Imprint Lab and Digital Print Bureau
The Imprint Lab is the only 2D printing and mark-making workshop in the South West to offer modern processes such as screen printing alongside traditional printmaking processes, in addition to typesetting and bookmaking in one facility. It is also the only open-access facility with an automatic proofing press, with only four of this particular press in the UK.
The Imprint Lab offers a broad range of printmaking techniques, including etching, collagraph, lino, letterpress, mono print, engraving, intaglio, lithograph up to A0, and bookbinding. You have access to multiple presses, including a large Rochart Aquatint press, a Hunter Penrose printing machine, an A2 Columbian press and two large Star presses.
We also work in ongoing collaboration with our Digital Fabrication Lab, utilising their equipment for the digital cutting and milling of printable blocks and plates.
The Digital Print Bureau offers professional and quick print services to all staff and students, including wide-format or solvent printing, photo printing, vinyl cutting and finishing. All the services offered by the Digital Print Bureau are competitively priced, and in some instances free to use as long as you have undertaken an induction for the equipment.
Our range of industry-standard printers include a 42-inch sublimation printer, a Mimaki fabric printer, and a solvent printer, and we can print and process a range of media, such as acetate, wallpaper, PVC banners, silk and cotton. With wide format printers that allow you to create prints up to 42 inches wide, the only size limitation is the roll length (25 metres to 30 metres).
The Digital Print Bureau is staffed by a team of knowledgeable and experienced technicians with backgrounds in creative and photographic practice. They can help you to achieve highly professional results across all kinds of printing, print finishing, and mounting.
Additional services include sublimation printing for digital transfers, a Dry Lab photo printer for instant photo prints, Risograph printing, xerox facilities, and a digital plotter to cut vinyl stickers. A suite of professional print finishing equipment also allows you to scan, bind and laminate, and there is a large, fully equipped area for trimming and cutting prints.
You can find the Digital Print Bureau in our Charles Cross building, on the first floor next to the Textiles studio (directly above our Fab Lab).
Services and facilities offered by the Digital Print Bureau include:
- 2 x Dry Lab Epson D700 for instant printing up to 12x8”
- 2 x Epson SureColor SC-P9000 wide format printers (up to 42 inch width) with 10 ink high quality printing for photographic & graphic work across 9 paper types.
- 1 Sublimation printer (up to 42 inch width) for creating prints that can be heat transferred onto synthetic fabrics.
- 1 printer for wide format acetate/tracing paper prints (up to 42 inch width) for creating prints that can be transferred onto screens for screenprinting.
- 1 Solvent printer for printing onto Adhesive vinyls and banners.
- 1 Mimaki printer for printing directly onto silk, cottons and other fabrics.
- Direct to board printing (up to A2)
- Vacuum mounting & laminating - Up to A0
- Pressure mounting & laminating - Up to A0
- Paper shop
- Xerox
- Risograph
- Binding
- Vinyl Plotter
- Large cutting area
- Round the clock support
- Large format scanner for artwork reproduction, scanning fabrics etc.
