Printing WORDS With Gelli Arts®!

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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. 

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 🙂

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 Steps 

for 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:  

            • Quinacridone Magenta
            • Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold
            • Manganese Blue Hue

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!

500 thoughts on “Printing WORDS With Gelli Arts®!”

  4. Robbie

    I love seeing what all you can do using the Gelli plate!!!! Fantastic…I did leave a post on your FB page and I"m going to now share on my page!!

    Reply
  6. Unknown

    Thanks for a great tutorial….loved how you marked your areas and how you were very specific about how you paced your paint….great give away too!

    Reply
  7. EFKaplan

    I favorited the video. I love the guidelines and tissue paper techniques too. And the prize is EXCELLENT!

    Reply
  9. Unknown

    Great information–will really help me save time figuring out how to add words in the correct orientation! All the tutorials have been so helpful. Thank you!

    Reply
  12. HeidiHey

    What a wonderful giveaway! I love this idea of adding words to the Gelli plate prints. You always share such great ideas – thank you :). – Heidi

    Reply
  17. sam21ski

    OMGosh what an absolutely fantastic prize give away

    Everything you need to get you started. Have seen lots of projects made with them but would love to have a plate of my own!!!

    Thank you so much for the opportunity.

    Sam xxx

    Reply
  19. Leona

    I just love Golden products. They are so hard to find in Australia. I've ordered online a few times but the postage costs more than the products! I would really love to win this prize. I've shared on Facebook and pinned on Pinterest. Thank you for making the video – the Internet has become the best resource for people like me who do not have physical access to new products and techniques.

    Reply
  20. trish quilty

    Thanks for the chance of wining. I would love it. Loved the tutorial on printing of words, thanks.

    Reply
  21. Kathleen

    You not only have great tutorials, but this giveaway is right up my alley! I would love a gelli plate and I was just now looking at those Golden Acrylics! I also pinned it – twice it seems because I forgot to go to the individual page for the post.

    Reply
  22. lyno

    Wow this looks like great fun to try. I repinned & shared on FB & twitter. I love the brilliant colors used!

    Reply
  23. Unknown

    Oooooo I would love to try the Golden Open paints! Thanks for the technique video! I shared on Facebook also. 🙂

    Reply
  24. Susan Goodell

    I can't wait to experiment with the gelli plate and open acrylics. I would love to win this set as my open acrylics stash is minimum right now.

    Reply
  26. Lisa V

    Great post on adding words. I also use my "old" foam stamp alphabets, placing them backwards on the gelli plate to get the right word. So much fun! Would love some more Golden paints, although I have not tried the OPEN acrylics yet!

    Reply
  29. Unknown

    I am going to my first demonstration of gelli printing tomorrow. Thank you for the opportunity to win this.

    Reply
  31. Joanne Hoffmann

    How fun is this??? I would love the gelli as I don't have one as yet but am totally intrigued and the ideas are floating around in my head@ Thanks for the chance to win….Will post on FB@

    Reply
  32. Linda Guerra

    The tutorial was great. I love including words in my art, and now I can do it using the fabulous Gelli plate. I shared this on my Facebook timeline, and I'll let all my Golden-paint-fans/artist friends know. Thank you!

    Reply
  35. Zoe

    Fantastic tutorial thank you for the inspiration and the amazing opportunity to win fab goodies will be posting on Facebook

    Reply
  40. Joe

    Thanks very much for the tutorial! I'm even more enthusiastic now about exploring the possibilities!

    Reply
  41. Unknown

    Awesome tutorial! I don't have a gelli plate (yet) and it would ROCK to win this so I could finally have one 🙂

    Reply
  43. Take care and STAY POSITIVE! Trena

    What a great tutorial! Thanks for sharing!! I bought the med size gelli plate recently, and have been "collecting" tools. :o) I'm sharing on my FB (Trena Lynn) and Pinterest – cool art techniques (The Brannon Factory). Thank you for the chance to win!!

    Take care and STAY POSITIVE!

    Reply
  44. KYCrafter

    Love the tutorial!! Thanks so much for sharing. Speaking of which … I'm off to share on my blog and FB page. And to comment on your FB page. Thanks again for the inspiration!

    Reply
  48. rednell

    Just recently discovered this whole gelli concept and desperate to get started with it. The possibilities seem endless. Keeping my fingers crossed I win.

    Reply

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