Note to Self

Note to Self
Home Screen-Printing Made Easy
by Kate Lydon

Isn't it time to bring back personalized notes? Where's the love when you send an Evite? And that ersatz store-bought kind? Well, it's no easy task finding cards that strike just the right note to commemorate the birthday of your father's still-not-old-enough girlfriend. Enter the Print Gocco-a screen-printing device so ingenious and compact, it could only come from Japan. Armed with this kit, you can mass-produce your own designs with clip art, or create custom messages whenever the sentiment strikes. Once you've mastered the technique (in about a half-hour), you'll want to rock the monogrammed stationery and dress up your to-do lists. This kind of magic doesn't come cheap. You'll have to pony up almost $200 just to get started, but it pays off over time. Especially if you're planning a wedding.

Screen printing resources:

For a list of retailers who sell Gocco supplies. Also try Pearl Paint, Dick Blick, The Paper Source and Welsh Products.

For the best-quality prints, use Fabriano Medioevalis paper (available at The Art Store). The Paper Source offers precut blank cards in many colors.

As for clip art, Dover Publications publishes every variety. Alphabets and Other Signs and ABZ: More Alphabets and Other Signs, both by Julian Rothenstein and Mel Gooding, are great sources for monogram-style letters and quirky illustrations.