Equipment +
Supplies

Zygote’s East 30th St. studio offers professional facilities where artists create work using several methods, including alternative processes (such as XANTE and plate lithography), intaglio, relief, letterpress, silkscreen, and photo-based processes. Our facilities also have free Wi-Fi and a Mac desktop computer station that all visitors are free to use.

Following is a list of what is available at the E. 30th St. location (as of November 2021). In 2015, Zygote converted the shop to all green printmaking techniques. Find out more about how we do things and the eco-friendly materials we use here.

Zygote is dedicated to maintaining a safe and healthy print shop for staff, users, and visitors. Read more about the Zygote Green Policy here. Zygote offers non-toxic cleaners such as Soysolv II, Estisol 242, oils, and vinegars.

 Intaglio + Relief

  • American French Tool Press Bed — 30”x 50”

  • American French Tool Press Bed — 36”x 60”

  • Charles Brand Etching Press Bed —24”x 48”

  • Rembrandt Graves Etching Press Bed — 17”x 36”

  • Hot plate for melting rosin

  • Metal plate shear — 40”

  • Files

  • Polishing tools

  • Schwede Rosin Box to accommodate an 18” x 24” plate

  • Acid and etching agents: Ferric Chloride (for Copper) and Copper Sulfate (for Zinc and Aluminum)

  • Asphaltum Ground green substitute (BIG ground)

  • Small oven for baking BIG ground

  • Green stop out

  • Backing materials

  • Stripper and Deoxidizer solutions

  • Rubber gloves

Lithographic Equipment

  • Griffin III Litho Press 40” x 71”

  • Plate Backer 25.5”x35.5”

  • Graining sink

  • Grit

  • Levigator 8”

  • Lithographic stones 

  • Leather and rubber rollers

  • Nitric Acid

  • Gum Arabic

Polymer Plate Equipment

  • Darkroom with an Amergraph V28-1200 SE Exposure Unit System

  • Aquatint screen

  • Darkroom sink

  • Microfiber towels

  • Dryer

  • Thermometer

Letterpress Equipment

  • Generous supply of wood and lead type

  • Assorted furniture and leading

  • An assortment of vintage dingbats, ornament, and cuts

  • Two Boxcar Bases: 13x19 and 4.5x7.5, and a pressure-printing base

  • Vandercook No. 3 Letterpress 14”x 18” 

  • Vandercook No. 4 Letterpress 14”x 18” 

  • Chandler and Price Letterpress 8” x 12”

  • Challenge guillotine paper cutter 26”

Digital Lab

  • HP 8.5”x 11” laser jet P2035 printer (black and white, for paper)

  • Aficio 11’’x17’’ SP 6330N printer (black and white, for paper)

  • Epson 13’’x19’’ SureColor p600 printer (for transparencies only)

  • 11”x 17” large-format EPSON scanner

  • iMac loaded with Adobe Creative Suite

  • RISO Rz390 ui Duplicator– Fluorescent Pink, Blue, Yellow, and Black drums

Silk Screen

  • A screen coating/drying room

  • Lawson Nova Exposure Unit 40x50"capacity

  • Backlit screen washout booth with power washer

  • Ulano TZ Emulsion

  • Green emulsion stripper

  • Various sizes of squeegees and scoop coaters

  • Clamp boards

  • Various sizes of screens

  • 1 color t-shirt press

Ink

  • Intaglio Inks — Graphic chemical oil-based inks and a variety of Modifiers (process colors only)

  • Letterpress Inks — Van Son Holland Fine Printing Rubber Base ink (various colors)

  • Litho Inks - Shop Black, Senefelder’s Crayon Black

General Tools +
Supplies

Zygote offers a variety of general supplies and tools for Artist Renters and Open Studio participants. These supplies and materials are included in Open Studio and rental fees. As a rule, artists producing large-scale production runs that exceed 25 prints need to purchase their own ink and general supplies.

 

Tools + Supplies Provided:

  • Rag system

  • Brayers

  • Self-healing cutting mats, rulers, and tear bar

  • Flattening/Drying system

  • Newsprint, miscellaneous brushes, paper cutters

  • 30″ x 40″ light table

  • three large drying racks, 2 small

  • ink knives

  • glass inking slabs

  • oil + vinegar cleaners

  • Degreasers

  • Nitrile gloves

  • Felt blankets

Things you cannot get at Zygote:

  • Tape

  • Oil based ink in colors other than process colors, white, and black

Supplies for purchase in the shop:

  • Supplies can be purchased during Open Studio hours from a studio monitor. (Cash and credit cards are accepted.)

  • Printmaking papers, (Stonehenge, Hahnemuehle Copperplate, BFK Rives)

  • Copper plates (Full Sheets, Half Sheets and Quarter Sheets)

  • Polymer plates (limited supply)

  • Xante Plates

  • Transparencies

  • Tarlatan and cheesecloth (sold by the yard)

  • Water based Speedball paper screen print inks, process colors, black, white, extender.

Green Shop Policy

Zygote is dedicated to maintaining a safe and healthy print-shop facility for our staff, users, and visitors. Our shop went completely green in 2015.

 

Our Green Policy

  • The use of Copper Sulfate and Ferric Chloride etchants instead of acids for intaglio etching

  • The use of oil, vinegar, Estisol 242 and Soysolv II as cleaners replacing toxic cleaners and solvents

  • The use of water-based screen printing inks

  • A paper recycle box for continuous use with scratch/proofing cover sheets

  • Recycling bins for plastic and aluminum throughout the shop

  • The use of a biweekly rag service (to reduce the use of paper towels)

  • A health-and-safety campaign with pronounced signage in the shop

  • Programming green printmaking classes

  • The continual research and development of new approaches and techniques and processes to be brought to the shop and taught to new audiences