About Us

We are Dorset Printmakers, a community printmaking workshop.  We opened our studio doors in July 2026 for the first time and have been running workshops in printmaking, bookbinding, drawing, and paper marbling ever since. Whether you have no artistic experience at all or are a fully fledged artist looking for a press to use in our Open Access sessions, there is something for everyone here at Dorset Printmakers - our studio is a space where everyone is welcome, regardless of background or experience. So come along, take part, get to know us, and experience various workshops.

We look forward to meeting you!

What happens here:

  • Open Access sessions

  • Lino Printing

  • Monotype

  • Paper Marbling

  • Bookbinding

  • Drawing workshops

Two men standing outside a green storefront, smiling and laughing at each other. One man has curly hair and is wearing a blue jacket, and the other man has straight hair, is wearing a white cap, a light blue shirt, and a red scarf. The storefront has large glass windows decorated with artwork and arts and crafts items like stuffed animals, paintings, and paper cutouts of birds.

Albion Press

Our first press is nearly 200 years old! We are proud to be the next caretakers of this beautiful, historic piece of equipment. This Albion is a handpress, used originally for letterpress (i.e. books and newspapers) but we will be using it for relief printing such as lino and woodblock. Come along and give it a go!

An antique letterpress printing press with black and gold accents, featuring ornate legs, positioned next to a wooden table in a room with unfinished walls and ceiling.

Gunning Press

Our second press is brand new but also steeped in history. The Gunning etching press is designed and manufactured in Ironbridge, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, by Master Printmaker Jenny Mason-Gunning and her husband. This press will be used for both relief and intaglio printing (etching).

For more info on this press click here.

A rollers and press machine on a black workbench with a wire mesh surface, with a large metal wheel and black frame.
A rollers and press machine on a black workbench with a wire mesh surface, with a large metal wheel and black frame.