How to Monoprint with a Laser-Printed Pattern Alexandra Nikolakopoulou

Monoprinting Technique 

Using computer design programs, such as Illustrator and Photoshop, I create high-contrast black-and-white patterns. I then have them printed with a black-and-white laser printer in an A3 format (1). This size is big enough for most of my pieces. Caution: Prints made using inkjet printers will not work with this technique. Keep in mind that the pattern will be transferred in reverse. Tip: This is important for letters, as they need to be printed backward. 

Brush the white areas of the prints with colored terra sigillata (recipes above). The black areas with toner will resist the terra sigillata, making coloring extremely easy (2). Let the colored papers dry flat and avoid bending them or moving them too much at this stage, as the dried terra sigillata tends to flake off the paper. 

Next, apply slip (recipe above) on the clay slab using a soft brush (3). The slip should have the consistency of a rather runny custard. This will be the background of the transferred pattern. Brush one layer of slip, let it become leather hard (dry to a satin sheen), then brush a second layer. As soon as the second layer is leather hard, spray the back of the laser print with water through a misting spray bottle to rehydrate it until it is evenly slightly damp and lay it face down on the slab with a decisive move to avoid wrinkles or large air pockets. Once the print has touched the slab it cannot be moved or readjusted. 

Roll over the paper with a pony roller without applying too much pressure (4). Then, use the soft rib to burnish until the print looks evenly saturated with water from the slip and a trace of the pattern can be seen. Pull up a corner of the paper to check how the pattern is adhering. If terra sigillata remains on the paper, lay it back down and continue pressing with the roller and the rib. You might need to add a little bit of water by dabbing the paper with a well-squeezed sponge. Adding too much water when you rehydrate the print can cause the slip to detach from the slab creating blisters on your surface. Finally, peel the print from the clay slab (5). 

Using large-sized prints means that when I finish coloring them, the parts I colored first are already dry while the last are still wet. To have them at an even state, let them dry completely and then rehydrate them. The idea is for both the slip and the print to be at a leather-hard stage when they are joined. 

Alexandra Nikolakopoulou is a studio potter of Greek origin, living and working in Hoorn, The Netherlands. She makes functional and decorative handbuilt pottery, teaches workshops, and designs drape pottery molds for bART pottery forms. To see more of her work, visit www.daydreamceramics.art and follow her on Instagram @daydream_ceramics.