DIY Tetra Pak Printing!

DIY Tetra Pak Printing with Pasta Machine! Ever wonder what happens when you run a carton through a kitchen appliance? Today, we’re ditching the kitchen and heading to the studio for some serious experimenting in Printmaking With a Pasta Machine: Tetra Pak Intaglio. We are hacking a standard pasta maker, turning it on its side, and seeing if we can roll out some gorgeous, textured abstract landscapes without breaking the machine. 00:00 The Pasta Machine Printing Trick 01:46 Prepping the Oil-Based Ink 03:03 The Messy Art of Wiping 04:02 Mastering the Cheesecloth Scrim 06:51 Preparing the Paper Bath 07:55 Setting Up the DIY Press 09:46 The First Trial Run 11:44 Getting a Darker Second Impression 13:54 The Chine-Collé Layering Method 17:12 Testing Medical Exam Paper 20:00 Reviewing the Final Prints 21:35 What Happens in Next Video? This video demonstrates how to use a standard kitchen pasta machine as an alternative printing press for creating handmade intaglio prints from recycled Tetra Pak packaging. In this step-by-step art tutorial, viewers learn how to upcycle empty cardboard broth containers into textured printing plates by etching lines and scraping surfaces with a carbide tool. The process covers preparing oil-based relief inks, modifying ink consistency, wiping the plate using traditional newsprint and scrim techniques, and preparing printmaking paper in a water bath. By modifying the physical layout of a home pasta maker and turning it on its side, the machine functions exactly like a rolling press bed to compress damp paper into etched grooves. The demonstration includes testing different experimental materials like medical examination paper and deli paper, troubleshooting pressure settings, and applying advanced techniques such as chine-collé to fuse multiple papers together during a single press run. What's covered in this video: The process begins with upcycling a cardboard beef broth container by scoring lines with a carbide tool and roughing up sections with sandpaper to create varied ink-holding textures on the silver metallic surface. Gamblin relief ink is prepared on a workspace and mixed with a few drops of Gamsol mineral spirits to loosen the oil-based medium and make it pliable enough for deep grooves. Heavy layers of ink are applied directly to the recycled container using a small piece of cardboard before the excess is systematically cleaned away. Initial ink wiping is done using circular motions with everyday newspaper to clear the large flat areas of the printing plate without removing ink from the scored lines. The wiping process transitions to a balled-up cheesecloth scrim to carefully polish the shiny metallic highlights while preserving a subtle, rustic gray tone across the background. High-quality Reeves BFK printmaking paper is submerged in a Pyrex dish filled with water so the fibers become damp enough to pull ink cleanly from the plate under pressure. The wet printmaking paper is lifted from the bath and thoroughly blotted dry with paper towels to eliminate standing surface water before printing. A standard manual pasta machine is modified by removing the bottom plate and noodle attachment so it can be securely clamped to the studio table completely on its side. A custom five-inch printing bed is constructed out of a flat sheet of plastic to easily carry the plate, paper, and a protective layer of felt straight through the steel rollers. The first experimental run reveals a light initial impression because the fresh plate requires multiple inkings to achieve deep, rich black lines. A second printing attempt uses identical pressure settings to produce a much darker, high-contrast impression with clearer line definition from the scored container. The advanced chine-collé printmaking technique is demonstrated by using matte medium as an adhesive to bond printed medical examination paper directly onto the wet Reeves BFK backing sheet during the press cycle. A final printing test explores how leftover acrylic paint mixed with a specialized printmaking medium transfers when using lightweight medical exam paper as the primary surface. The session wraps up with a detailed side-by-side comparison of all four finished prints to analyze how ink viscosity, plate wear, and paper choices affected the final landscape textures. The video concludes with a discussion on future studio plans to layer the finished prints with mixed media elements like watercolor, colored pencils, or gouache. Mentioned in this video: Pasta machine, Tetra Pak, beef broth packaging, carbide tool, sandpaper, Gamblin relief ink, Gamsol, oil-based ink, newspaper, newsprint, cheesecloth scrim, Q-tips, Reeves BFK printmaking paper, Pyrex dish, paper towels, plastic press bed, felt blanket, matte medium, deli paper, medical examination paper, acrylic paint, printmaking medium, intaglio, chine-collé, watercolor, colored pencils, gouache, mono-print, jelly plate.