| Originally sold as a toy in Japan, Gocco printers | | | | laser printer, print it on your inkjet and then copy |
| are fantastic little machines for doing screen | | | | the design on a regular copy machine (in black |
| printing at home. Unfortunately, Riso Corporation, | | | | & white). You can include anything in your |
| the manufacturer of Gocco printers and supplies, | | | | design - symbols, decorations, borders, whatever |
| decided in May of 2008 to stop making these | | | | you want (photos do not work all that well, but |
| wonderful devices, citing decline in sales due to | | | | illustrations do). |
| home use of computers and printers. But you can | | | | Cut your design down a little bit, and the next |
| still get your hands on one of these (and there | | | | thing you'll do is burn it onto one of the mesh |
| are many companies that still sell the supplies) at | | | | screens with the help of the light bulbs (see |
| Ebay or through foreign online businesses. If you | | | | instruction manual for the exact step-by-step |
| enjoy creative projects, I urge you to get one | | | | guide). Once you have your screen all set, the fun |
| while you can. I have a B6 kit and can assure you | | | | begins! It's time to put ink on the screen, and you |
| that they are quite addictive and once you use it, | | | | can either do the whole thing in one color, or put |
| you'll be hooked. | | | | several colors on the same screen (don't put too |
| Don't be fooled by the "toy" statement above - | | | | much on, or they might bleed into each other). |
| once you get the hang of it (and it's not difficult | | | | Once you're happy with the ink application, the |
| at all), you can create some really sophisticated | | | | screen goes in the top part of the printer, put a |
| prints/invitations/greeting cards or print on | | | | piece of cardstock (or whatever you want to do |
| anything you can think of (ceramics, T-shirts, | | | | a test on) on the registration plate, and press |
| curtains, etc.). | | | | down. When you lift the lid, there's your design, |
| If you buy a kit, the printer comes with at a | | | | printed and ready! |
| minimum a pack of light bulbs, mesh screens, ink, | | | | Another way of doing the invites is to print the |
| registration plate, artwork pen and a few clipart | | | | text portion on your printer and then add a design |
| designs. | | | | to each with the Gocco. Definitely get extra |
| To make your invitations, do the layout on a | | | | material so you have room for mishaps and to |
| computer, exactly the way you want it to look. | | | | play around. And have fun! I guarantee that once |
| Then print it out, in black and white, on a laser | | | | you've made your first invitation, you'll want to |
| printer (inkjet does not work). If you don't have a | | | | use your Gocco printer for everything! |