Eeeek! Only a few precious weeks before STAPLE! Austin! In case you missed it, I made a new Staplegator this year, complete with a video showing how I make prints using a fax machine. In the meanwhile, my bone folder and fingers are wearing down with all the extra zine folding I’m doing. ðŸ˜
Hooray! I’ve been hiding out like a lil’ underground gnome, doing maker stuff. But fear not! I’ve got a nice Spring lineup of events coming, one of which is STAPLE! The Independent Media Expo in Austin! Ask my fellow makers, I’ve been folding zines in preparation like a madman. But I took a break to draw a STAPLEGATOR and do a tiny print run! Check out my first video of the year, wherein I go over how I did a quick ‘n’ cute faux-mimeograph print in two colors.
Do you like outdated printing methods for fun and profit? I have more videos on my YouTube channel and more zines on my shop.
I should mention that the Mimeogator print will be available for purchase at STAPLE! Austin this April!
Oh boy more zines! I will be in Denton this weekend for Denton Zine & Art Party 2024! Sunday, September 29th from 2-6PM I will be at the Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios in Denton with zines, stickers, faerie eggs, and a lil’ bit of pottery. See you there!
I spent a few weeks working with a gelatin-based printing platen! Join me as I explore using this device steeped in zine history, ramble about defunct technologies, and in general have…fun!
Jellyzine talks about how to make your own homemade version of a jellygraph/hectograph/gelatin press. It’s part of zine history! This version is an imperfect reproduction done on a jellygraph. Darkness of the ink will vary!
8 in stock
Jellyzine talks about how to make your own homemade version of a jellygraph/hectograph/gelatin press. It’s part of zine history! This version is an inkjet printout.
13 in stock
Jellyzine talks about how to make your own homemade version of a jellygraph/hectograph/gelatin press. It’s part of zine history! You’re welcome to print out and distribute this zine without modification.
10 in stock
The Boy Mechanic – 700 Things for Boys to Do by Popular Mechanics – 1913. See page 326.
While these are obviously maker projects anybody can do, this book is filled with projects from the benign hectograph recipe I feature, to dangerous wiring projects guaranteed to burn grandma’s house down. Use common sense and remember some of the chemicals featured are dangerous.
Not in the recipe I put in my zine, tho. They’re all pretty inert; you’re more likely to make a sticky mess or stain things. Note that on page 240, there is a clay-based hectograph, which I have not tried.
Wikipedia Article on Hectographs – Wikipedia is typically a great springboard to start off into a topic. The citations have a link to a Scientific American Cyclopedia with several hectograph recipes. (Hint, it’s on page 262, since the text is not searchable at the time of writing.)
Our Own Devices: Short: Hektograph – A well done short on the history of the hectograph; only 7 minutes!
Iowa University’s Library – A very nice blog post on making and using a hectograph. Chock full of photos and explanations of the demo.
Cheap Copies! – A MOST EXCELLENT book by Rich Dana on the hectographs, mimeographs, and spirit duplicators. Absolutely embodies the spirit of being a maker and zinester. Chock full of sources.
Copying Pencils – Related and of-interest. Pencils made largely with methyl violet for duplicating and non-erasure of documents (pre-ballpoint pen!). I would love to experiment with these, but they appear to be expensive and hard to find.
I won’t provide direct links to products here, but rather specific names and types. Some things you will have to hunt for the best source for you in your area.
Gelatin – You want powdered gelatin, it’s typically found in the grocery store near the Jell-O, boxed pudding, and baking supplies. Store brand gelatin is just fine, no need for fancy Knox brand.
Glycerin – This is a liquid. You can also usually find it in the grocery store, near skin care products. Pharmacists will know where it is if you can’t find it. Fun facts, glycerin can also be used as a sweetener and helps skin to retain moisture when applied topically. Note! You can make a jellygraph without glycerin. However, it may be wetter and have a poorer constitution with pure gelatin. Experiment.
Transfer sheets – The most popular brand are known as “Spirit Transfer Sheets” as they also are used by tattoo artists for transferring art to skin in order to tattoo. There are many no-name brands of transfer sheets with people stating varying degrees of success and experience with their quality. These are essentially sheets with a very thin layer of methyl violet-based dye on them, and work like carbon transfer sheets. They work with both hand-drawn pressure, and with thermal printers.
Inks – For folks who don’t want to use transfer sheets. You can get powdered methyl violet in small quantities from science companies who provide for schools and home enthusiasts. In the Popular Mechanics article listed above, there’s a recipe that calls for using methyl violet. I have experimented with gentian violet, obtained from my local pharmacy. It has much of the staining quality, but isn’t especially dark as compared to the transfer sheets. In my exploring, I found that some tattoo supply companies carry “hektograph ink” which, supposedly is the same formulation as was used in days of yore. I have not purchased any at the time of this writing, so cannot comment as to its efficacy.
Thermal Printer – Honestly, while I’ve not had any issues with my postage-label-sized thermal printer, or other receipt-sized printers I own, letter-sized thermal printers seem to be rife with mixed reviews and issues. My advice? Hunt down a thermal fax machine. It takes time, but you can rescue one from the landfill AND get a thermal bed that works great for various maker projects. It took a while, but I tracked down a Brother Intellifax 775 for $10, and only had to drive 10 minutes from my house. They’re out there, be patient.
I’ve been quiet online, mostly because I’ve been playing with the latest tool in my toolbox, a fax machine! No, I’m not passing along chain letters and bad jokes, but rather using the thermal printer component of the machine for creating stencils from Risograph masters. This year I already tried purchasing a cheap thermal printer, and subsequently discovered it is utterly inadequate for my needs; it was chucked back to the Amazon Overlords the same day. After a few months of daily checking for fax machines in my area, I managed to snag one for $10. Granted, it’s not as compact and store-able as the portable thermal printers, but thus far it has spit out a perfect stencil every time. It doesn’t rely on battery/USB-C power nor do I have to finesse inconsistent Chinese printing software to get it to do my bidding.
I’m almost finished with an upcoming video about experimenting with hectographs, of all things. Hopefully it’ll be done soon!
I’ve made lots of “Maker Merit Badges” for my local makerspace in the past. In making them, it was my intention to release them into the wild, free for anyone to use. Today they are officially available for makin’ stuff!
They’re all in .svg format, so you can vinyl cut, 3D print, laser cut, CNC, embroider, etc. your own maker badge to show off your maker creds. 😎
Visit the repository here on Github; my friend Tommy and I welcome new badge contributions. Share and share alike!
Yooooooooooooo! I’ll see YOU at Staple! Independent Media Expo on Saturday and Sunday April 13-14 in Austin, Texas! Staple! is at the Mabee Ballroom at St. Edward’s University; I’ll be at table #38. For more info and tix visit https://staple-austin.org
Why, in the world of the FUTURE should you bother making zines? I address why, in this handy video!
Are you interested in your OWN zine that talks about why you should bother making zines? You can either purchase your own copy OR download a FREE PDF to print and read/distribute without modification.
WHY should you bother making zines? Check out this cute lil’ zine for some reasons why! (You can also print out this zine for free and make your own zine to distribute, if you like!)
11 in stock
WHY should you bother making zines? Check out this cute lil’ zine for some reasons why! You are welcome to print out and distribute this zine freely, though please do not sell or modify it. If you wish to purchase a finished version, check that out in my shop as well!
The end is coming! Of the year that is har har har. I’m restocking some of my tiny zines for Saturday the 16th, the Misfits Market in Arlington. It honestly blows me away how people have responded to my tiny zine spells and poetry this year! It’s humbling and delightful at the same time, that coming back to paper arts after so long has been positive.
Last order of business before ArtsGoggle: packing Faerie Eggs for my little gatchapon machine!
I’ll see you tomorrow, October 21st on Magnolia Avenue in Fort Worth!
Holiday5 products 
The Hive Oracle11 products 
Magick Potion Bottles8 products 
Shrooms28 products 
Faerie Houses9 products 
Divination5 products 
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Plates2 products 
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Stickers19 products 
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