Studio Access & Membership

Welcome to our studio!

Open Studio is a shared creative workspace in downtown Toronto that provides artists with access to specialized printmaking facilities, equipment, and workspaces. The studio supports artists working across a wide range of printmaking processes, as well as artists whose practices are print-adjacent, paper-based, or otherwise suited to a communal studio environment.
 
Our studio supports a variety of printmaking processes, including screenprinting, relief printmaking, letterpress, intaglio, and lithography. Artists work independently alongside one another, sharing space, resources, and ideas within a communal studio environment.
 
As a registered non-profit and artist-run centre, Open Studio is committed to keeping studio access affordable and accessible to artists. Our rental rates are comparable to market rates across the GTA.
 

How to Get Started

  1. Read over our fee structure, common area amenities, and equipment list below.
  2. Come by the studio during our office hours to see the workspace for yourself.
  3. Once you’ve confirmed Open Studio fits your artistic needs, email us with the subject line “Studio Access” to start the onboarding process.

Fee Structure

💡 An up-to-date Studio Membership and onboarding orientation are required for Studio Rental Access.

Available rental options are listed below. The studio is accessible 24/7, though equipment and workspaces must be booked in advance.

Studio Membership  is $200  and valid for one year

   

   Day Pass

$55

   Month Pass

$250

   Annual Pass

$145 | Charged monthly

   Flat File and/or
   Locker Storage*

$95 each – Valid for one year

Flat File and/or Locker Storage*

$95 each | Valid for one year.

Flat files and lockers are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Storage lockers: 16.5″ × 17″ × 12″
Flat files: At least 43″ × 32″ × 1.75″

For a list of studio-provided items included with Studio Rental Access fees, as well as supplies that are the artist’s responsibility, see Studio Supplies & Equipment.

Stay Updated!

Check the online Bulletin regularly for studio updates, announcements, and other information for members.

Studio Equipment

ANALOG PRINTMAKING

Book Studio Equipment

Please click each section to expand information.

Studio Amenities

  • 24/7 studio access
  • Wi-Fi access
  • Nut-free kitchenette equipped with microwave, kettle, dishes, utensils, and refrigerator
  • Online booking system for easy and convenient space reservations

Workspace & Shared Equipment

  • Two dedicated 30″ x 72″ work tables with chairs, each equipped with an adjustable-arm magnifier LED desk lamp
  • Shared studio cutting mats, rulers, tear bars, 14″ stack cutter, and 36″ rotary paper trimmer
  • Communal table surfaces
  • Solvent room with ventilation for the safe spraying of fixatives
  • Anatol Aurora LED Exposure Unit with a maximum screen frame size of 52″ x 36″
  • Optimized for screen exposure and also suitable for cyanotype, photopolymer plates, photolithography plates, Puretch photo etching film, and other light-sensitive processes

Digital Equipment

  • 20″ iMac available for incidental use
  • HP LaserJet 700 black-and-white printer with output up to 12″ x 20″
  • Epson EcoTank ET-8550 for printing transparency films
  • Epson 1100XL opaque and transparency scanner with scanning area up to 11″ x 17″ (separate booking required)

Storage: Flat file and locker storage are available on a first-come, first-served basis

Screenprinting Facilities & Equipment

Our studio is optimized for water-based screenprinting on paper, with a maximum print size of 22″ x 30″.

  • Screen rentals available: 30″ x 40″ outside dimension (OD), 255 Yellow Mesh
  • Film transparency printing is available up to 23″ wide, find out more.
  • Users are encouraged to bring their own screens when printing with screens 25″ x 36″ or smaller

Screen Exposure & Printing Equipment

  • Anatol Aurora LED Exposure Unit with a maximum screen frame size of 52″ x 36″
  • 1 × Accu-Glide screenprinting vacuum table, 24″ x 30″
  • 1 × Accu-Glide screenprinting vacuum table with squeegee arm, 33″ x 48″
  • 2 × Accu-Glide screenprinting vacuum tables, 33″ x 48″
  • 2 × light tablets, 23.4″ x 33.1″
  • Assorted squeegees and scoop coaters

Screen Preparation & Finishing

  • Screen coating room and screen storage closet
  • Vented washout room with power spray washer
  • Print drying racks
  • Refrigerator for emulsion storage

Additional Services

  • Assorted screens larger than standard stock sizes available for rent
  • Screen storage available for rent

Letterpress Equipment

  • Vandercook 4T electric type high-relief press with a maximum form size of 14″ x 18″
  • Line-O-Scribe M711 with a maximum form size of 7″ x 10″
  • Letterpress furniture with plate supports for mounting polymer plates and linocuts
  • Modest collection of wood and metal type

Intaglio & Relief Printing Equipment

  • Charles Brand press with a 16″ x 30″ press bed
  • American French Tool press with a 30″ x 48″ press bed
  • American French Tool press with a 48″ x 78″ press bed
  • Stainless steel paper soaking sink, 37″ x 52″
  • Vertical ferric chloride acid bath for copper etching, 18″ x 24″
  • Metal plate cutter with 37.5″ blade width
  • Hot plate
  • Airbrush with compressor for aquatint application
  • Assorted hand rollers and brayers, including viscosity sets
  • Homasote boards for flat drying prints
  • Solvent room with ventilation

Lithography Equipment

  • 1 × Griffin lithography press with a 39.5″ x 72.5″ press bed
  • 1 × Praga lithography press with a 30″ x 46″ press bed
  • Lithographic stones ranging from book size up to 32″ x 43″
  • Hydraulic hand-operated lift for moving stones
  • Drying racks, leather rollers, and portable stone tables for moving stones in progress

FAQ

Common questions about studio access

We are always happy to welcome new members. You do not need to use our facility regularly to qualify for membership; however, active studio users will benefit most from the full range of membership benefits.

Membership is renewed annually.

All studio users must hold a current membership before accessing the facilities. Annual membership fees include access to our booking system, activation of building and studio fobs, and an initial orientation. Membership also covers in-house materials and consumables, including acids, solvents, cleaning solutions, rags, and other studio chemicals.

Additional benefits include discounts at select art stores and suppliers, including Above Ground Art Supplies, DeSerres, Gwartzman’s Art Supplies, and The Japanese Paper Place.

For a comprehensive list of items provided by the studio and supplies that are the responsibility of the artist, please click here.

You do not need a formal printmaking or art-making background to access the studio. Members must be able to work independently and safely in a shared studio environment.

Our education program is a great way to become familiar with printmaking and gain confidence using our tools and equipment. Our courses cover the fundamentals of printmaking and are designed for those with little to no previous printmaking experience.