Ready to stop hiding your best photos behind screens and pixels? It is time to bring your digital work into the physical world and turn your images into finished, gallery-ready prints. In this hands-on workshop, we skip the dry theory and guide you step-by-step through the complete printmaking workflow.
You will learn file prep, soft proofing, and custom colour profiling, while testing premium stocks like textured cotton rag and heavy baryta. Bridge the gap between screen and paper in one night, and walk away with finished work you are proud to display and share.
Course Rundown
Class 1: First Press (4 Hours)
Tired of sitting through hours of computer theory before actually making anything? On night one, we skip the long lectures and jump straight into file prep, press operation, and making a large-format print right out of the gate.
You will walk out of your very first session holding a finished, physical print in your hands.
Class 2: True Colour (4 Hours)
Ever wonder why what you see on your monitor rarely matches what comes off the printer? In this session, you put your Class 1 print under daylight-balanced lighting
right next to your screen to see where things shifted, then learn how soft proofing and paper profiles fix those gaps.
You will test out different fine art papers, from cotton rag to heavy baryta, so you can stop guessing and take total control over your final colours.
Class 3: Surface & Texture (4 Hours)
Ready to move past basic testing and print your best work yet? Working across our dedicated print stations, you will run test strips, dial in output sharpening, and lock in shadow detail on premium archival stock.
Spend the session in full production mode, making exhibition-ready master prints with direct support every step of the way.
Class 4: The Final Touch (4 Hours)
How do you turn a raw print into a gallery-ready piece? You will learn practical finishing skills like precision trimming, hand-deckling edges, and numbering limited runs.
To wrap things up, you will trade work with your cohort in the UAC Print. Exchange and head home with a boxed portfolio containing signed prints from everyone in the class.
By The End Of This Course, You Will:
- Understand the complete workflow from digital file to gallery-ready print.
- Know how to prepare and optimize image files for professional printing.
- Use soft proofing and colour profiles to achieve more accurate, predictable results.
- Understand how paper choice affects colour, contrast, detail, and texture.
- Gain hands-on experience with premium cotton rag and baryta papers.
- Learn to create test strips, refine sharpening, and preserve shadow detail.
- Confidently operate professional printing equipment.
- Finish your prints using precision trimming, signing, and edition numbering.
- Leave with your own finished fine-art prints
- Gain a repeatable process you can use for future exhibitions, portfolios, gifts, and print sales.
Format: The Weekly Series
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Laptop & Charger: Bring your personal laptop with your preferred editing software (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.) installed for file prep and soft proofing.
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Image Files: Have 3 to 5 high-resolution files (RAW, TIFF, or high-res JPEG) pre-loaded on your machine or a USB drive.
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All Materials Provided: Fine art paper stocks (cotton rag, baryta, etc.), printing ink, finishing tools, and portfolio boxes are fully included.
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Format & Capacity: Four weekly sessions capped at 12 participants to ensure plenty of individual press time each week.
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Minimum Capacity: 6 students enrolled to run the course.
Course Details
Dates: To be announced
Format: 4 weekly sessions · 16 hours
Location: Urban Art Collective Art Hub, 50 Bayswater Avenue, Ottawa
Instructor: Trevor Pearson
Level: Introductory
Maximum Capacity: 12 students
Minimum Enrolment: 6 students required
