PrintInktober 2023 Is Coming!

You guys, October will be here before you know it!

What is #PrintInktober?

I have been hosting this annual print-every-day challenge in October since 2018!

This daily challenge is FREE and open to everyone anywhere in the world.  Here are the basics:

• Create and post one print each day in October.
• Use the hashtag #printinktober when you post.
• Any stamp/block can be used – foam, silicone, rubber, hand carved, lino, whatever you want!
• Any ink can be used – screenprinting ink, marker ink, stamping ink, printing ink, etc.
• Have fun and don’t worry if you miss a day (or more). The point of the challenge is to get those stamps out of storage and into use!!
• I have definitely incorporated screenprinting and monoprinting into past #PrintInktober adventures, so feel free to play with any kind of printmaking!
• You do not have to carve stamps to participate. This is a different challenge from #CarveDecember.
• There are no prompts for this challenge this year.  If you like to work from prompts, consider using the #Inktober prompts found HERE.

Tips for Success

Gather Your Supplies

When working on a daily project, I find it easiest if I have all the supplies I need right at hand so I can sit down and get to work.  One of the beautiful things about printmaking is that it's such a flexible art form.  Whether you're working with hand carved stamps or commercial stamps you've purchased over the years, putting together a kit for yourself can be really helpful.  The "kit" allows you to spend your creative time making things rather than searching for the tools and supplies you need.

​Here's what you'll likely find in my printing kit:

• Archival Ink
• VersaFine Clair Stamp Pads
• Speedball Block Printing Ink
• Palette Paper
• Brayer
• Baren
• Clamshell Press
• MISTI Stamp Platform
• Copy Paper
• Masking Paper
• Paper to Print On
• Fabric to Print On​
• Drying Rack
• Stamps of all kinds!

Plan for Success

I like to make a plan.  But I also like to remember that it's okay to deviate from the plan.  The plan should be helpful, and not feel like it's strangling or constricting you.  Flexibility is key.  Some things I like to think about before I begin:

• Set a goal for yourself.  What would you like to accomplish by participating in #PrintInktober?  Learn a new skill?  Use a new stamp every day?  Find new ways to use the same stamp every day?  It will be easier to create when you have a goal in mind.
• Keep it small and simple.  The amount of time you need to commit to the project is directly related to how large/complicated your prints are.  Smaller and simpler prints -- tags or small pieces of paper -- will make for a quicker process.
• Know what you'll do with your finished prints.  Are they samples to be glued into your sketchbook?  Are they finished art to be sold?  Will they be used to make greeting cards?  Thinking about the end game can help you to determine the size of your prints and even the style. 

Finally...

• You do NOT have to create and post every single day to participate.  Even if you just get in 1 or 2 days of the challenge, you are most welcome!
• There is a self-paced online PrintInktober class, which contains five lessons:
  • Printing Patterns
  • Printing on Fabric (yardage as well as t-shirts and other pre-made items)
  • Multi-color Prints
  • Mixed Media Printing
  • Ideas for Your Prints on Paper
• I really hope you'll join us for all of the fun of this daily printmaking challenge and make it your own!

Let me know if you have #PrintInktober questions!