Image Making 1: Photopolymer Crash Course

Image Making 1: Photopolymer Crash CourseCourse Code: 26MLP303I This two day, in person workshop takes place in at CBA Saturday, July 25th and Sunday, July 26th, from 11AM 5PM ET. Saturday July 25th, from 11AM to 5PM ET Sunday July 26th, from 11AM to 5PM ET Please Note: Registration for this workshop closes on Saturday, July 11th at 11: 59 pm. About the Workshop: This in person class at Center for Book Arts is taught by instructor Elizabeth Castaldo. The letterpress has so many more

Course Code: 26MLP303I

This two day, in person workshop takes place in at CBA Saturday, July 25th and Sunday, July 26th, from 11AM - 5PM ET.

• Saturday July 25th, from 11AM to 5PM ET

• Sunday July 26th, from 11AM to 5PM ET
  

Please Note: Registration for this workshop closes on Saturday, July 11th at 11:59 pm.

About the Workshop:

This in person class at Center for Book Arts is taught by instructor Elizabeth Castaldo.

The letterpress has so many more capabilities than its classic wood and metal type uses. Photopolymer plates are a new school material that brings versatility, convenience, and a wealth of design options to the old school world of letterpress.

In this workshop, students will learn how to prepare plates from hand-drawn illustrations and/or digital images. Then students will learn how to make plates using CBA’s exposure unit. Finally, the class will set up the press and print! This workshop is designed for individuals with some letterpress experience.

Fun Fact: In the 1980’s printers discovered that light sensitive photopolymer could replace movable type, meaning they were no longer limited to the amount or kind of type they had in their shop.

Required Materials:

• X-Acto Blade
• Pencil & Eraser
• Clothing you don’t mind getting dirty & close-toed shoes

Optional Materials:

• Access to Photoshop or Illustrator

• Image you want to work with

• Opaque black drawing materials

• Materials to experiment with for making transparencies

About the Instructor

Elizabeth Castaldo is a New York based artist working in printmaking, collage, drawing and painting. She creates visually abundant works on paper and artist’s books reflecting on pattern as abundance, and the body as a site of action, as well as its inclusion in larger webs of connection. In 2025 she was an artist in residence at the Institute for Electronic Arts at Alfred University and a 2024 art-in-ed workspace resident at Women’s Studio Workshop. Additionally she has completed residencies at Proyecto ‘Ace in Buenos Aires Argentina, Arquetopia in Oaxaca Mexico, the Center for Book Arts in NYC and Printmakers Open Forum in Oxford PA. In 2025 her solo exhibition – born of Chaos, was presented at the Croton Free Library.  She teaches printmaking and book arts at the Center for Book Art and Parsons School of Design. Castaldo received her MFA from SCAD Atlanta and her BFA from the School of Visual Arts. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in many private and institutional collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Public Library, SCAD, The University of Alberta, Carnegie Mellon University, Yale University.

All images courtesy of the instructor unless otherwise noted.