My first (and presumably last) time gel printing
20.10.2026
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Natalie Hemengül
Unpack and get started! That's the motto of DIY kits, isn't it? Or did I misunderstand something?
Actually, I think the ready-made craft kits from Creativ Company are brilliant. They allow me to try out a new creative hobby without having to painstakingly search for and buy the necessary materials myself. Everything I need is in the cardboard box. Usually. However, with the Gel Printing Tool Kit provided to me by the brand, I am having a bumpy experience for once.
Yet the image on the packaging sleeve looks so promising: a blue color print showing the negative shape of a plant. I sense a lot of experimental potential and unpack it.
The scope of delivery seems meager:
- Gel printing plate
- Roller
- Flower stamp
- Pattern stencil
- Instruction sheet for various techniques
Just get started? Not possible. Because acrylic paint, paper, and a surface on which I can ink the roller are missing. All things that I fortunately have at hand. However, anyone who does not paint regularly would first have to get these utensils. To be fair: Creativ Company points out the lack of paper and paint on the packaging. I still find it disappointing.
The basic idea of gel printing: You spread paint on the gel pad with the roller. Then you press a piece of paper onto it and get an impression. It gets exciting, of course, when patterns, plant prints, color combinations, and so on come into play. The sky is the limit.
Let's get started
Instructions
I study the instruction sheet, which explains various techniques to me. Picture by picture. Like a little photo love story. It gets too confusing for my eyes and brain. The instructions serve their purpose, but seem very chaotic.
Maybe I'd rather watch the instructional video that a QR code leads me to? But I have to register with my name and email address first. The silent videos are easier to understand. I would still find spoken context helpful. Especially in the first video, the person crafting is measuring something wildly with a ruler and I ask myself: What is happening here?
I finally figure it out for myself: The person in the video is trying to teach me a trick on how to get the print centered on the paper in the end.
Roller
For my first work, I place the stencil directly on the gel mat. I put some acrylic paint in a jar lid that I no longer need and wet the roller with it by repeatedly driving back and forth through the blob of paint. At some point, I get annoyed – the roller isn't picking up the paint – and I switch directly to the gel pad, where I try to distribute the paint evenly. That requires a lot of patience.
I remove the stencil. A pattern has appeared on the gel pad. This is now supposed to go onto my paper.
To do this, I press it against it with the palm of my hand and then pull it off again. Cool. The irregular color distribution that I was just getting upset about has its charm. I let everything dry well before continuing.
Stamp
I want to set a high-contrast accent with the flower. It should be neon orange. This time I try to color its contours with a brush instead of the roller. But that gets a bit too much paint on it.
Then I press the paper against the stamp.
I wash the gel pad and roller directly in the sink after each step. Nevertheless, a kind of patina (and a lot of dust) collects on the transparent, sticky pad. Probably unavoidable.
Plants
Actually, it was the plant prints on the cover that piqued my curiosity for this technique. Somewhere in my cupboard, I find a pressed sage leaf from my last vacation. It falls victim to my next experiment.
I roll over it with green paint. In doing so, I overdo it with the amount. And the pressure. The lush paint almost completely swallows the leaf structures in my first attempt. On the second and third attempt, the result looks better. Only now I have rolled my sage leaf to death. It is completely soft and limp.
R.I.P. little friend.
Before I move on to the conclusion, here is a set from Creativ Company that I can really recommend:
Colleague Stefanie Lechthaler rated this linoleum printing set with five stars:
In a nutshell
I don't really get excited about this set
I find gel printing as a technique for making cards and the like interesting, and I am satisfied with the result for a first attempt. However, I didn't really enjoy the process. To truly get me on board, the scope of delivery would need to offer a bit more material. For example, a piece of string, a second stencil, paper, and at least one paint. As it stands, however, I feel a bit left in the lurch as a beginner.
Pro
- Video tutorials (unfortunately silent)
Contra
- no colors
- no paper
- just a template
- high price for a small scope of delivery
Header image: Natalie Hemengül
Natalie Hemengül
Senior Editor
Natalie.Hemenguel@digitecgalaxus.chAs a massive Disney fan, I see the world through rose-tinted glasses. I worship series from the 90s and consider mermaids a religion. When I’m not dancing in glitter rain, I’m either hanging out at pyjama parties or sitting at my make-up table. P.S. I love you, bacon, garlic and onions.
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