| Faith Flower glossary | |
|
home
biography
prints
glossary contact |
The following are terms that are used on this website and are a starting point for those interested in trying these methods for themselves. Rather than repeat longer published work, references are given. ALUMINIUMis a cheap and versatile choice of plate material for etching, dry point, collagraphs or lithographs. It is soft and not suitable for long editions, but it carves with hand and machine tools. Aluminium etches in a characteristic way: it does not give an open bite like copper, but builds up a surface roughness as it etches, giving a good range of tones with selective stopping out. Care is needed as after a certain point the surface begins to wear away and the darkest tones become less dark; doing test strips to gauge timing is useful. There is also the option of etching to distinctly differing depths each of which can be treated in an intaglio manner or to accept different relief inks. COFFEE-LIFT ETCHINGHere the image is painted/drawn onto the degreased plate with dilute 'Camp' coffee; when dry a non water-soluble hard ground is poured over the surface (necessary as a liquid acrylic ground dissolves the coffee mixture). Shellac and Andrew Baldwin's ground (see under hard ground below) both work well. The plate is then covered with very hot water, the coffee lifts and comes off the plate leaving bare metal areas below it for etching. The ground on bare metal is unaffected. This is an easier method than the conventional sugar-lift which required mixing.
COLLAGRAPHA print made from a plate that has been collaged by addition of other materials. These can be of many sorts and all holding ink on their surfaces to a greater or lesser degree e.g. carborundum, sandpaper, dilute PVA glue, textiles, acrylic paint, torn paper, grout etc. These can all be modified by adding further layers, by blowtorching, adding drypoint or engraving depending on the base plate (card, ply or metal).
COLOUR INKINGa) A la poupée - an intaglio method of printing several colours from the plate at the same time. Advantage, no registration problems; possible disadvantage is that the junctions between colours tend to be less sharp. Small scrim dollies, cotton buds or brushes can all be used to apply ink. Each colour needs wiping before next colour is applied. Smudging may enhance image. b) Viscosity printing - a relief method of printing several colours from the plate at the same time. This depends on the ability of an oily ink to repel a drier more viscous one placed on top and the converse, the ability of a drier ink to absorb and mix with a wetter ink placed on top.
In addition to using inks of differing viscosity rollers of different hardness can be used to penetrate (or not) different layers in a deeply bitten plate.
ETCHINGConventionally the image is drawn with an etching point through a ground protecting the surface of the plate. The plate is then etched by placing it in a bath of etching solution (mordant) for varying times. On completion the ground is removed, the plate inked and wiped and run through the press with a sheet of dampened paper. The resulting print is made from the ink held below the surface of the plate and is a mirror image of the original.
GROUND REMOVALAcrylic grounds and shellac will come off easily if the plate is submerged in a hot washing soda solution (about 1 tab per litre in a photographic tray or similar). Andrew Baldwin's ground is easily removed with Brasso. MONOTYPEA single unique print made by drawing on a plate/plates and transferring this to paper. Masks (to stop ink transfer) and/or stencils (transfer of ink via stencilled shapes) may also be used. PHOTOCOPY TRANSFER / LASER TRANSFERFresh photocopies can be transferred to a degreased plate and etched. Place photocopy face down on plate, wipe acetone on back of photocopy, cover with clean newsprint and run through the press. Heating with heat gun fixes the toner. Laser transfer is similar, but 'Deep Heat' muscle relief is sprayed on the back of the print which is then covered with a cloth and ironed with a domestic iron at the hotttest setting to effect the transfer, this also fixes the toner. This is a good method for black and white photographs, but it is best to posterise the photo first on the computer into 3 - 4 tones (easier to keep track of as this is really a bare plate etch with stopping out. The addition of an acrylic spray 'aquatint' helps to stabilise the transfer. Watch etch carefully with loupe and stop out as needed. REDUCTION LINO CUTA lino cut in which one plate is used, cut progressively allowing a number of colours to be printed separately. RESISTSAcrylic-resist etching for metal plates is a non-toxic method of protecting the surface of the plate from the mordant. In both hard and soft ground etching the resist is usually some form of acrylic polymer. a) Hard grounds may be pour-on (e.g. Klear floor polish, 2 coats), paint-on (e.g. Lascaux hard ground) or roll-on (e.g. Andrew Baldwin's ground, www.aberystwythprintmakers.org.uk). Liquid hard grounds can be used locally as stopout out when etching progressively. The image is made by drawing through the ground with an etching point. b) Soft grounds can be worked unset or set. They are used for the variety of marks that can be made while still damp, such as impressions in the ground by objects, direct or indirect pencil crayon marks, brush strokes, water sprays etc. Ready-made soft ground by Lascaux (paint-on) and Graphic Chemical water-soluble block printing ink (roll-on) work well after a bit of trial and error, but the latter needs baking after the image is made (approx 20 mins at 120°C).
c) Degradable resists which break down in the mordant with time e.g. very dilute Hunt Speedball screen filler, animal fats, lipstick. Some give very interesting textures. d) Backing resist. Radiator paint is mordant resistant, does not need removing after etching and is white so that notes can be made on back of plate. SALINE SULPHATE SOLUTIONThis has been developed as a mordant for aluminium (mild steel and zinc).
It is a mixture of copper sulphate, salt and water in varying proportions. Many are given in the literature and the strength seems to affect the type of etch that results. 4 useful ones are: a) 70g Copper sulphate : 70g salt: 1 litre water - gives good range of tones b) 70g Copper sulphate : 140g salt: 1 litre water - gives good range of tones faster c) 140g Copper sulphate : 140g salt: 1 litre water - tones and good for degradable grounds
OTHER REFERENCESwww.worldprintmakers.com/english/semenoff/safer.htmwww.ndiprintmaking.ca/ |