If you’ve been anywhere near art TikTok lately, you’ve probably seen the rise of ACEOs. Tiny original artworks. Fast auctions. Collectors battling it out over pieces the size of a trading card.

And the best part? Your gel plate is the perfect tool to jump on the trend.

ACEOs (Art Cards, Editions, and Originals) are always 2.5" x 3.5", the same size as a baseball card. They started as artist trading cards, but ACEOs became the sellable version, especially on eBay where collectors love hunting for affordable original art.

They’re small, collectible, easy to ship, and a fantastic way to get lower-priced original work into the hands of collectors.

Aaaannnnnd, they are addicting.

Why Gel Printing Works So Well for ACEOs

Most ACEOs you see are tiny paintings or watercolor sketches, but gel printing gives them something extra. That “wait… how was this made?” factor.

But there’s one big issue with traditional gel plate image transfers…Usually, you reverse paint the image directly on the plate. And that works fine on larger pieces, but trying to reverse paint tiny details on a 2.5" x 3.5" ACEO is nearly impossible on a detailed piece.

So instead, I use a double-transfer method and pair that with acrylic markers instead of paint.

My ACEO Gel Plate Process

I start with a laser printout of my original artwork.

I cut a sheet of Hammermill 32lb Premium Paper into quarters and print directly onto those using the printer’s “Transparency” setting. This slows the paper feed down and helps the printer lay down more toner, which makes a much better transfer.

From there:

Step 1: Transfer to the Gel Plate

I use Liquitex BASICS Mars Black acrylic paint to transfer the image onto the gel plate.

Once dry, the image is sitting on the plate ready for the pickup layer

Step 2: Pull the First Print

I transfer that image onto 400gsm acrylic paper (I use Strathmore) using paint.

My weapon of choice? Fluorescent pink.Why? No one needs a reason to choose pink.

I leave the paper down under a heavy book for 15 minutes before removing the book and leaving for another 15 minutes. Then I flip it over and gently peel the gel plate off the paper. This gives me the base image.

Step 3: Add Color by Hand

Once my pink and black image is dry, I use Posca markers to color the piece.This is where I make it my own.

Because I’m coloring directly on to the paper, and not reverse painting on the gel plate, I can get into all the tiny details with the fine tip of the Posco 1M. But the downside is I will ultimate color over the linework.

Step 4: Bring Back the Linework

I print the design again, transfer it to the gel plate again, but this time I use matte gel medium to transfer the black linework over the top of the colored piece. This time I leave it to dry for several hours before removing the book, then another hour to allow of airflow to complete the drying.

After removing the gel plate it gets cut down to size and touched up if needed. Signature, title and date all go on the back.

Some of my best sellers using this exact technique:

Not bad for art that fits in your pocket.

Final Thoughts

ACEOs might be your next favorite thing gel plate thing. They’re fast. They’re collectible. They will help pay down your Michaels credit card bill. And right now, they’re trending.

I will have 2 new ACEOs will be listed tomorrow night (April 26, 2026), so if you’ve been curious, now’s a good time to follow along: Take me to eBay!

You read to the bottom. Look at you!

How to Make ACEOs with Your Gel Plate (And Jump on the ACEO Trend)