Printmaking and Bookbinding

The Morley College Waterloo Printmaking, Bookbinding and Calligraphy Department is renowned across London for its technical excellence and inspirational teaching. We offer a wide range of courses in our three well-equipped studios, suitable for all skill levels. Beginners can start with our Printmaking Beginners or Book Arts Taster courses for example, while advanced students can work on personal projects, prepare for exhibitions, build portfolios, and apply to prestigious institutions like the Royal College of Art and Camberwell School of Art.

Joining a course at Morley means access to excellent facilities, specialist equipment, and a community of like-minded artists. You’ll have opportunities to participate in exciting projects and showcase your work in exhibitions. The friendships and professional connections made here often last for years.

We are committed to excellent teaching and learning and expanding our students’ knowledge. The department hosts regular talks and demonstrations where students and staff share their work. A recent project saw more than 60 students from across the department respond to a Climate Change brief and exhibit their work at St John’s Church Waterloo, plus in the Lahore Biennale in October.

Printmaking

The department offers a variety of printmaking courses, from traditional techniques like intaglio, lithography, and relief printing to modern photo and digital processes such as photo etching and photopolymer. We emphasize sustainable practices and safe working methods, and will help you become more independent in your work.

Our tutors are experienced artists who regularly exhibit their work and explore new techniques, enriching their teaching. As active members of London’s printmaking scene, they provide valuable guidance to students at any stage of their careers.

Bookbinding

Tutors in the bookbinding department have experience in museum and library conservation and commercial bookbinding. Classes cover repair, conservation, traditional book structures, and creative bookbinding classes for artists, photographers, designers. Students include artists wanting to make their own books and those looking to repair heirlooms.

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Printmaking and bookbinding facilities

Our studios are designed for students to explore where traditional and digital techniques come together. Our equipment includes:

• Rochat Etching Press: Bed size 130 x 81cm
• Star wheel Etching Press Greig: Bed Size 108 x 38cm
• Bendini Intaglio Press- used for Collagraph and larger Relief Printing: Bed size 142 x 70cm
• Offset Litho Press: 69 x 48cm
• Direct Stone Litho Press: Bed size 80 x 60cm, with stones available in a large variety of sizes up to 52 x 42cm
• Adana (typesetting press): 3” x 5”
• Albion Relief Printing Press: Bed size 71 x 56cm, printing area 61 x 46cm
• Small Albion Printing Press: Bed size 53 x 38cm, printing area 45x 30cm
• Large hotplate
• A3 scanner and printer
• 2 x Apple Mac Desktop Computers with up to date Adobe software
• Photo exposure unit: 76 x 65cm
• Laser cutter: Bed size 55 x 27cm

Printmaker in Residence: Hannah Machover

Our Printmaker-in-Residence programme is a short 8-week residency for an MA Printmaking student from Camberwell UAL as part of an ongoing collaboration with the university. This residency supports an MA student during their study leave period, in which they can continue their work, acquire new skills and learn from our team of fantastic tutors and students. The collaboration provides a great link between our students and the Camberwell MA programme, offering an opportunity to learn about progression routes and elevating the conversation about contemporary printmaking in the department. In return, the printmaker will give a talk at the end of the residency, and donate one of each print to the department archive.

Our current Printmaker-in-Residence is Hannah Machover. She is exploring the work of Edward Bawden, and working closely with our librarian Elaine Andrews on her research.

Exhibitions

If you study Printmaking at Morley there are opportunities to exhibit work in the college’s exhibition spaces including the Barry Till Gallery, the Cardew Space and in Morley Gallery.

Tutor profile

Carol Wilhide Justin is a printmaker specialising in Japanese Woodcut. She learned the technique with Japanese senseis on a residency at the famous MI-Lab in Fujikawaguchiko.

On her return, she gained a place on the MA Print programme at the prestigious Royal College of Art. This gave her a chance to explore her understanding of the medium and make her own experiments with graduated cutting and viscosity printing.