Membership at Shoestring Press
Our community printshop is located at 640 Classon Ave. Artist members sign up to reserve equipment and press time from 8am-10pm, seven days a week.
Community Printshop Manager, Erich Erving, and artist member Jenny Liu discuss prints at the light table.
Photo courtesy A. Carter-Beaulé.
Our mission is to provide affordable shared printmaking work space for artists. We are accepting printmakers, painters and draftsmen as members. Among the things that make a membership at Shoestring different is that a single monthly rate includes all press time and the use of most materials and all equipment (such as all screens, ink, newsprint, tarlatan and other consumables.) Members don’t pay extra for screen rental, shop time, or to use a litho stone.
A monthly printmaking membership is $220, and includes most materials and access on a sign-up basis to seven days a week of shop open hours. With a six-month commitment, membership is discounted to $199 per month.
We are happy to introduce artist members to new printmaking techniques at Shoestring. To facilitate this, we offer a tutorial membership for $400 which includes all the above, plus a few one-on-one sessions with a staff member dedicated to your goals. If this is something you are interested in hearing more about, let us know when you come for a visit!
Email us to arrange a tour: info@shoestringpressny.com
Members Receive:
On a sign-up basis, a key card access to open studio work hours during seven days days a week of shop open hours (8am-10pm).
Shoestring staff are on-site from 10-6 on weekdays, except Wednesday.
A flat-file drawer at the shop, yours while you maintain a current membership.
Member discount rates on large-format digital printing, including low rates to print transparencies.
Access to a range of printmaking papers for purchase at competitive prices.
Use of all printing equipment and artist tools
Advance sign-up ensures equipment will be reserved for your use.
Staff coat and reclaim all screens on behalf of artist members. Members may store their exposed screens in the shop for future use
Most inks (acrylic and relief) are available for common use.
Members are responsible for their own paper and consumables such as copper plates and wood for block printing.
We have brushes, brayers, a wide range of pencils, charcoal, pens, watercolors, and paints, a Rototrim, a light table, several glass-tops, a clamshell heat press, a Woodzilla (tabletop relief press), and more!
Access to our collection non-circulating library of reference materials
Our Equipment:
Silkscreen
Screens of assorted mesh counts up to 36″ in size
Vacuum printing table for prints up to 26x40”
Octopus textile printing press, accommodating four screens for standard-sized t-shirts
UV exposure unit able to shoot screens up to 36x45” (we can also help with cyanotype and Van Dyke brown printing!)
Assorted water-based Speedball silkscreen inks, Green Galaxy textile inks
A 50% member discount on printing transparencies up to 24" wide in-house on our Epson P7000
Etching, lithography and relief printing
Grand Press motorized Intaglio/Lithography/Relief Conversion Press, 28″ wide
Charles Brand etching press, 30” wide
Limestone lithography stones of various sizes for member use
Vertical ferric acid bath for copperplate etching, accommodates up to 24" plates
Aquatint rosin box, accommodates up to 12x16” plates
Assorted Charbonnel and Gamblin oil-based inks for relief printing, etching and lithography
Home-built electroplating bath for copper plates
Power tools including Dremel, power chisel, jigsaw, and more. Members must be trained and approved by the master printer to use any power tools; please inquire for more info.
Assorted paper available for purchase by the sheet at affordable prices