Little Thumper Bench Top Etching Printing Press (A4+)

Choosing a Gunning Etching Press means investing in a tool that embodies exceptional craftsmanship, versatility, and a rich family legacy in printmaking. Here’s why it’s the perfect choice for your creative journey:

Unmatched Craftsmanship and Durability

Each Gunning Etching Press is meticulously handcrafted using premium materials, ensuring it withstands the test of time. With proper care, your press is built to last a lifetime, becoming a steadfast companion in your printmaking.

Versatility Across Techniques

Designed to accommodate a wide range of printmaking methods—including intaglio, relief, and planographic printing—our presses offer the flexibility to explore and master various techniques, all with a single, reliable machine.

Customisation to Reflect Your Style

Express your unique personality by customising your press. Choose from a spectrum of colours, select between a round or star wheel, and add optional features to create a press that truly reflects your artistic identity.

Family Legacy and Expertise

Rooted in a family of passionate printmakers, the Gunning Etching Press carries forward a tradition of excellence. From Dave Gunning’s original design in the 1980s to the innovations introduced by the next generation, our presses are crafted by artists, for artists.

Comprehensive Support and Community

When you choose a Gunning Etching Press, you join a supportive community. We offer personalised setup assistance, workshops led by experienced printmakers, and ongoing support to ensure you get the most out of your press.

In essence, a Gunning Etching Press is more than just a piece of equipment—it’s a gateway to endless creative possibilities, backed by a legacy of quality and a community dedicated to your success.

Choosing the right press size depends on the largest prints you envision creating and your available workspace. It’s recommended to select a press bed that comfortably accommodates the maximum plate and paper size you plan to use, with enough room for a good margin around the edges. This approach ensures that you won’t outgrow your press as your printmaking evolves, allowing flexibility for future projects. Our presses are built to last a lifetime, so choosing a size that supports your creative ambitions is a worthwhile investment.

The choice between a geared and direct drive press depends on the types of plates you plan to work with and the level of ease you want during printing. Here’s a quick guide:

• Relief Printing (Lino, Woodblocks, Letterpress): Relief plates (generally thicker than 2.5mm and less than 8cm) require good pressure but the least amount compared to other techniques. For relief, you’ll apply sticky ink to the raised surface of the plate, use dry paper, and use runners and packing paper on the press. Our press handles plates up to 8cm thick, thanks to the adjustable top roller. Setting the pressure is simple, and both geared and direct drive options work well. The geared option makes pulling the wheel incredibly smooth, requiring minimal effort—sometimes as light as using one or two fingers to move nas spin the wheel.
• Intaglio Printing (Etching, Drypoint, Engraving, Aquatint, solar plate, photoe-etching and mezzotint): Intaglio plates involve inscribing or etching into the surface of the plate, then filling these recesses with oil-based ink and wiping the surface clean. For intaglio, you’ll use paper that has been soaked and blotted and apply heavy pressure with blankets on the press. This is where gears become particularly helpful, as they allow you to apply higher pressure and still pull the press wheel through smoothly. The large round wheel with a handle on a No.2 press, for example, makes intaglio printing feel effortless, even at maximum pressure.
• Mixed Techniques (Collagraph, Tetra Pak, Monoprinting, Drypoint, etc.): For plates that fall somewhere between relief and intaglio, such as collagraph and drypoint, medium pressure is typically needed. Gears make life much easier here, too, as they reduce the effort needed to pull the press through, but the gears are not essential at all the press works beautifully without them – they just make life a lot easier.
• Great News: If you start with a direct drive and later decide you’d like gears, you can easily upgrade. We can post the gear attachment, which bolts onto the side of the press. This brilliant design by specialist engineer and printmaker Dave Mason-Gunning allows for versatility as your printing needs evolve.

Setting the pressure on a Gunning Etching Press is straightforward, and the level of pressure depends on the type of plate you’re working with:

• Relief Plates (up to 8cm thick): Use light pressure with runners or packing paper.
  • Place your runners between the bed and the top roller on the press.
  • Turn the top roller down until it just “bites” onto the runners. Test the setup—if the top roller spins freely, the pressure is too light. If it feels difficult to pull through, slightly release the pressure. This method ensures the correct amount of pressure for relief printing.
• Intaglio Plates: Use heavy pressure with blankets to press ink into the paper.
  • Place your blankets in the press, with the thinnest blanket directly on top of the paper you’re printing on (use a tissue layer in between for protection).
  • Center your press bed between the rollers. Tighten the top roller fully by turning clockwise until both sides feel evenly tight, then back off by a ½ turn.
  • Do a test (ghost) print to check your embossing and adjust if necessary.
• Mixed Techniques: Use medium pressure, with flexibility to adjust based on the texture and depth of your plate.
  • Tighten the pressure fully by turning clockwise until both sides are even and cannot turn further. Then, back off by a full turn.
  • Do a ghost print to check your embossing and fine-tune as needed.

Note: Each ½ turn adjusts the top roller height by 1mm, allowing precise control over pressure.

For geared presses, the pull-through is very smooth even with higher pressure, making it easier on the arms. With direct drive presses, the pulling action works effectively, though the geared option provides added ease, especially for heavier pressure settings.

Our presses are designed with flexibility in mind. You can start with a direct drive press, and if you later decide you’d prefer the added ease of gears, we can simply post you a gear attachment that bolts easily onto the side of the press. This adaptable feature allows you to upgrade as your printing needs evolve, ensuring that your press can grow along with your creative practice.

Yes, we provide full support for setup and troubleshooting—but we don’t stop there. We’re the only company in the world offering this unparalleled level of service for printmakers! When you choose our delivery option, not only do we bring your Gunning Etching Press right to your door, but we also set it up and give you a personalised demonstration, ensuring you’re ready to start printing immediately.

For those who want an even deeper experience, you have options! You can come to our studio and gallery to collect your press, where Jenny Gunning, a specialist printmaker, will guide you through hands-on workshops. Jenny will cover everything from making plates to inking and printing on your new press, helping you master every aspect of the process. Or, if it’s more convenient, Jenny can come to your studio, bringing everything you need to get started. While she loves working in her own studio, we’re thrilled to bring the expertise to you!

This is more than just a purchase—it’s an immersive, start-to-finish experience, guided by the best in the business. Let us help you unlock the full creative potential of your Gunning Etching Press!

Gunning Etching Presses are designed to be maintenance-free, featuring a powder-coated frame to prevent rust, a stainless steel top roller, and a compact resin bed, all resistant to corrosion. The use of self-lubricating oilite bushings in all moving parts, including the gears, eliminates the need for additional oiling or greasing. To ensure optimal performance and longevity, it’s important to follow the guidelines provided in the user manual. This includes practices such as avoiding leaving wet blankets on the press overnight and drying them thoroughly after intensive printing sessions. Adhering to these recommendations will help maintain your press and blankets in excellent condition.

Our Gunning Etching Presses are designed and built to last a lifetime, crafted with top-quality materials and precise engineering. Every component of a Gunning Etching Press—from the powder-coated frame to the stainless-steel roller and durable bed—is made to withstand the demands of a professional studio environment. With proper care, this press will remain in exceptional condition for decades.

Our commitment to quality dates back to the 1980s, when Dave Gunning (senior) built the first Gunning Etching Press. In fact, there are studios still using those original presses to this day, a testament to their longevity and our dedication to lasting craftsmanship. Many of our customers have been working with their presses for years, and in our own family studio, these presses have been in heavy daily use across generations. We love what we do, and each Gunning Etching Press reflects that passion and expertise, ensuring it will be a reliable tool for life.

When you purchase a Gunning Etching Press, we provide the following essentials to ensure you’re ready to start printing immediately:

• Printing Blanket: One 80% unwoven wool blanket, ideal for various printmaking techniques.
• 4mm Thick Runners: These facilitate printing relief plates up to 4mm thick, ensuring smooth operation.

As specialist printmakers who actively create plates, ink, and print daily in our own studios and gallery, we understand the nuances of different printmaking processes. When you purchase your press, let us know what you plan to print, and we can recommend any additional accessories you might need to enhance your printmaking experience.

Our Gunning Etching Presses are crafted to the highest standard and are always in demand! Lead times can vary based on the time of year and your choice of press. For standard models, lead time ranges from 4 to 12 weeks, while bespoke models are scheduled into our production calendar. We’re committed to delivering your press as swiftly as possible, and whether you choose a standard or custom model, we know you’ll find it well worth the wait!