everyone’s efforts, dismantling, packing, transporting, and rebuilding were completed in 14 weeks.

Today we have around 47 keyholders, a part-time studio coordinator, a part-time technician, and a part time marketing coordinator. The shared cooperative ethos that was the foundation stone of ELP is now its bedrock. The active participation of all keyholders working voluntarily and contributing as much as they can, keeps the studio running smoothly and enables many events and activities to take place. Crucially it keeps costs as low as possible, ensuring maximum accessibility for all levels of creative activity.

Ever since it was founded in 1998, ELP had operated for many years as a co-operative or ‘unincorporated association’, which was run by a committee of its members. But in 2018, for various reasons including concerns about the committee members’ potential liability, the decision was taken to incorporate, i.e. become a company. Like many other not-for-profit organisations, we chose to become a company limited by guarantee. The guarantors are the company’s members, who had previously been known as ‘keyholders’. ELP’s non-keyholder members became ELP Associates. ELP also applied successfully for classification as a Community Interest Company (C.I.C.). C.I.C. status, which is in some ways similar to charitable status, is for intended for organisations that are run, like ELP, on a not-for-profit basis and whose primary purpose is to meet social objectives. As a C.I.C., any surplus income has to be re-invested in the business of running ELP and money from sales of assets (e.g. presses) can only be used to fulfil the objectives set out in ELP’s Articles of Association (the official rules governing how the company is run. Professional education and training form an important part of ELP’s activities, and surpluses generated by such activities are invested in maintaining and updating the relevant facilities.

We welcome everyone to use the studio. If you are starting out on your printmaking journey, or refreshing old skills, you can book into a course in your chosen process. If you have completed a course with East London Printmakers or are similarly qualified, and wish to develop and consolidate your skills, then booking some Community Access sessions is the next stage.

Scroll down for further details about our Community Access sessions.

The printmaking studio has equipment for water-based screen-printing, etching/intaglio, relief printing, fabric printing and photo-etching. For a more detailed list of what we supply and sell, please refer to our shop list.

The printmaking studio has equipment for water-based screen-printing, etching/intaglio, relief printing, fabric printing and photo-etching. For a more detailed list of what we supply and sell, please refer to our shop list.

Screenprinting

• Large exposure unit for photo-silkscreens (130 × 180cm)
• Six vacuum tables (max print size 110 x 80cm)
• Various sized squeegees and coating troughs
• Various sized screens (for hire – max size 125 × 85cm)
• Back-lit wash-out unit for screens
• Drying racks

Fabric Printing

• PVC topped fabric table 3.6m × 1m print width (123cm table top) with registration bar & 7 repeat stops.  Three 49T screens 130 x 105cm with registration fittings available to hire.
• Largest usable area 88 x 100cm
• Gum Arabic is supplied
• Users must provide their own backing cloth

Etching

• Rochat Etching Press – bed size 81 x 137cm
• French American Tool Press – bed size 102 x 187cm
• Henderson Press – bed size 76 x 153cm
• Tofko Press – bed size 100 x 180cm
• Ferric chloride for etching copper
• Edinburgh Ferric for etching copper
• Copper Sulphate for etching Zinc
• Rosin aquatint box
• Hotplate
• Exposure unit for photogravure/photo-etching (60 × 70cm)
• Guillotine for cutting metal plate (max width 77cm)
• Large and small rollers
• Spatulas and ink knives

Relief

• Rochat Albion Press – platen size 40 x 55cm Maximum Paper Size 56cm wide
• Columbian Press – platen size 40 x 55cm Maximum Paper Size 56cm wide
• Book Press – 25 x 30cm
• Large and small rollers
• Spatulas and ink knives

General

• Electric Guillotine – max cutting width 65cm
• Lightbox (100 × 150cm)
• Cutting mats and rulers
• Goggles, masks, gloves and ear protectors