Summer is the time of no rules—to let loose and play. What better printmaking medium to explore than collagraphy? Collagraphs are prints pulled from collaged plates. The term comes from the Greek words for kolla, glue, and graph, draw. It’s drawing with rich textures and is full of happy accidents and fun! Incorporate cracked paint, pressed flowers, tangled string, or layers of glue to make intriguing prints, full of tactile appeal.
Bring the summer fun with an exploration in collagraphs and then transfer the excitement to your students this school year!
The collagraphy process is so powerful because of its flexibility. There’s no right or wrong way to build a plate, and nearly anything with texture can become part of the composition. Introduce it to your students to foster risk-taking and experimentation, and build composition and layering skills. Use found and recycled materials to incorporate discussions on sustainability and create strong cross-curricular ties with science, nature, and biology.
Break down collagraphy into five simple steps.
Any form of printmaking can be daunting to do with students, but it doesn’t need to be! Collagraphs, in particular, are very simple to make and teach. Plus, you don’t need any fancy equipment or supplies. It’s fairly quick and a good introduction to other forms of printmaking.
Here are the five P’s to make a collagraph:
- Plate
Glue textured materials to cardboard or mat board. - Protect
Cover with acrylic medium or varnish to seal the materials. - Pigment
Use a brayer or sponge to ink the raised and recessed areas. - Print
Place damp paper on top of the plate and press with a spoon or a baren. - Pull
Peel back the paper and enjoy the final print!
Keep plates from warping.
One common frustration with collagraphs is that the plate warps easily, especially when using cardboard and lots of glue. Warped plates can disrupt inking and create uneven prints. Prevent issues from the start with mat board! This is the best material because it holds up well under wet media and maintains its shape. You can often ask framing stores to donate scraps to your program.
If you don’t have mat board, use compressed, thick cardboard. You can also press plates under heavy textbooks overnight to flatten them before inking. If they still curl, mist the back of the plate lightly with water or apply a thin coat of paint or sealer to encourage it to bend the other way.
Add exciting textures!
Once your students understand the basics, encourage them to go wild with textures. Collagraph printing is all about visual and tactile exploration. Whether you’re using organic materials or crafting special effects, these approaches can take your collagraphs from simple to stunning.
Try these items to add texture:
- Cracked Paint
Apply thick acrylic paint to the plate. Brush glue or crackle medium on top while it’s still tacky. As it dries, beautiful natural cracks will appear, mimicking dried earth or peeling paint. - Pressed Flowers
Collect leaves, petals, or grasses and glue them to the plate. No need to press and dry them ahead of time! - String
Use the tangled ball of fibers every art teacher has in their closet to create energetic line compositions on the plate. - Glue
Squeeze glue directly on the plate and let it dry to create simple raised line designs. Play with the line quality by adding cornstarch or sand to the glue.
Stay ahead of the mess.
You don’t need to sacrifice your sanity for great student prints. With a few small tweaks to your classroom layout and routines, you can minimize the mess and maximize student success and fun. If you spend some time during your planning period to prep with intention, you’ll be able to knock out a powerful print party in one class period!
Focus on these shortcuts ahead of time:
- Set up a texture “buffet” with a variety of items.
- Pre-cut plates.
- Use cafeteria trays to contain small found items and messy ink.
- Pre-portion glue or acrylic medium into jars with lids.
- Fill a bucket with hot water for sticky brushes.
- Plug in a hair dryer to quickly dry tacky surfaces.
- Provide baby wipes or pre-moistened paper towels.
- Hang a clothesline to dry prints.
Keep diving into collagraphs.
Are you hooked on collagraphs like we are? If so, keep the printmaking exploration going in your home studio and classroom! The Art of Education has resources for every stage in the printmaking journey. Each resource is created by art teachers, for art teachers—because we don’t just know the medium, we know how to teach it with clarity, creativity, and confidence.
Take a look at these three offerings to keep the printmaking fun going:
- FLEX Curriculum
FLEX is our standards-aligned, K-12 art curriculum. You can filter by medium, like printmaking, and search for step-by-step lesson plans, student-facing resources, and more. Check out the Notre Dame Rose Window Collagraph Lesson for grades 3-5 or the Trash Collagraph Lesson for grades 6-8. - PRO Learning
This platform features tons of teacher-facing, on-demand professional development videos. Don’t miss the Elementary Printmaking with Simple Materials Pack for several budget-friendly project ideas that you can adapt to any grade level. - Graduate Studio Course
Enroll in Studio: Printmaking for eight weeks of printmaking bliss! Discover a variety of printmaking processes that do not require advanced equipment (like collagraphs!) and learn how to bring them to your students in a developmentally appropriate way.
Collagraph printing isn’t just an art process—it’s an invitation to explore, experiment, and embrace imperfection. It pushes students to get curious with texture, use what they have, and work through unpredictable outcomes. These are powerful habits of mind for any artist and show why collagraphs belong in every art room. Use collagraphy to investigate texture with a range of items and to introduce printmaking in a quick and simple way. Play around with it this summer to experience the best of both worlds: collage and printmaking!
What are your favorite materials to add texture to collagraphs?
Share a setup routine or a cleanup system that works well when you do collagraphy.
To chat about collagraphs with other art teachers, join us in The Art of Ed Community!
Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.