Maybe you’d like to include words in a Gelli® print? Watch this video and see how to do it!
Words can add meaningful visual interest to your prints. Especially on art journal pages!
But here’s the tricky part… words and letters written or stamped in paint on a Gelli® plate will print in reverse!
So, unless you’re proficient at mirror-image writing — OR, you’re willing to stick with X’s and O’s … and a few other letters with vertical bilateral symmetry 😉 — you’ll probably find the following step by step ideas helpful!
Below are two easy techniques for making your gel-printed words reader-friendly! These are subtractive methods — meaning paint will be removed to create the letters.
Technique #1 — Just follow these easy steps!
Step 1
Write a word (or words) on a piece of tracing paper with a Sharpie or other marker. You want BOLD writing!
TIP: You can also add some guidelines for your print composition! They’re especially helpful when you print multiple layers.
Step 2
Flip the tracing paper over — so the writing appears backwards. Tape your tracing paper in place to your work surface.
Step 3
Place your Gelli® plate on a clear protective substrate — such as Mylar, acetate, Plexiglass, DURA-LAR, glass, etc. (I’m using DURA-LAR for this demo)
TIP: Roll a clean brayer over the plate to squeeze out air bubbles.
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| Gelli® Plate on piece of DURA-LAR |
Step 4
Place the clear substrate on top of the tracing paper and position your Gelli® plate over the writing. Tape in place.
TIP: If you want your writing skewed to one side of the print, remember to place your Gelli® plate over the writing on the OPPOSITE side from where you want the writing to appear on the print. This compensates for the left/right reversal in the printing process!
Step 5
Apply a thin layer of paint onto the gel plate with a brayer. Avoid opaque paints, as you want to be able to see your lettering under the plate 🙂
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| Golden Open Acrylics Used in this Demo
Step 6 Trace over the lines using a cotton swab. It can help if the swab is slightly dampened with a drop of water first. **The writing in the paint will be backwards (mirror-image). Step 7 Use various texture tools in the wet paint to add another level of interest to your print. Step 8 Cover the painted plate with your paper. Rub gently to transfer the paint … then remove paper to pull your print.
TIP: This technique will work best with fairly transparent and slow drying paint … to allow time for tracing. Golden Open Acrylics are ideal for this! Or add Golden Open Medium or Acrylic Glaze to your regular acrylic paint to increase its working time while adding transparency.
Step 9 – Fun and Final Step! Add a second gel- printed layer using transparent pigments — to create wonderful mixed colors on your print!
Technique #2 – Three Easy Stepsfor Including Words in your Gelli® print!Use cut out letters! Ideally, with some dimension. This can include hand-cut letters, die-cuts, craft foam letters, and chipboard letters. Self-adhesive alphabets are available at art and craft stores — and they’re great for this technique! Step 1 Arrange the letters and adhere them to the substrate of your choice — to create a lettered printing plate. Adhering letters to craft foam gives you a flexible and reusable stamp for gel printing your favorite words! Tip: Do not reverse the letters. Your placement should be right-reading.
Step 2 Press the lettered plate into the painted Gelli® plate — and remove. The letters will remove paint and leave a mirror-image impression on the Gelli® plate. Step 3 Cover the painted Gelli® plate with paper, rub — and pull your print. So easy!
Have fun putting words in your Gelli® prints! And now… our GOLDEN GELLI® GIVEAWAY! Our Giveaway Prize Kit will get you started putting words in your Gelli® prints! Our GOLDEN GELLI® Giveaway Includes:
The three 8 oz. jars of Golden Open Acrylics included in this prize are:
To enter to win, just leave a comment here on the blog — or on our Facebook page! Share this blog post on your Facebook page, blog, Pinterest or Twitter … and we will enter your name twice! Just let us know 🙂 One lucky winner will be chosen by random selection on Tuesday, July 23rd!! We will announce the winner here and on the Gelli Arts® Facebook page! Special thanks to our friends at Golden Artist Colors for supplying the generous 8 oz. jars of Open Acrylics for this Giveaway! Our winner is getting a GIANT haul of premium paint!!! 🙂 Talk about LUCKY!!! Good Luck and Happy Printing! |
I would really like to try the Golden paint.
oh wow! What a great tutorial! I'm going to give this a try tomorrow!
I pinned this to one of my art boards
http://pinterest.com/knittergal1/inspiration-for-art-and-journaling/
WOW!! Thanks for the tutorial. Would love to win this great package!
klpich@aol.com
Thanks for yet another great Gelli idea! What an awesome giveaway.
Love how it looks. Thanks for the chance Johanne L.
Enjoyed the video. This is a great idea for personalized cards and gifts. Now that I am getting a little experience using my gelli plate I need to switch from the craft paints to my golden paints. The colors are much more true and intense.
I've just shared on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php.
Johanne Lacombe
Love the idea of adding words to Gelli prints. I see more cards and canvases in my future! And Golden products are my favorites.
Thanks for an awesome video adding words! I have shared it on FB, Pinterest, Twitter! Thanks for a chance to win!
I would love to win will also pin on pinterest as well as added comment to face book ty ty Smilz
Awesome giveaway!!!! I love my gelli plate and Golden products!
I tweeted. Thanks for the chance at this awesome giveaway!
This is right up my dyslexic, mirror writing alley. Thanks for the helpful video; I can't wait to try it. Love the Golden acrylics, but have yet to try the Open product line. It looks like a great giveaway; thanks!
I just shared this post on Facebook. thanks for signing me up twice.
Text in art can be so powerful, and can pull the viewer right into the piece, especially if, visually, the text is subtle, and/or the viewer has to work at determining the message. I'm crazy excited to try gelli printing, and Quin Nickel Azo is my favorite go-to color, particularly as a glaze to pull a color scheme together.
My Gelli Plate hasn't rested since I got it a week ago. I will definitely pin this.
I can't wait to try these techniques soon. I love your videos to give me ideas on how to use my plate. Thank you for the opportunity!
Your videos are my "go to" place for gelli printing? Tried the words tonight, and it worked wonderfully? I would love, love, love to win the drawing! Thanks for the chance.
Great tutorial, thank you! I have shared this post on Facebook, thanks for the chance to win this fab giveaway!
fab video.. fab chance to win!
Another must try technique. Thank you for sharing. Those colors are delicious.
Loooooove your tutorial as usual! Thank you so much for sharing all the tips. Looking forward to the next one already! All the best to you!
Great video…can't wait to try it latter today!
Carol Myrick taylormadewhimsies@att.net
Love everything Gelli and love Golden too
Would love to win pots big enough to bathe in!
Love the video tutorial, fabulous technique. Would love to win too ! Sue C x
Brilliant post – I lurve Golden products….
Amazing, love the tutorial. Would love to win-fingers crossed!!
What a clear post ! This gelli is simply gorgeous. I woild love to win… may be.
Wow, have just discovered your site, looks so interesting! Would love to win to start me off!!
Fantastic ideas and a great giveaway.
oh love the idea of monoprinting words. Thanks for the tutorials!
grace
tweeted https://twitter.com/liberalsprinkle/status/358187203526008832
grace
WOW! Great tutorial. Would love to try Golden paints on the Gelli plate. Thank you for the chance
Thanks for the tutorial video and the chance to win.
…and I have shared it on my facebook page.
I love the idea of using the transparent nature of the Gelli plate to use for tracing!
I so needed to be reminded: put the image UNDER the plate. What a liberation. thanks.
I shared it on Facebook and Twitter
I love this. I cannot wait to try it. Thank you for a chance to win such an amazing prize!!!!
Love the tutorial and the ideas. Gelli Plate and Golden together is a match made in heaven!
You are just full of great ideas! Love using my Gelli plate! Normajean seasew@yahoo.com
ohhhh please pick me! I LOVE all the different ideas that everyone shares about using the Gelli Plate. And I would have figured out how to do words eventually but you have short-cut that – thank you so much!
Just shared on FB too!
Such fun! Thanks for the chance to win.
This is the best Gelli tutorial! I'd love to spoil my Sister with a Gelli for the Holidays, she can't keep her paws off mine. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
ci sono anch'io 🙂
Pinned, FB shared, Had to let my friends know how much fun my Gelli is.
OH MY! Thought the COLOR was supposed to be a stencil – very impressed with the see thru concept! I can use that in many ways. Shared video on my pinterest Gelli board and also shared the facebook post with my friends there. Great stuff!
I would love to win, I love my gelli and the tutorial was great. I will post on FB and pinterest. Thanks…
Iwould love to win this. It will give me the opportunity o incorporate more of my love for writing in my rtwork
This is wonderful! Thanks! Shared on Facebook. 🙂
Love my gelli plate and love this video. Thanks for the chance to win.