Gocco, where have you been all my life?

I just got a Gocco.


This may seem like a strange thing to do right now, seeing as how this little Japanese printing machine is no longer being made and the supplies are slowly dwindling. But somehow this just makes it all the more precious to me.

I am kicking myself, however, for not getting one sooner. Why couldn't I have discovered Gocco years ago, like before my brother took a trip to Japan? Why didn't I look into it more carefully when my sister-in-law first got excited about it? It took artist Kate Gabrielle (who, btw, is having an awesome sale right now!) deciding to sell her Gocco that got me looking at it again, almost to the point of obsession. And finally, one was mine!

How does Gocco work, you might ask? This all-in-one screenprinter is pretty nifty. You have an image that you burn into a screen using flashbulbs. Then you ink said screen and use the machine to press the image. Check out more info here.

I decided on the PG-11. It's one of the larger models (although not the largest which use four bulbs) and I especially liked that it came with a registration plate for lining up images on multiple screens.


And since I got it, I've been printing up a storm. Even though I read all I could about it beforehand, I still had trouble with my first screen (using a photocopy and a special blue filter). All I read said that most inkjet printers don't work, but I got brave and tried a print from mine. It worked, and my life got way easier! (If you're curious, I have a Canon Pixma MP620. I think it works because it uses the 220 PGBK black ink, which is pigment ink.)

Now I've already been printing a bunch and trying out different techniques. Hand-drawn, computer printed, halftones, multiple screens... it's a cinch I'll run out of supplies before I run out of ideas.


I've also started listing cards and prints in my Etsy shop! (I still plan on adding more tea wallets and other sewn goods soon.) If you're interested in keeping up with my listings, you can follow me on Twitter, where I chat about movies, sci-fi, video games, and, of course, all things crafty. :-)