Courses
Well what a busy and hot season. We still have a few courses left; Marbling, Art of Lino, Pinhole Cameras and Screenprint with Natural Dyes, BUT THEY ARE ALL FULL UP! We have put on a Summer School with 7 courses over 2 weeks between 10th and 21st August. Places are booking up fast. See below for details...
Course listings
Self-Publishing with Risograph
Short Course
Discover the wonderful world of self-publishing and zines on this two-day workshop. Together we'll explore how artists, writers, and activists have used zines as a creative and accessible way to share ideas, before developing your own mini publication from concept to finished print.
Painterly Screenprint
Short Course
Join artist Emma Jackson as she takes you through the painterly approach to screenprinting. Paint directly on the screen with acrylic paint/inks, flood with medium and pull it through the screen for a vibrant print full of energy and subtleties of mark. You will be shown how to build up a unique print over multiple layers adding depth and an intensity of colour.
Large-Scale Collagraphs
Short Course
Join artist Clare Phelan as she shows you how to transform a simple sheet of mountcard into a collagraph plate, adding layers and effects and creating various marks through cutting fine lines, adding textured painterly marks to your plate, and applying varnishes. Working to large scale you will be shown different ways to ink and wipe your plates allowing for atmosphere, expressive tonal ranges and an exploration of colour and depth.
Folding Flag Books
Short Course
Learn how to create a flag book: a sculptural book structure that transforms as its pages are opened. Across two days, you'll be introduced to the examples of flag books, before learning the folding, cutting, and assembly techniques needed to construct your own. We'll explore how this unique format can be used to tell stories, display images, or create abstract compositions, with plenty of time to experiment with colour, pattern, and sequence.
Multi-coloured Reduction Lino
Short Course
Join guest tutor Kevin Holdaway as he guides you through multi-coloured lino, using the reduction lino method. Kevin will show you some of his amazing small and large-scale reduction lino prints and blocks. Reduction lino is a method of using just one piece of lino to print multiple colours, each cut leaves the last colour you laid down and prints over the remaining uncut lino surface. Accurate registration and good inking coverage is key.
Introduction To Print
Short Course
Come and get hooked on printmaking. Over 4 days you will be shown trace monoprint and painterly monoprint, drypoint, carborundum and collagraph printing. Each day will bring new processes, new techniques, and new ways of working. Ideal for complete beginners and novices to printmaking you will be shown how to ink and wipe plates, create multiple prints, experiment with mark-making, overprint multi-plates and work with colour building a mini-portfolio over just 4 days.
Introduction To Screenprinting
Short Course
Spend a weekend being shown how to screenprint. From mixing your water-based inks and printing using simple paper stencils you will go on to layer and build up colours. Mandy will show you how to coat and expose a photographic image onto screen, register and print your final ‘key’ colour bringing the image together. You will come away with a small edition of screenprints and can go on to print further designs and editions.
The Complete Printmaker 2027
Long Course
Bookings for 2027 will be open from August 2026 and we expect high demand. Please contact us - andy@hotbedpress.org to express an interest and we will let you know as soon as bookings for this course is open. Our very popular Year-long adventure in printmaking, The Complete Printmaker, has been running since 2013. It's so popular that we now run 3 first year courses, (2 second years and a full 3rd year course), so you can do the equivalent of a degree course in experience. In fact we think you get better value for money at Hot Bed Press with our amazing facilities, expert teaching and support and the extra access across the full year.
The Complete Letterpress 2027
Long Course
We are full in 2026 and will look to run another Compete Letterpress course in 2027. Details are not yet confirmed for 2027, but this year's course ran over 20 weeks, from 4th Feb to 22nd July giving students a full and comprehensive grounding in Letterpress Printing
The Complete Book Artist 2027
Long Course
Bookings will be open for Complete Book Arts 2027 from August. Please contact andy@hotbedpress.org if you would like to be added to the expressions of interest list and receive an invitation to book your place as soon as we open up bookings. Run over 30 weeks from early Feb 2026 to mid December with membership running until 31st January 2028 this course gives students a full and comprehensive grounding in Book Arts, with a sprinkling of printmaking to incorporate into your beautiful books and design your book forms around. The course usually takes place on Wednesday evenings between 6.00pm and 9.00pm. We hope to confirm dates with our expert tutors, George Gibson, Sylvia Waltering and the 3 guest tutors who ad da sprinkling of printmaking to the book arts teaching.
Enquire about a course
faq's
We are happy to answer any questions on the phone but here are some commonly asked questions and answers below.
Do I need to be experienced to come on a course?
No experience necessary! Some courses are specifically designed for beginners; such as Introduction to Screenprint, Print or Letterpress, Painterly Screen-printing or The Art of Etching. Other courses such as Mokuhanga, Screen-printing with Natural Dyes or Photopolymer Printing are more tailored to those with some previous experience. However, if in doubt phone us to discuss.
How do I book a place on a course?
The best way to book a place is to phone us on 0161 743 3111. Our courses book up so quickly that we can be answering the phone all day whilst e-mails may take more time to get through every enquiry and still need us to phone or e-mail you back. We are a friendly bunch and can answer any of your questions when you ring to book.
Do you take a deposit to reserve a place?
No sorry, we are a small team and don't have capacity to have multiple systems in place. We only confirm bookings on full receipt of payment
What materials do I need to bring?
Nothing! We provide all materials for courses. All we need you to bring is some inspiration and clothes you don't mind getting ink on. You will receive an introduction letter letting you know what to prepare, such as drawings, photos, photocopies, collected images, and what size you can expect to work to.
Is food provided?
If you are on a day or weekend course please bring your own food. In our small kitchen we have tea, coffee, milk, and sugar and an urn as well as a microwave. The Co-op and Sainsburys are both nearby and we have the luxury of a couple of cafes nearby now with fancy coffee.
Are you accessible?
We recognise that our current building has some limitations in terms of accessibility. We are actively working to secure funding to make improvements and adapt our facilities so that we can better meet the needs of all our members. In the meantime, we welcome open conversations about individual requirements and will do everything we can to provide support and reasonable adjustments. We want everyone to feel included and supported when visiting Hot Bed Press so if you have a disability, need or concern, physical or not, please don’t hesitate to reach out so we can support you to access our print studio.
Membership
Come And Join Us
We welcome new members all year round. Anyone can join. You need a little bit of experience; but that can be from doing one of our weekend or evening courses, after which you can carry on and practice what you've learnt on the course. We've got a few types of membership to suit your purse or your time. Just g to our Membership section for more details.
Send us a message!
Let us know what you are enquiring about.