More About Printing and the Lack Thereof
Comments(5) 
This is one of the first semi-successful prints from one of the linoleum blocks I’ve carved. My husband stole the print of the cat laying in front of the full moon. The old cedar tree taught me that it is much more sensible to carve the object. Carving away the background even when you leave a border to support the brayer requires much more skill than I have right now. I’ll have to actually get my printing done on good paper instead of just testing on typing sheet sorts of samples.
Last Wednesday I struggled with intaglio wiping the large, multi color, chard collagraph. I failed miserably. Then printed it again after more wiping. It was only a minor failure.
I cleaned the plate. Printed a blind emboss from it Wednesday and it is only a minor failure. The blind emboss, done Thursday, from the bamboo was good with only minor creasing. These are a couple of details from the blind emboss from that plate.
However, the real success on Thursday is a bunch of small square and rectangular offcuts from the big bamboo plate. I did one and then rearranged the modules.
I did five consecutively with increasing pressure. The last one was two half inch foam blankets and then thin, thick, and medium regular blankets. The blind emboss combined with the half sheet (smaller) of paper meant that I could put on gonzo pressure and still not break the paper.
Pretty rewarding to see the progression of the five. I forgot to take the camera with me on Thursday. Now I’ve got my confidence up just a bit I think I will ink each module with a different color, wipe, and print. I’ve also taxed my body mightily even though the gearing on the big press is pretty good. My shoulders and my back are telling me I ran a LOT through that press last week.
I have fallen way behind the pace of the work and the assignments. I don’t know how the kids who are taking twelve to sixteen credits are handling the volume of work.
The big plates are beautiful but a real headache. The press is thirty years old and has experienced all that teen aged students can imagine in it’s life. The bed will take a fifty inch long piece of paper; the roller is about thirty inches long.
I guess I should spend the weekend reading the text books. However, the two women, with great experience, who come in and work on lab days are very kind and teach me a lot. I’ve been delivering pomegranites for rewards.
I like the multi cultural and multi generational aspects of the class a lot. I guess it is time for me to become a bit more social person again.
Thank you for tagging me, I think. I posted a response. And thank you for your comment of my quilt, you made my day, thank you!
Have you tried soaking the paper for the blind embossing first? If you soak the paper in warm water for about 1/2 hour and then wrap the sheets in plastic for a few hours (or even better overnight) you can get very deep embossings without cracking. This works with 100% rag paper of various thicknesses.
Jane, yes I’m working with Rives BFK. The full sheets – 22″ x 30″ had been soaking for 48 to 60 hours. The chard has too many undercuts; I’m getting squooshing of ink.
I’m taking a day off today. Last week I spent four days in the print lab. I may try the chard one last time making adjustments in inking consistency, the different colors, and the wiping.
I’ve also several other plates I want to fool with; one with green bean, chinese, noodles over a ground similar to the one shown with cheese cloth.
I’ve others I want to mess with modeling paste and gel. I’m completely smitten with the two collagraph books I have. thelma
Thelma, I wonder if the undercut issue is because the plate elements are too high. My print master said even string undercuts because it is a bit high. I found you have to really watch it with the modeling paste or you build up too much. I found different types of fabric with matte medium over them work very nicely. What collagraph books do you love? I have Brenda Hartill’s and it is gorgeous, but her techniques are quite difficult. Also, I have the opportunity to nab an ironing mangle. I was thinking about converting it to a press. I saw you gave some away. Had you thought of trying to convert them, or is it too much of a challenge? I don’t have close access to a print room. Thanks, Debra
Debra, Check here for the collagraph books I like. The older one addresses high profile as you get to the back of the book. Sorry for the wondy URL. I can’t hide them in comments.
http://www.thelmasmith.com/blog/2007/10/09/collagraph-plates/
Next week I will have time to take lab days and print the bamboo. I have plots and plans to reprint the Bok Choy. It’s going to take a lot of picky attention. I expect to ink and wipe each color in sequence. Lots of burnt plate oil to hold the ink open longer. thelma