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 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! |
Love the idea of "tracing" – thanks for the fun tips!
Great tutorial and give-away! Love the Opens and would love to try this technique with Golden's new High Flow paints. I shared your page here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Copperblue-Studio/192499286988
Oh, I would love to win this, it sounds so intriguing and I have never worked with Gelli plates before!
A very creative technique! Thanks for showing/sharing!
Just ordered an 8×10 and a roller to get started. Crossing my fingers I win some more supplies!
This is great, thanks for the inspiring tutorials and I will play along! Miranda
I have never used a gelli plate, but would love to! It sounds so very fascinating, and it would be awesome to be able to give it a go. Would love to be entered in the draw.
Thank you!! I tweeted!! This would be AWESOME to win!!
I love Gelli Arts, thank you for your tutorials and contests!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this technique….I'd be thrilled to be chosen as a winner….I've be hoping t get. Gelli plate for a long time….
Will be happy to post your blog link to my Facebook wall right now!
Would absolutely love to win this!!
I have seen this in so many projects and I've been wanting to try it. What a great chance to actually win and get to play with the new processes. Definately will share! Thanks again!!
I love using words in my work – but haven't tried it with my new Gelli Plate! Looking forward to a new technique.
Thanks so much! Would love to win!
As ever, great video with helpful information. I wish every art product has as enthusiastic and talented a staff promoting it as Gelli does!
this would be seriously awesome to win! love gelli plates and the ideas are endless!
I am blown away by the possibilities of the gelli plate. I'm picking up 10 of them on Saturday to use for a community art project. I'd love to add another! And of course, I love Golden anything!
Very cool techniques, thanks for sharing and for the chance to win!
Nice simple tutorial – I would not have been able to visualize it. Thanks!
Very cool! I have been wondering the best way to use my word stamps! Thanks for that & for the chance to win some awesome Golden paints!
Super cool techniques and can't wait to try it after I share with my friends on FB and Pintrest. It would be great to win some super cool products as well…just saying!
Love the new larger size, golden products and this technique. Thank you.
Awesome tip, thank you!
I dont have a gelly…. but i would like to have one!!!!
I promise that I will share this with my sister! I just showed her my Gelli and she was hooked! Thanks! amandaberry1@msn.com
I can't believe all of the techniques since the Gelli came out. I need a week in a lovely place doing nothing but tutorials … Gelli Camp!
I am so thrilled with all the Gelli I have seen rockin' the web! Great products, and I can't wait to try them myself.
I would love a chance to experiment and create with a gelli plate!
Love my gelli plate and love the video tutorials you do!
I shared it on my fb page, too! http://www.facebook.com/contadinak
Boy I would love winning this amazing and wonderful giveaway although I do not win too many things…I can at least keep my fingers crossed, loved looking at the video for the great tips!
I see so many awesome things created with gelli plates. Someday, I will get one.
Oh woow, great techniques! Would love to try 🙂 Magda
Amazing…awesome video's…I LOVE my Gelli plate, would love to win this. Have never used Golden products and I have wanted to for so long. Thanks for such an awesome give-a-way.
Monica
Hoping that this time my comment works — sometimes my iPad & blogspot don't mix — and that you don't get three separate comments all at once LOL
I LOVE so many of her ideas — guidelines, embossed papers, masks, etc — and 2 of these colors are my FAVS.
So "pick me, pick me, pick me"
🙂
Wow! I'd totally love to win! can't wait to get me some gelli! Mo xxx
Can't wait to try some letters on my gelli plate.
Fantastic tutorial!
http://pinterest.com/btsdbypammiek/mixed-media/
pinned to my mixed media board….(and I did it fast before I got sucked into pinterest for the next hour)
I LOVE my Gelli Plate. Thank you for the awesome tutorials!!!
Love the look with the self-adhesive letters.
Thanks for the great tutorial! Would love to win!
I love my gelli. I'm not really into using words in my prints, but this has inspired me to give it a shot!
Cannot wait to add this technique to your wonderful tutorials on how to use the gelli plate. I never get bored! Thanks for all your ideas!!
Oh MY! You just keep coming up with fantastic ideas for the Gelli Plate! 😀 Thanks for the giveaway! 🙂 P.S. Posted to Pinterest and Twitter, too! 🙂
Hopefully not too late! *GAHH* 😀
Adding to fb as well! 🙂
Best regards from Eva Mari, Gelli lover in Norway
What a fun technique! Love this blog!
So fun! A friend recently introduced me to this technique and then I found you on FB. Cannot wait to give it a try!
Just shared this on Facebook, too!
AWESOME products and giveaway! thanks for the chance to win!!!
Thanks for the tutorial and the chance to win the great giveaway.
Sharing on Pintrest!