Screen Printing and Zine Making for 15 – 17 Year Olds
- Level(s) of Study: Short course
- Course Fee:
£525
- Start Date(s): 4 August 2025
- Duration: Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm, one week
- Study Mode(s): Part-time
- Campus: City Campus
- Entry Requirements: More information
Introduction:
Course dates:
4 - 8 August 2025, Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm
Join an immersive, hands-on course in the art of screen printing, bookbinding, and zine-making that combines technical skills with creative expression.
You’ll dive into bold screen printing techniques, mastering how to layer colours and textures on paper and fabric for striking, multi-dimensional prints and channel these skills into creating your own zine (a small-batch, personal publication that brings together print, storytelling, collage, and typography) to tell a unique story.
This course celebrates creativity, collaboration, and experimentation, creating a space where you’ll bring your ideas to life alongside other passionate learners.
Generating striking designs for your portfolio, this course is ideal for the next generation of ambitious designers and will guide you through every stage of the process; from initial design concepts to the final, hand-bound zine and gently challenge you creatively.
By the end of the course, you’ll walk away with your own collection of vibrant prints and a fully realised, custom-made zine, along with the skills and confidence to continue exploring self-expression through print and design.
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You’ll be part of a design community in our creative studio culture; one that promotes discussion and collaboration, and encourages experimentation and the constant swapping of ideas. -
With a limited class size you'll have the one-to-one attention you need to ensure you leave with the skills to continue developing your designs at home or work. -
Benefit from learning with an experienced tutor who has established links to the profession and significant experience working in varied practices. -
On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance from a well-respected University.
Doing your Duke of Edinburgh Gold Residential Award?
This course can count as your Gold DofE Residential Award and is an amazing opportunity to make new friends and memories. It will be fun and gently challenging, allowing you to follow your passion and discover talents you never knew you had.
DofE participants must book both the course and accommodation on campus for this to count towards your Gold Award.
You must also attend the social events that are planned on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and you must plan and attend your own social activities with other participants on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Here's what our previous attendees have said:
‘Craig is very approachable and helpful, thank you.’
'From doing this course I have gained new skills and I’ve learnt about the principles of design.'
'I most enjoyed creating a zine and there is much more to graphic design and screen printing than I originally thought.'
What you’ll study
Immerse yourself in the world of graphic design and screen printing in this hands-on, creative course. You’ll be encouraged to think creatively during your time at NTU, gaining technical skills based on a design brief around a current social, political or environmental issue.
You’ll gain valuable experience creating unique prints, learning the essentials of design, and understanding the process behind storytelling in visual formats. By the end of the course, you will have created a complete, self-designed zine and a professionally bound book showcasing your work—a tangible portfolio that reflects your personal style and newfound skills.
During this course, you will:
- learn how to screen print on paper and fabric using a handbench and line table
- explore different techniques for transferring your designs and play with layering colours and textures to bring your ideas to life
- discover the essential principles of good graphic design, typography, and layout
- develop storytelling and narrative skills, discovering how to convey narratives visually
- experiment with multiple printmaking techniques, exploring various ways to create and refine your work
- get hands-on experience layering, understanding colour separation, and print variations
- gain hands-on experience in bookbinding, covering essential techniques to produce visually stunning and professional-quality books
- select materials, prepare pages, and bind them to create a unique zine.
You’ll also go on the hunt for inspiration with trips to the Dizzy Ink studio and Notts Zine Library, offering you a behind-the-scenes look at professional design studios and a chance to explore zines from artists around the world.
By the end of this course, you will leave with a rich portfolio of skills and projects that showcase your creativity and technical ability. You will have developed a deep understanding of screen printing, bookbinding, and zine-making, giving you the confidence to continue these practices independently.
Beyond technical skills, you’ll have gained an understanding of storytelling, narrative design, and layout principles of graphic design, empowering you to create visually compelling and meaningful works.
You will leave with a custom-made zine that you have conceptualised, designed, printed, and bound, an impressive testament to your artistic growth.
Social events
We appoint NTU Student Ambassadors who host social events on Monday and Wednesday evening to help you make friends across the whole of our summer school programme for 15-17 year olds, which are free to attend.
Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll study:
- Introduction to Screen Printing: Foundations and Exploration
- Mastering Advanced Screen Printing Techniques
- Bookbinding and the Art of the Handmade Book
- Creating Compelling Zine Content
- Final Assembly and Presentation of Your Zine
Dive into the fundamentals of screen printing. You'll discover the origins and various applications of screen printing, exploring the materials and tools used to create stunning prints. Demonstrations will cover techniques including screen setup, stencil creation, and ink preparation. You'll create your first stencils and experiment with colour, layering, and texture.
Building on the basics, you’ll cover more advanced screen printing techniques that elevate your work. You’ll experiment with multi-layer prints, precise registration methods, and creative use of various inks and surfaces, including fabric and speciality papers.
You’ll focus on developing designs specifically for your zine, incorporating the unique characteristics of screen printing into your covers and interior pages. Through hands-on workshops and group critique, you'll troubleshoot techniques and refine your process to achieve clean, polished prints.
Explore the art and craft of bookbinding, learning how to transform your printed designs into a cohesive, bound work of art. You’ll cover a range of bookbinding methods, from simple saddle stitching to more complex binding techniques, giving you the knowledge to create professional-quality zines.
You’ll experiment with different cover materials and binding styles, customising each booklet to fit your creative vision. After gaining a strong foundation in bookbinding, you’ll start assembling blank booklets for zine production, sparking ideas for how to blend these techniques into your own projects. To inspire further, an afternoon trip to Notts Zine Library and Dizzy Ink studio will immerse you in zine culture and offer insights into diverse storytelling approaches.
With your printing and bookbinding skills sharpened, you’ll focus on developing unique content for your zine. You'll brainstorm ideas for storytelling, typography, and layout, considering how each page of your zine can express your personal voice.
Using printed elements from your earlier work, you'll begin drafting content, incorporating techniques like collage, illustration, and narrative design.
Guided by layout principles and creative experimentation, you’ll arrange and refine your work to form a visually engaging zine.
Group feedback throughout will provide constructive insights to help you shape your zine’s overall message and aesthetic.
The culmination of your hard work comes together when you add the finishing touches to your zine. You’ll have the opportunity to print additional pages or elements if needed, before assembling, binding, and trimming your completed work.
After your zine is fully realised, you’ll participate in a presentation, sharing your creations with the group and celebrating each other's creative journey. A reflective critique session offers valuable feedback and a chance to celebrate accomplishments.
How you’re taught
This course will be delivered in person on Nottingham Trent University.
Contact hours
You will receive 25 contact hours of quality tuition with an experienced tutor.
Careers and employability
The course is designed to give you a real experience of university life, make new friends who share similar interests and develop your portfolio so that ultimately, you can make an informed decision about your future.
This course builds practical skills and a portfolio; previous students have gone on to study and work within in graphic design, publishing, printmaking, and creative industries, positioning you for roles that value craftsmanship and visual storytelling.
On successful completion of the course, you will receive a certificate of attendance, which will further enhance your CV.
Campus and facilities
You will be based in the Nottingham School of Art and Design on the City Campus.
You'll find bright drawing and painting studio and workshop spaces to develop your ideas and create exciting work.
You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.
You will receive an email one week before the course starts with joining instructions on where to go for the first day.
Entry requirements
Level: Open to all
Entry requirement: You should have an enthusiasm for design, communication and visual arts, and an interest in developing your creative and technical skills.
You must be 15, 16 or 17 years old at the time of the course in order to attend.
Fees and funding
The fee for this course is £525.
Payment is due at the time of booking.
Secure your place with a deposit - If you're booking more than two months before the course starts, we can accept a £200 deposit to secure your place, and the balance is due one month before the course starts.
Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course.
All your materials and equipment will be provided, but you may also want to bring with you:
- any specific materials you wish to experiment with, such as speciality paper or fabric
- a sketchbook or notebook for ideas and notes
- any personal images or inspiration for your zine content
- comfortable clothing that can withstand some ink or paint spills.
Read our booking terms and conditions.
Need accommodation?
Accommodation can be booked separately to the course; the rooms are only a few minutes’ walk from our studios and classrooms, and cost £259 per week, which is ideal if you're looking to be based in Nottingham's lively city centre and want an economical place to stay.
These are single rooms with a private bathroom in shared apartments in Nottingham Trent University’s city campus accommodation.
If you're aged 16 or 17 then you can stay unaccompanied with agreement from a parent/guardian (to support safeguarding, all guests aged 16 and 17 will be accommodated together in the same halls of residence and there is a dedicated Warden available).
If you're aged 15 then you can stay as long as you are accompanied by a parent/guardian (you must book two separate rooms and let us know so we can place you in rooms next to each other).
This option is particularly popular with students completing their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Residential Award.
Find out more and book your accommodation here.
Looking to turn your one-week course into a two-week experience?
If you can match this with any second course, you’ll receive a 10% refund on your course fees (email the short course team with your order number to claim the refund).
How to apply
You can book this course via the NTU online store:
4 - 8 August 2025, Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm
Browse all our summer courses for 15 – 17 year olds.
Any questions?
Contact the short course team:
- Email: creativeshortcourses@ntu.ac.uk
- Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2813