Well engineered portable presses from Italy with solid steel rollers and 3mm thick metal bed. Lifting up the top roller is for relief printing only, you will not be able to print anything but thinner intaglio plates on this press, optimally up to 1mm metal with a decent bevel on or thinner 0.8mm plates like our econimy zinc or transparent printing plates. The Fome presses work well for line etching, drypoint, monoprint and relief.It must be stressed that these small press will not print with the same pressure as a larger heavier studio press. If you have designed your prints with your plates, inks, paper using a large heavy press, you will not necessarily be able to reproduce them on these small presses. Putting too much pressure on the presses can damage them.Please Note: The manufacturer recommends attaching this press to a table so you can get enough leverage for proper printing function.SpecificationsWeight: 8.5 Kg Length: 25 cm Width: 31.5 cm Height: 17 cm Width of roller: 25.5 cm Diam. lower roller: 3.5 cm Diam. upper roller: 3.5 cm Metal plate: 26.8 x 42 x 0.3 cmMaximum board or lino thickness: 1.7cmFOME 3mm Felt Mats available here, which you will need to print your plates successfully.Read our series of blog posts about setting up and using the Fome School Etching Press.Other Fome Presses available here.

Economical zinc plate for etching, unpolished, and unbacked. The plate is 0.8mm thick which makes it good for use with small tabletop presses. The zinc has a fine milled finish, ready to polish and degrease for use with traditional resists and grounds.

Great for use with B.I.G. etching grounds or with acrylic grounds. These etching plates are also suitable for non-etched intaglio techniques such as drypoint and engraving.

The back of the plate will require the application of an acid-resistant stop out.

For printmakers interested in non-toxic printmaking, Caligo are pleased to offer a new and innovative range of oil-based inks that can be washed away with liquid soap and water, without the need for harmful and often more expensive solvents. They call these inks ‘safe wash’ and they are available for both relief and intaglio printing.Caligo Safe Wash Etching inks are suitable for all types of intaglio printing, for example, etching, aquatint, line engraving etc.This range does not contain any driers. If you want faster drying rates, you can add a small amount of cobalt or manganese driers.

For printmakers interested in non-toxic printmaking, Caligo are pleased to offer a new and innovative range of oil-based inks that can be washed away with liquid soap and water, without the need for harmful and often more expensive solvents. They call these inks ‘safe wash’ and they are available for both relief and intaglio printing.Caligo Safe Wash Etching inks are suitable for all types of intaglio printing, for example, etching, aquatint, line engraving etc.This range does not contain any driers. If you want faster drying rates, you can add a small amount of cobalt or manganese driers.

For printmakers interested in non-toxic printmaking, Caligo are pleased to offer a new and innovative range of oil-based inks that can be washed away with liquid soap and water, without the need for harmful and often more expensive solvents. They call these inks ‘safe wash’ and they are available for both relief and intaglio printing.Caligo Safe Wash Etching inks are suitable for all types of intaglio printing, for example, etching, aquatint, line engraving etc.This range does not contain any driers. If you want faster drying rates, you can add a small amount of cobalt or manganese driers.

For printmakers interested in non-toxic printmaking, Caligo are pleased to offer a new and innovative range of oil-based inks that can be washed away with liquid soap and water, without the need for harmful and often more expensive solvents. They call these inks ‘safe wash’ and they are available for both relief and intaglio printing.Caligo Safe Wash Etching inks are suitable for all types of intaglio printing, for example, etching, aquatint, line engraving etc.This range does not contain any driers. If you want faster drying rates, you can add a small amount of cobalt or manganese driers.

For printmakers interested in non-toxic printmaking, Caligo are pleased to offer a new and innovative range of oil-based inks that can be washed away with liquid soap and water, without the need for harmful and often more expensive solvents. They call these inks ‘safe wash’ and they are available for both relief and intaglio printing.Caligo Safe Wash Etching inks are suitable for all types of intaglio printing, for example, etching, aquatint, line engraving etc.This range does not contain any driers. If you want faster drying rates, you can add a small amount of cobalt or manganese driers.

For printmakers interested in non-toxic printmaking, Caligo are pleased to offer a new and innovative range of oil-based inks that can be washed away with liquid soap and water, without the need for harmful and often more expensive solvents. They call these inks ‘safe wash’ and they are available for both relief and intaglio printing.Caligo Safe Wash Etching inks are suitable for all types of intaglio printing, for example, etching, aquatint, line engraving etc.This range does not contain any driers. If you want faster drying rates, you can add a small amount of cobalt or manganese driers.

For printmakers interested in non-toxic printmaking, Caligo are pleased to offer a new and innovative range of oil-based inks that can be washed away with liquid soap and water, without the need for harmful and often more expensive solvents. They call these inks ‘safe wash’ and they are available for both relief and intaglio printing.Caligo Safe Wash Etching inks are suitable for all types of intaglio printing, for example, etching, aquatint, line engraving etc.This range does not contain any driers. If you want faster drying rates, you can add a small amount of cobalt or manganese driers.

For printmakers interested in non-toxic printmaking, Caligo are pleased to offer a new and innovative range of oil-based inks that can be washed away with liquid soap and water, without the need for harmful and often more expensive solvents. They call these inks ‘safe wash’ and they are available for both relief and intaglio printing.Caligo Safe Wash Etching inks are suitable for all types of intaglio printing, for example, etching, aquatint, line engraving etc.This range does not contain any driers. If you want faster drying rates, you can add a small amount of cobalt or manganese driers.

A biodegradable Vegetable Cleaning Agent for plates, rollers and tools. Protective gloves should during use. Soap and water can be used to finish to cleaning process. This product cannot be used as a dilutant for paints and inks.

This tool is used to prepare metal plates for mezzotints. By repeatedly working the tool over the surface of the plate in a rocking motion, the printmaker can create a smooth carpet of burrs, which will hold ink and show up as a dark area when the plate is printed. This rough surface can then be smoothed with a scraper or burnisher, which will lighten the print in those areas.EC Lyons rockers are known world wide as the finest mezzotint rockers available. Lyons rockers have handles of stained birch and a tool surface of high carbon tool steel. The density of teeth for a rocker is measured in LPI or 'tooth count', a measure of the number of lines per inch on the cutting face of the tool. This is a fine gauge rocker with a 1.5 inch blade and a tooth count of 65.Please take care when using this tool near the edge of your plates, as unless you have bevelled the edge of the plate it is possible that the tool may slip off or be damaged by the sharp edge.

This tool is used to prepare metal plates for mezzotints. By repeatedly working the tool over the surface of the plate in a rocking motion, the printmaker can create a smooth carpet of burrs, which will hold ink and show up as a dark area when the plate is printed. This rough surface can then be smoothed with a scraper or burnisher, which will lighten the print in those areas.EC Lyons rockers are known world wide as the finest mezzotint rockers available. Lyons rockers have handles of stained birch and a tool surface of high carbon tool steel. The density of teeth for a rocker is measured in LPI or 'tooth count', a measure of the number of lines per inch on the cutting face of the tool. This is a fine gauge rocker with a 1.5 inch blade and a tooth count of 100.Please take care when using this tool near the edge of your plates, as unless you have bevelled the edge of the plate it is possible that the tool may slip off or be damaged by the sharp edge.

Lozenge Gravers are used by wood engravers and copper engravers. The face of the tool is lozenge-shaped and will cut a line deeper than it is wide.

This tool was made from high carbon tool steel in the United States by E.C. Lyons. It is supplied factory-sharp, but it has not been honed to a fine edge.

Please note, engraving tools are known by different names in the U.K. and the United States. Lozenge Gravers are known as 'Lozenge Burins' in the U.S.A.

Square Gravers are used by wood engravers and copper engravers. The face of the tool is square-shaped and will cut a line as deep as it is wide. This is a fine Square Graver (#1).Copper engravers use Square Gravers to create incisions on the surface of metal plates, which will hold ink during the printing process. The lines thus show up as black in the final print.

This tool was made from high carbon tool steel in the United States by E.C. Lyons. It is supplied factory-sharp, but it has not been honed to a fine edge.

Please note, engraving tools are known by different names in the U.K. and the United States. Square Gravers are known as 'Square Burins' in the U.S.A.

This double-ended scribe can be used in etching or drypoint processes. It has a cork handle for comfort during use.If this tool is used to add detail or tone directly to the metal plate (a technique known as 'drypoint'), it will inscribe a line with a slight burr, which will print a blurred, indistinct line. This effect can be controlled by manipulating the angle at which the point meets the plate.This tool is made of high-carbon steel, and is designed to be resharpened periodically.

Wood engravers use Round Scorpers to create incisions on the surface of woodblocks. As woodblocks are inked with a roller, these incisions do not receive ink, and therefore show up white in the final print.This is a medium Round Scorper (#56), used to draw very thick, bold lines. Because the tip of a Scorper is flat, rather than pointed (as Spitstickers and Gravers are), scorpers of larger sizes are used to clear large areas of woodblocks (often round the edge of the design, or at the corners of a block) so that they will not print.Above a certain point, Round Scorpers have strait sides, which means that they will cut a line of a constant width if fully engaged in the wood. However, because the tip of the tool is shaped like a capital U, lines cut with it will have rounded ends.Scorpers are also useful when lightening areas of a print by stippling: repeatedly pecking at the woodblock with the tip of the tool, so that the surface bears a carpet of tiny incisions. Because of the U-shaped tip of this tool, it is perfect for creating large round dots.This tool was made from high carbon tool steel in the United States by E.C. Lyons. It is supplied factory-sharp, but it has not been honed to a fine edge. Please note, engraving tools are known by different names in the U.K. and the United States. Round Scorpers are known as 'Round Gravers' in the U.S.A.

Wood engravers use Round Scorpers to create incisions on the surface of woodblocks. As woodblocks are inked with a roller, these incisions do not receive ink, and therefore show up white in the final print.This is a medium-fine Round Scorper (#53), used to draw thick, bold lines. Above a certain point, Round Scorpers have strait sides, which means that they will cut a line of a constant width if fully engaged in the wood. However, because the tip of the tool is shaped like a capital U, lines cut with it will have rounded ends.Scorpers are also useful when lightening areas of a print by stippling: repeatedly pecking at the woodblock with the tip of the tool, so that the surface bears a carpet of tiny incisions. Because of the U-shaped tip of this tool, it is perfect for creating round dots.This tool was made from high carbon tool steel in the United States by E.C. Lyons. It is supplied factory-sharp, but it has not been honed to a fine edge. Please note, engraving tools are known by different names in the U.K. and the United States. Round Scorpers are known as 'Round Gravers' in the U.S.A.

Wood engravers use Square Scorpers to create incisions on the surface of woodblocks. As woodblocks are inked with a roller, these incisions do not receive ink, and therefore show up white in the final print. Because the tip of a Scorper is flat, rather than pointed (as Spitstickers and Gravers are), scorpers of larger sizes are used to clear large areas of woodblocks (often round the edge of the design, or at the corners of a block) so that they will not print.This is a medium-fine Square Scorper (#39). It has strait sides, which means that it will cut a line of a constant width. Because the tip of the cutting face is completely flat, lines cut with this tool will begin and end abruptly, with a square edge. They will not swell or taper, like lines made with a spitsticker or a graver might; nor will they be rounded at the ends, like cuts made with a Round Scorper.Scorpers are often used to lighten areas of a print by stippling: repeatedly pecking at the woodblock with the tip of the tool, so that the surface bears a carpet of tiny incisions. This tool will create large, angular, squarish dots; for rounded dots, you will need a Round Scorper.This tool was made from high carbon tool steel in the United States by E.C. Lyons. It is supplied factory-sharp, but it has not been honed to a fine edge. Please note, engraving tools are known by different names in the U.K. and the United States. Square Scorpers are known as 'Flat Gravers' in the U.S.A.

Wood engravers use Square Scorpers to create incisions on the surface of woodblocks. As woodblocks are inked with a roller, these incisions do not receive ink, and therefore show up white in the final print.This is a fine Square Scorper (#36). It has strait sides, which means that it will cut a line of a constant width. Because the tip of the cutting face is completely flat, lines cut with this tool will begin and end abruptly, with a square edge. They will not swell or taper, like lines made with a spitsticker or a graver might; nor will they be rounded at the ends, like cuts made with a Round Scorper.Scorpers are often used to lighten areas of a print by stippling: repeatedly pecking at the woodblock with the tip of the tool, so that the surface bears a carpet of tiny incisions. This tool will create angular, squarish dots; for rounded dots, you will need a Round Scorper.This tool was made from high carbon tool steel in the United States by E.C. Lyons. It is supplied factory-sharp, but it has not been honed to a fine edge. Please note, engraving tools are known by different names in the U.K. and the United States. Square Scorpers are known as 'Flat Gravers' in the U.S.A.

Wood engravers use Tint Tools to create incisions on the surface of woodblocks. As woodblocks are inked with a roller, these recessed incisions do not receive ink. They therefore show up white in the final print.This is a medium Tint Tool (#5), designed for cutting straight lines of a constant width. The trade engravers of the Nineteenth century referred to a series of parallel lines as a 'tint'. They used tints to depict colour and form; by varying the width and spacing of the lines that made up their tints, they were able to attain a sophisticated range of mid-tones, between the white of the paper and the black of the ink.This tool is not designed to cut curves; use a Graver or (preferably) a Spitsticker for that. The shank of the tool may be damaged if you force it to make corners.This tool was made from high carbon tool steel in the United States by E.C. Lyons. It is supplied factory-sharp, but it has not been honed to a fine edge. Please note, engraving tools are known by different names in the UK and the United States. Tint Tools are known as 'Angle Tints' or 'Angle Tint Tools' in the US.

Wood engravers use Tint Tools to create incisions on the surface of woodblocks. As woodblocks are inked with a roller, these recessed incisions do not receive ink. They therefore show up white in the final print.This is a medium-fine Tint Tool (#3), designed for cutting straight lines of a constant width. The trade engravers of the Nineteenth century referred to a series of parallel lines as a 'tint'. They used tints to depict colour and form; by varying the width and spacing of the lines that made up their tints, they were able to attain a sophisticated range of mid-tones, between the white of the paper and the black of the ink.This tool is not designed to cut curves; use a Graver or (preferably) a Spitsticker for that. The shank of the tool may be damaged if you force it to make corners.This tool was made from high carbon tool steel in the United States by E.C. Lyons. It is supplied factory-sharp, but it has not been honed to a fine edge. Please note, engraving tools are known by different names in the UK and the United States. Tint Tools are known as 'Angle Tints' or 'Angle Tint Tools' in the US.

Wood engravers use Tint Tools to create incisions on the surface of woodblocks. As woodblocks are inked with a roller, these recessed incisions do not receive ink. They therefore show up white in the final print.This is a fine Tint Tool (#1), designed for cutting straight lines of a constant width. The trade engravers of the Nineteenth century referred to a series of parallel lines as a 'tint'. They used tints to depict colour and form; by varying the width and spacing of the lines that made up their tints, they were able to attain a sophisticated range of mid-tones, between the white of the paper and the black of the ink.This tool is not designed to cut curves; use a Graver or (preferably) a Spitsticker for that. The shank of the tool may be damaged if you force it to make corners.This tool was made from high carbon tool steel in the United States by E.C. Lyons. It is supplied factory-sharp, but it has not been honed to a fine edge. Please note, engraving tools are known by different names in the UK and the United States. Tint Tools are known as 'Angle Tints' or 'Angle Tint Tools' in the USA.

Square Gravers are used by wood engravers and copper engravers. The face of the tool is square-shaped and will cut a line as deep as it is wide. This is a fine Square Graver (#1).Copper engravers use Square Gravers to create incisions on the surface of metal plates, which will hold ink during the printing process. The lines thus show up as black in the final print.

This tool was made from high carbon tool steel in the United States by E.C. Lyons. It is supplied factory-sharp, but it has not been honed to a fine edge.

Please note, engraving tools are known by different names in the U.K. and the United States. Square Gravers are known as 'Square Burins' in the U.S.A.

Cranfield Traditional Etching Inks are handcrafted, highly pigmented and include a vast range of colours giving the printmaker a wide choice whether they want to mix their own colours or not. Cranfield Traditional Etching Ink can be used for engraving, etching, drypoint, mezzotint and aquatint printmaking techniques.