What a Fest! 🎉
Three inspiring days of block printing, creativity, and connection might be over — but you can still join the magic.
Rewatch every session, talk, and live demo with the All Access Pass, or hop on the list for Block Printing Fest 2026 to get early updates.
Keep carving, keep creating — and we’ll see you next year!
Made for printmakers & creatives (yes, that's you!)
Block Printing Fest is for curious creatives who love the joy of making. Whether you’re brand new to carving, have dabbled before, or you’ve been printing for years – you’ll find inspiration, fresh ideas, and calm, encouraging space to create.
We welcome
Beginners – Step-by-step, beginner-friendly projects
Returning Carvers – Fresh inspiration and new twists
Experienced Printmakers – Creative challenges and unique perspectives
If you've ever felt
Overwhelmed by scattered tutorials
Not sure where to start with tools & materials
Feeling stuck in the same creative routine
Isolated & craving connection with other makers
Like you get random results instead of intentional prints
....this event is for you.
Get on the Waitlist for 2026
Don’t miss the Block Printing Fest 2026 & get all the updates
We respect your privacy. By submitting your email address, you agree to receive emails from the Block Printing Fest Host, Ali Baecker of 3 Dotted Penguins, with news, tips & resources, and special offers in the future. Unsubscribe at any time.
Block Printing Fest gives you the opportunity to:
- Learn from inspiring artists and makers sharing their favorite carving, printing techniques, and creative approaches.
- Try bite-sized, hands-on projects; from gift boxes to t-shirts, seed packets to puzzle prints.
- Discover fresh perspectives that spark ideas and show you new ways to play with blocks and ink.
- Connect with a like-minded community who love the feel of tools, paper, and handmade work.
- Find inspiration for every level: approachable beginner projects to creative twists seasoned printers will love.
- Leave with renewed energy and confidence to keep carving, printing, and exploring.
Three days, endless possibilities
Here's everything you need to know
WHEN & WHERE:
Block Printing Fest takes place Tuesday October 28 to Thursday October 30, 2025.
The daily sessions are 100% online, so you can watch from the comfort of you home or on the go.
You’ll have FREE access to each day’s presentations for 24 hours, making it easy to watch no matter your timezone.
EXPERT SESSIONS:
Enjoy inspiring workshops and talks from 19 block printing experts from around the world — a mix of live and pre-recorded sessions, each around 30 minutes long (some shorter, some longer).
New sessions are released daily and stay free to watch for 24 hours, encouraging you to create alongside others during the Fest.
Want to rewatch or catch up later?
Upgrade to the All Access Pass for ONGOING ACCESS to all sessions (plus exclusive speaker bonuses).
COMMUNITY & CHANCES TO WIN:
As a FEST participant, you’re invited to join our pop-up Facebook community (optional) – a welcoming, creative space to connect, share ideas, and stay inspired before, during, and for limited time after the Fest.
Plus, don’t miss your chance to win exclusive prizes and creative goodies from our speakers.
UPGRADE OPTION:
After registering for your free ticket, you can upgrade to the All Access Pass to enjoy ongoing access to all presentations and live sessions, edited transcripts + exclusive bonuses from our speakers.
You'll leave feeling ...
- Confident picking up your carving tools without hesitation.
- Inspired by projects you can finish in an afternoon.
- Excited by new creative sparks and possibilities.
- Connected to a community who “gets it”.
- Energized to keep carving long after the event ends.
This event isn’t about mastering every single tool or technique — it’s about learning approachable projects, sparking new ideas, and experiencing the joy of making. With simple tools, clear steps, and a calm, encouraging atmosphere, you’ll see just how fun and freeing block printing can be.
Meet the Artists Behind the Ink
Over 3 days, you’ll hear from 19+ printmakers and creatives sharing their favorite techniques, approaches, and stories.
Jennifer Zee, USA
Live Q&A + Tessellation: Creating Big Art with Small Blocks
My Creative Process – From Creative Block to Blockprinting
Mel Beach, USA
Block & Roll: Roll dice to inspire your block printing FUN!
Sivan Baron, Canada
How I Embroidered My Linocut Prints
Joey Strain
Linocut Block Printed T-Shirts for Beginners
Susana McDonnell, USA
Live Q&A + Carving Demo
Sarah Matthews, USA
Turning A Negative Into A Positive
Ali Baecker, Switzerland
Pattern Play
Jeremy Wat
Puzzle Block Print
Natasha Boyce, UK
Blockprinted Seed Packets with Nastasha Boyce
Syelle Willing, Germany
Hand-Printed Mini Boxes – Elegant Creations for Small Treasures
Studio Visit & Artist Books
Studio Visit & Printmaking for the Good
Jeanette Clawson
Using Zentangle Fragments in Block Design
Ali Baecker, Switzerland
Carve – Print – Create
Rowan Sivyer, Australia
Faux Batik – Fabric Block Printing with Decolourant
Complex Zellige Patterns from Simple Shapes
Heather Moore, South Africa
Studio Visit & Making Friday
Orest Luzeckyj, USA
Guide to Double-Color Block Printing
Scaling Up: Block Print on a Larger Piece of Fabric
Meet Your Host Ali Baecker
Ali Baecker is the printmaker, surface pattern designer, and educator behind 3 Dotted Penguins. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Ali discovered block printing in 2018 with no prior experience and quickly fell in love with the craft. What began as a curious experiment has since grown into a creative business where she has taught hundreds of students around the world through online workshops and courses.
Ali is passionate about guiding others through the joys of stamp carving and printing — especially those “aha!” moments when confidence and creativity come together.
She created the Block Printing Fest to celebrate the richness and variety of block printing. From carving stamps in soft blocks, linoleum, or wood, to printing on paper, fabric, or everyday objects, block printing offers endless possibilities. For some, it’s a calming form of self-care; for others, it’s a playful way to spark new ideas or even build a creative practice.
The German word Fest captures the heart of this event
A celebration and a gathering of curious creatives. Whether it’s your very first stamp or your hundredth, the Block Printing Fest is designed to inspire, connect, and showcase what’s possible with simple tools, ink, and a love for the handmade.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Fest happening?
The free event is October 28-30, 2025. If you purchase an All-Access Pass after your free signup, you will get ongoing access to the content of the Fest.
Is this event live or pre-recorded?
Most presentations for Block Printing Fest are pre-recorded and will be released on a schedule, but there will also be a number of select daily live sessions (which will be recorded, in case you cannot make them live).
How long will I have access for free?
Each presentation is available for 24 hours with your free ticket. After that time has expired they are available in the All Access Pass to get ongoing access to the presentations and limited access to bonuses by our speakers.
How is this event free?
Our speakers have donated their time to share these workshops with you. We’ve made the event free for makers so it’s as accessible as possible. If you’d like to go further, the All Access Pass helps us run the event and gives you ongoing access to the workshops.
What's the difference between the free ticket and the upgraded pass?
During the free event days October 28-30, you can view each days presentations for 24 hours.
If you choose to upgrade your experience to the All Access Pass you do not need to watch on specific days because you have ongoing access to all presentations + replays + extra bonuses that free attendees don’t get!
Do you still accept speakers?
Each speaker presenting at this year’s Block Printing Fest has been hand-selected by Ali and our lineup is currently full!
However, we are open to receiving applications for potential speakers for future Block Printing Fests (in English or German).
For this year’s Fest, we are open to additional affiliates.
If you’re interested in affiliate details or being considered for a future Block Printing Fest, please reach out by email at hello[at]3dottedpenguins.com .
What tools & materials will I need
Speakers will walk you through the needed tools & materials for their sessions.
If you have block printed before, work with your favorite tools & materials and use your existing blocks where applicable.
If you are new, here is a list of tools that will come in handy:
- Lino carving tools, like the Speedball or Abig starter kits or more professional grade tools like Pfeil tools
- Soft carving material, such as the pink SpeedyCarve or blue Factis (or Lino)
- Inkpads (or block printing ink including brayer & plate)
- Paper for your prints (standard printer paper would work)
- Craft knife
- Tracing paper
- Pencil & eraser
If you have any specific questions about tools or materials before signing up, please
What if I can't join live?
Most of the presentations are pre-recorded which means you can watch on your own time for the 24 hours that they are available. We will have a few live sessions and will have replays available for 24 hours as well.
If you know you’ve got a busy schedule and don’t want to miss out grab your free ticket and then you’ll have the option to upgrade to the All Access Pass for ongoing access.
When will presentations be released?
Presentations will be released each day at 3 PM CEST/Europe (9 AM EST/Eastern) and will be available for free until the same time the following day. Regardless of where you live you’ll have a full 24 hours to view!
How can I get ongoing access to the presentations?
Upgrade to the All Access Pass!
Do presentations come with captions or transcripts
Yes – each prerecorded presentation and the recordings of the live sessions will come with closed captioning (subtitles) in English. Please note that – while we do our best to proof read all automatically created closed captions with care, mistakes can happen. If you notice anything that would need our attention, please reach out to [email protected].
Edited transcripts will be available as part of the All Access Pass, which you can sign up for after you claim your free ticket.
Who will get my email address?
The only person who will get your email address after you sign up for the free retreat is me, Ali, so that I can send you all the information & updates for the Block Printing Fest, including links to each days revents. After the end of the retreat you will continue to hear from me, but can unsubscribe any time.
If you decide to participate in a Speaker’s giveaway or opt into any of their freebies or newsletter signups, you will give your email address to that respective speaker. That way you can continue hearing from the speakers you really enjoyed.
I still have questions!
If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to hello[@]blockprintingfest.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. We do our best to reply quickly, but please allow up to 24 hours before following up – thank you so much for your patience!
ⓒ 2025 Block Printing Fest
