Gel Plate Printing: When and Why I Use a Placement Tool

Recently I shared two reels showing how I use VersaFine Clair ink pads with my gel plate (you can read those posts HERE and HERE). One of the comments really made me stop and think:

"Why didn't you use the Gelli Arts Placement Tool?"

It was such a good question because I'd shown how to use the tool before, but I'd never really explained why I reach for it - or, just as importantly, why I sometimes don't.

What made me stop and think even more was who had asked. Brian Newbiggin is an accomplished gel print creative whose work I really admire, so when someone with his understanding of gel printing asks “Why didn't you use the Placement Tool?”, I thought it was worth answering properly.

Why use a placement tool?

The thing I like most about using the Placement Tool is that it gives me a little more control without taking away the creative part.

When I'm building up layers on a gel plate, I don't necessarily know exactly how the finished print is going to look. I might have an idea of where I'm heading, but each layer changes what came before it. Being able to put the paper back in exactly the same position means I can concentrate on what I'm adding rather than worrying about whether everything will line up.

And that's really the reason I use it. It's not about making every print perfect. It's about taking one particular variable out of the equation so I can experiment with everything else.

You might notice that I always position the Placement Tool in the top-left corner of my gel plate. That's simply because I'm right-handed and that position works comfortably for me. The Placement Tool can be positioned in any corner of the gel plate, so there's no right or wrong place to use it - it's about finding what works best for you.

The first reel ...

I quickly realised that I may use the Placement Tool differently depending on the products I'm working with. Rather than trying to cram everything into one post and reel, I've decided to split the ideas into two blog posts and two reels.

In this, my first reel I go right back to basics, showing how I build a layered print while using the Placement Tool throughout the process.

• Apply the first layer of paint and add texture.
• Position the Placement Tool and pull the print.
• Add another layer with a different texture.
• Repeat using exactly the same placement.
• Finish with a more selective application of paint.

Why I changed the final layer?

For the final layer, I deliberately didn't cover the whole gel plate with paint. Instead, I added colour only where I wanted extra detail.

I wanted to show that the Gelli Arts Placement Tool isn't just useful when you're covering the entire plate. It works just as well when you're adding small areas of colour or pattern, helping you place those details exactly where you want them.

Sometimes that's enough to completely change - or even rescue - a print that isn't quite working. 

A little bit of hindsight: Looking back at this print, I think it would have worked even better if I'd repeated the final process using black or grey paint with the same texture stamp. I probably won't go back and change it now - sometimes you just have to accept that a print has finished where it has - but this is where the layering nature of gel printing comes into its own.

One of the things I love about gel printing is that you can keep adding layers, and sometimes it's only when you see the finished print that you realise it needs something more. Because I used the Placement Tool, I could, if I wanted to, go back over the print in exactly the same position, add another layer and still keep the borders I've already created.

That's another reason I like having the Placement Tool available. It gives me the freedom to experiment because I know I can return to the same position if I need to.

This question reminded me ...

... that the original question was a good reminder to me that demonstrating a technique isn't always the same as explaining the thinking behind it. If someone is watching a reel, they can see me reach for a tool, but they don't necessarily know what made me decide to use it.

So yes, I absolutely use the Placement Tool - but I don't use it every time. Sometimes I want the control and consistency it gives me. Other times, I want the print to be a little less predictable.

And perhaps that's the bigger point: the tool isn't the technique. It's simply one of the things I can choose when it suits what I'm trying to achieve.

I'll be sharing the second reel shortly, where I'll show another way I use the Placement Tool and why I chose to use it for that particular print.

Until next time, take care,

Lou
xxx