With a forty year history of printmaking on site, the Bluecoat has reopened its Print Studio to the public. The Studio is clean, safe, light and airy, and current working practice is geared towards new developments in ‘safe’ printmaking.

Equipment and materials on site include:

One large etching press (Hughes and Kimber, bed 66 x 135cm)

One small table top press (bed 28 x 55cm)

A hot plate and oil based intaglio proofing ink

A range of mordants, grounds and strippers

Acrylic aquatint spray booth (you need your own spray gun)

Home-built UV exposure unit for plates and screens of up to A3

Recent additions to the equipment in the Print Studio include a sheet metal guillotine (foot treadle operated) for cutting your plates and a small nipping or pinch press for relief printmaking.

Sessions are timetabled daily from 10.00am – 1.30pm and 2.00 – 5.30pm and 6.00 – 9.30pm (no evening session on Mondays or Sundays) with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.  

The cost of a session is £25. To book a session or sessions please visit Tickets and Information at the Bluecoat in person or call 0151 702 5324. You will be asked for payment when you book. 

Hire the studio on your own to print an edition, or work in a group of up to 6 to swap ideas and techniques.

The only restrictions are that you must be over 18 years old, you will need to have received a free Health and Safety Induction. You will also need to have some relevant printmaking experience due to the fact that the hire sessions are not staffed.  

To book a Health and Safety Induction ring the Print Studio Manager directly by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or calling 07708 024 528. The Induction is free and lasts approximately 40 mins.

Printmakers in Residence

Neil Morris, Reader in Contemporary Printmaking at Liverpool John Moore’s University is in residence during April and May. His large-scale works mix printed, painted and drawn elements, and he will respond to the Global Studio exhibition, showing the results 26 May – 3 June. At the end of May Wuon-Gean Ho, who spends her time between London and Kyoto and whose sensual and exquisite mask series is in Global Studio, will join Neil. 

 Printmaking Residencies Open Studio

Friday 28 May 2.00-5.00pm

Meet residency artists Neil Morris and Wuon-Gean Ho as they talk about their work.  

Print Partner at the Bluecoat 

Are you a local artist with an idea for a print based research project or body of work? Then you might want to consider becoming a Print Partner at the Bluecoat. As a Print Partner you will receive advice and support on your project proposal, help with your fundraising and the offer of time in the Studio as income in kind, on condition that you are able to raise some funding towards your project. Sounds interesting? Call the Print Studio Manager on 07708 024 528 for a chat.