Workshop facilities
Graphic Studio Dublin is housed in a 650-square-metre, four-storey building (formerly a granary).
Ground floor (approx 150sq m workshop area)
At ground floor level we have the following etching facilities and storage space.
Acid room
This includes a spit bite area, the acid cabinets, and plate cleaning area. The largest acid tray fits a maximum plate size of 1800mm x 950mm.
Aquatint Room
The aquatint box fits a maximum plate size of 1000mm x 700mm.
Main floor area
This includes work tables, a stop-out area, two guillotines (up to 1200mm width cut), copper storage, maintenance work area, and litho stone storage. We also have a screen wash sink and a sugar lift sink.
Graining sink
The litho stone graining sink will be moved to the ground floor in early 2018.
First floor
At first floor level we have the main administrative office, print room, digital print area, kitchen and toilet facilities.
Print room
The print room is a multi function space that houses our Vistitng artist’s and other project print editions in seven plan chests and can be used as a small gallery space. It currently also houses our extensive print archive. This space is also used a meeting room, a lecture and education room, and for other activities such as life drawing.
Computer area
This area gives members access to computer, printer and internet facilities.
Kitchen / library
The kitchen is where members have their meals and relax. Here we also have a library, which includes mainly print related books, technical and reference books etc (approximately 500 in all).
2nd Floor (approx 150sq m workshop area)
On the second floor we have the Lithography and screen print areas and two etching presses including our largest.
Lithography
We have currently got two lithography presses, a Brand which can accommodate stones of up to 600mm x 1000mm in size, and a Tacach press that can accommodate our largest stones of 1400mm x 1900mm in size. Our graining sink is 1360mm x 1050mm.
Photo
Our plate exposure unit is also on this floor and can fit litho and photo intaglio plates up to 110cm x 90cm.
Etching presses
The largest etching press bed is 2400mm x 1150mm. This press can also be used to print large relief prints and litho plates. We have also a Rochat etching press with 920mm x 460mm bed size.
Screen print
Our screen print facility will be upgraded in early 2018. We have one screen bed and are about to purchase another, both to accommodate 110cm x 80cm size screens. The exposure unit will take screens up to about 140cm x 120cm.
We will be making a new screen wash room and darkroom shortly.
3rd Floor (approx 150sq m workshop area)
On the third floor we have our relief printing area, most of our etching presses and a print flattener.
Intaglio
There are four etching presses on the 3rd floor, bed sizes are; 1900mm x 790mm, 1500mm x 660mm, 1700mm x 790mm, and 920mm x 460mm. Of a total of 7 intaglio presses, all but the two smallest can also be used to print from lithographic plates, woodblocks, and lino.
In our relief printing area we have a Columbian press, bed size 860mm x 660mm, and an offset press, bed size, 960mm x 60mm.
The print flattening unit will take 67 prints 1050mm x 890mm in size, or many more of a smaller size.
Each member has a storage compartment for materials and one plan chest drawer on either of the top two floors. We also have toilet facilities on both these floors.