Foilography Printmaking

Transcription

FOILOGRAPHY PRINTMAKING
© Charles Morgan
Mossworks Studio
77 Moss Street
Victoria, B.C. V8V 4M2
CANADA
revised October, 2006
www.mossworks.com
[email protected]
Contents
I.
Introduction .................................................................................. 3
A. Name ....................................................................................... 3
B. Origin ...................................................................................... 3
C. Advantages .............................................................................. 4
D. Disadvantages ......................................................................... 5
II.
Making the Plate .......................................................................... 6
A. Specimen Preparation ............................................................. 6
B. Making the Sandwich ............................................................. 7
1. Composing on the Backing ........................................... 8
2. Composing on the Foil .................................................. 11
C. Finishing the plate ................................................................... 13
1. Etching Press ................................................................. 13
2. The Palm Press .............................................................. 18
3. Rolling Pin ..................................................................... 24
4. Platen Press .................................................................... 27
5. Mallet Press ................................................................... 28
6. Blemishes .......................................................................29
7. Summary Comparison ................................................... 30
III.
Inking the Plate ............................................................................ 31
A. Blind Embossing ..................................................................... 32
B. Inks .......................................................................................... 32
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C. Inking Tools ............................................................................ 34
D. Roll-up .................................................................................... 37
E. Masking ................................................................................... 38
F. Freehand .................................................................................. 40
G. Intaglio .................................................................................... 41
H. Combination Techniques ........................................................ 42
IV.
Printing the Plate .......................................................................... 43
A. Paper Selection ........................................................................ 43
B. Presses ..................................................................................... 44
C. Cleaning the Plate ....................................................................46
V.
Advanced Topics ......................................................................... 47
A. Multiple Passes and Plates ...................................................... 47
B. Embossing Powder Plates ....................................................... 49
VI.
Revisions ...................................................................................... 53
A. More Comments on Intaglio Inking .......................................53
B. Inking Very Thin Subjects ...................................................... 56
C. Printing Foilographs with a Palm Press .................................. 61
D. Bottle Jack Press Plans ............................................................69
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I. Introduction
I.A. Name
Lithography done on aluminum plate instead of stone is called aluminography. So,
if you make a collagraph using aluminum foil rather than acrylic medium, you
should call it ... alumigraph, of course!!! And that is what I called it when I first
discovered it. Because in some parts of the world the word “aluminum” is
pronounced “al-you-mi-nee-um”, some folks began referring to the process as
“aluminograph”.
However, unknown to me at the time, an artist by the name of Nancy Wells used
the term “alumigraph” in an article published in the Spring, 2002, edition of
Printmaking Today (vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 28-29), to refer to a rather different process.
So, I have decided in fairness to switch to the terms “foilograph” and
“foilography” instead.
I.B. Origin
I have been doing nature prints for a number of years, but was not happy with the
monotype aspect. You go to all that trouble to get nice specimens, arrange them in
a nice composition, and then you get only one print. And often with delicate
subjects, the inking of the subject destroys it before you can print it. Many times I
have had to peel pieces of leaves, insect wings, etc. from my roller and not been
able to get even one print. Or I find when I print that I have over- or under-inked
the specimen and it is too delicate to re-ink it. I wanted to be able to print at least a
small edition, and with as little damage to the subject as possible.
During the summer of 2001, I took a one day workshop on doing lithography on
aluminum foil. Part of the process required wrapping some aluminum foil around a
plexiglass plate and then putting it through an etching press to smooth it out. We
had to be very carful to keep everything spotlessly clean, as the smallest dust mote
showed up under the foil. I found I was not that interested in the lithography at the
time, but that process of smoothing out the foil wrapped around a sheet of
plexiglass was intriguing. I wondered what would happen if I put a leaf under the
foil. So, when I got home, I tried it. I was amazed at the result. I played around
with it for a while, and finally got a workable process by spring of 2002. I showed
examples to a few friends in Victoria, and posted a version of the technique on the
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PrintAustralia web site in the summer of 2002. I have continued to experiment and
refine the technique since that time.
After a few years of talking to others about the technique, several people
mentioned that they had heard of something similar. I have only been able to track
down two specific references. Neither of the two is exactly the process I employ,
and neither uses the foil plate to make prints on paper. For the sake of
completeness, I will briefly describe the references here.
A method for making “silver pictures” is described in the book Things for
Children to Make and Do: Craft Starting Points, by John Hathorn and Ludwik
Luksza, Methuen of Australia, 1978. In their technique, one begins by glueing
pressed leaves down on cardboard. Then one is directed to spread contact adhesive
over the leaves and cardboard, and cover all with aluminum foil. Finally the reader
is directed to rub the surface with a wad of cotton to bring out the details.
A similar method is described in the book A Treasure Trove of Ideas, by
Francois Cherrier, Angus and Robertson (U.K.), 1972. One begins by gluing
flattened and dried natural material or paper cutouts to cardboard or plexiglass,
essentially making a collagraph plate. Then glue is spread over the entire surface
before covering with aluminum foil. Next a couple of layers of soft fabric are laid
on top, and finally a board on top of all. By hammering on the board, the foil takes
the imprint of the design. Although the author talks about making prints using a
small press, what he describes is using the collagraph plate to press multiple
images into sheets of aluminum foil.
I would not be outrageously surprised to find that the technique I have called
foilography is not completely new. It is so simple, it seems someone must have
done it before. But the lack of written material perhaps justifies my writing these
notes.
I.C. Advantages
With collagraph, you glue your bits and pieces to a backing, and then coat it with
acrylic or some other reasonably tough coating. There are a number of problems
with collagraphs, as with any print making technique. For one thing, applying
acrylic medium badly distorts many delicate subjects, such as down, fine feathers,
and hair. Further, for many nature subjects, much of the detail is lost by the
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coating. For examples, veins in flower petals and surface detail in leaves get filled
in or obscured when coated with acrylic. In addition, the subject is lost forever
once it is bonded to the plate and covered with gunk. You probably do not want to
take that old rose your grandmother pressed in the family bible and permanently
cover it with acrylic. Finally, if you are not pleased with the composition of your
collagraph, it is not possible to change it once you have coated everything with
acrylic medium.
Foilography avoids these problems. Fragile materials such as down, fine feathers,
and hair, are not nearly so subject to distortion. Further, the foilograph technique
does not obscure details of natural subjects to nearly the extent that collagraphs do;
in fact, the foilograph technique brings out many fine details that are hard to see
with the naked eye. And with foilography, you can recover your original specimen
after printing. If you are not happy with the composition, you can make another
plate and try again. The only damage to the specimen will be caused by the
pressure of the press. In appearance, foilograph prints are often similar to soft
ground etchings. But there are no acids or chemical baths. And the specimen does
not get coated with waxy goo. Figure 1 is a foilograph of Oregon grape, one of my
very first.
Figure 1: Oregon grape
I.D. Disadvantages
No printmaking technique is perfect, and there are some disadvantages with
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foilography. Very fragile items, such as eggshell, which would be damaged by the
pressure of the press, cannot be printed with this technique. The technique does not
work well with very thick items, like pine cones or sea shells. And items with
sharp protrusions, like thorny branches, cannot be printed, since they tear the foil.
II. Making the Plate
Making a foilograph plate is very similar to making a collagraph plate. The major
difference is that the material and backing plate are “shrink wrapped” in aluminum
foil, rather than being coated with acrylic medium. First you must make a
“sandwich” consisting of a properly prepared specimen on a rigid baking, loosely
wrapped in aluminum foil. Then the plate is finished by applying pressure with
some sort of press, and finally removing any blemishes.
II.A. Specimen Preparation
For natural subjects, begin by pressing and drying your specimens. You can use
well wilted material as well. But fresh natural subjects contain too much water. The
water is squeezed out during the process and makes a bumpy surface which prints,
obscuring natural details.
If you have very fresh material and you do not wish to wait for it to dry naturally,
you can speed the drying process by using a microwave oven. Simply place the
item between two layers of cheap felt from a fabric store, place the felt between
two microwave safe plates, and pop it all in the microwave. The time will of course
depend on the power of the machine. It is best to be cautious; start with about 20
seconds and check the results.
The microwave oven will heat the water in the specimen, and the hot water will
migrate to the felt. When you check your specimen, you may well see steam, and
the felt will feel wet. After the initial heating, plant material will seem damp and
very limp. Place the limp material between the pages of a phone book and let it sit
for a few minutes, and then check it again. You do not need it to be really bone
dry; a leathery texture is quite good. You can always put your material back in the
microwave for a bit more time if the item is not quite dry enough.
You can print items ranging from extremely thin flower petals to things as thick as
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the central spine of large eagle feathers. Thick stems are squashed out of shape and
do not show true dimensions or shapes. Very thick items, such as thick stems or
feather spines, may need to be shaved on the back to reduce their thickness.
Extremely thick specimens such as pine cones do not work well, since they cannot
be covered by the foil without tearing it.
Of course, as with collagraph, you may make a foilograph using any sort of
relatively thin material, such as torn or cut bits of paper, ribbons, string, lace,
fabric, etc. For example, you may use tape, cut or torn bits of paper, and similar
material to produce images of frames, windows, doors, or even vases and flower
pots. You may use crumpled paper or tissue for interesting textural effects. Fine
sandpaper will produce a texture that will hold a lot of ink, serving the same
function as aquatint for intaglio plates. You may also use thin bits of metal or
found objects. You should avoid material with really sharp edges, as these can
pierce the tinfoil.
II.B. Making the Sandwich
To begin, you will need a tough, firm backing for the plate. You could use MDF,
hardboard, aluminum, brass, steel, copper, zinc, or plexiglass. Matboard and
cardboard do not work well, as they tend to bend and distort. Usually it is
important that the backing be SMOOTH. Any grain or surface imperfections will
print. Plexiglass is very electrostatic, and you may have some problems getting it
absolutely clean. Even very small bits of lint will print, and it is almost impossible
not to get lint from the air on the plexiglass, at least in MY house!! In spite of its
electrostatic properties, I prefer to use plexiglass.
Before making your
that you bevel the
corners of your
corners and edges will
and ruin the plate.
plate, it is very important
edges and round the
backing material. Sharp
pierce the aluminum foil
Figure 2: Plexiglass backing
with smoothed and rounded
corners and edges
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You may want a thin knife or spatula, a needle or pin, and tweezers to help position
your specimen. For good detail, it is usually best to place the back of leaves facing
out away from the backing. On the other hand, I find that I get better results with
feathers if the back of the feather is facing the backing.
Once you have your specimen and your backing materials, there are two ways to
proceed: (1) you can arrange your composition directly on the smooth backing and
then cover with aluminum foil; or (2) you can arrange your composition on the foil
and then lay the backing on top of the composition.
II.B.1. Composing on the Backing
Arranging your specimen directly on the backing initially seems natural, but it can
be a bit cumbersome when it comes time to wrap everything with foil. When
arranging your composition directly on the backing, remember that left and right
will be reversed when the plate is printed.
As an example of this approach, let’s have a look at the making of the plate for my
print “Dustbunnies”. I wanted to show something that would be hard to print using
the traditional collagraph approach. I have a beard and long hair, my sweetie has
long hair, and we live with two dogs and a cat. Consequently, we always have lots
of dust bunnies around the house. So for this example, I decided to print dust
bunnies. I got down on my hands and knees and roamed around the house until I
had collected a good wad of dust bunnies. I first arranged my dust bunnies
composition directly on the plexiglass sheet.
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Figure 3: Dust bunnies arranged on
plexiglass
Depending on your subject matter, you may find it useful to put a VERY SMALL
touch of repositionable glue on the back of some things to keep them from moving
around. I find the repositionable glue sold in stick form is the best. I have tried
using the spray glue, and it always seems to give too thick a coat, which shows up
as texture in the print. I like to use repositionable glue so I can move objects
around if I place them incorrectly the first time. And certainly if you wish to
recover the specimen after printing, you do not want to glue it down with
permanent glue. I find that pressed flower petals adhere very well to the surface of
the plate with no glue.
Keep the backing as free of lint, hair (not appropriate in this example!), and small
bits of trash as you can. Once you have a composition to your liking, place the
backing and specimen on a smooth clean work surface, specimen on top. You may
find it useful to use a paintbrush to remove any stray bits of lint or other unwanted
material from the plate.
Now, you want to remove a piece of kitchen aluminum foil from the roll, keeping it
as wrinkle free as possible. Cut the foil so it is big enough to completely cover the
backing and the subject and still leave enough to fold around by an inch or so on
all sides. DO NOT FOLD IT YET!!! Place the foil over the backing with the
specimen in place, and gently smooth out the foil. I put the foil DULL SIDE OUT,
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shiny side against the specimen, as I find the dull side takes ink a bit better.
Place the backing with specimen on top, on the table, with part of the backing
hanging over the edge. Then drape the foil carefully over the specimen and plate.
Then you can reach under and lift the sandwich up without disturbing the
composition.
With the foil on top, carefully pick up the backing, specimen, and the foil as a
sandwich. Fold the foil over the edges and around to the back of the plate on the
left and right sides. In any case, leave the two ends unfolded for the moment. Then
being very careful not to shift the specimen, flip the sandwich over so you can get
at the back of the plate.
Figure 4: Foil wrapped on two sides
If your specimen is well adhered to the backing plate, you may find it easier to put
the foil down on a flat surface, flip the plate with the specimen over and gently lay
the whole works down on the foil.
From the rear of the plate, you want to tape the foil to the backing. Begin by
putting a small piece of tape near the two corners of one edge. Then on the other
edge, pull the foil tight without tearing it and put tape at each of the other corners.
For large plates, you may want to put more tape. I find I get fewer wrinkles if I
press the tape to the foil and then use the tape to pull the foil at a diagonal toward
the nearest corner.
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Figure 5: Foil taped to back of plate
You are now ready to finish the plate by using some kind of press.
II.B.2. Composing on the Foil
Depending on the type of material you are dealing with, you may find it easier to
use the second approach mentioned above and make your composition directly on
the foil. When making your composition directly on the foil, remember that when
printed, with regard to left and right, the composition will appear as it does on the
foil ... left and right will NOT be reversed.
Begin by placing a couple of pieces of thin, fabric store felt down on a firm work
surface. Take a piece of foil a bit larger than your backing and place it on top of the
felt, dull side down, shiny side up.
Figure 6: Foil on felt, shiny side up
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Then place the backing material on top of the foil and press down lightly to mark
the outline of the backing material on the foil.
Figure 7: Press backing into foil to
mark outline, and remove backing
Next remove the plate and, using the plate marks as a guide, arrange your specimen
directly on the foil.
Figure 8: Using backing outline,
arrange specimen on foil
Being careful not to shift the specimen around on the foil, gently place the backing
on top of the specimen. With the foil-specimen-backing sandwich lying on the felt,
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just carefully fold the foil over onto the back of the backing on two opposing sides
and tape it in place.
Figure 9: Replace backing, fold and
tape foil on two edges
You are now ready to finish the plate by using some kind of press.
II.C. Finishing the Plate
In order the finish the plate, you now need to use a press of some kind. Because of
its high pressure and rolling action, an etching press gives the best results.
However, except for very thin material, such as fine down, very good results can be
had with a number of other press types. We will begin with the etching press, and
then go on to other alternatives. At the end we will discuss how to remove
blemishes from the finished plate.
II.C.1. Etching Press
Once the sandwich is made, you are ready to put it through the etching press. Cut
two long "rails" (as long at the bed of your press) about 1 inch wide of the same
material as the backing you are using to make the plate. Put the two rails along the
two sides of the press bed for the press roller to ride on. Adjust the roller pressure
with the felts in place between these rails and the press roller. This prevents too
much pressure from being applied to the aluminum foil -- too much pressure causes
the foil to "flow" (i.e. stretch) away from the thickest parts of your specimen and
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become very thin, resulting in a puncture or a tear. Place the sandwich between the
rails, with the foil covered specimen facing the press blankets, and the hard backing
plate (with the foil folded around it) against the press bed. The unfolded ends of the
tinfoil should go front and back through the press, with the folded foil at the sides.
Arrange the plate so that the first pass through the press will roll toward the thickest
part of the specimen first ... so the thickest part of the specimen goes under the
roller first. This seems to produce fewer wrinkles. Try to avoid abrupt edges in the
specimen. If possible taper the edges of thick items, like plant stems. Run the whole
thing through your etching press, with blankets in place. Use pretty good pressure. I
usually run the press forward and then back, so the sandwich goes through the press
twice.
When I first started, I used dampened paper over the sandwich when I was making
the plate. You may find that you get better detail with some specimens if you do the
same. However, I now usually dispense with the dampened paper and just rely on
the pressure and flexibility inherent in the press blankets.
After going through the press, you should have a very smooth sandwich with the
details of the specimen embossed in the aluminum foil.
Figure 10: Foil package on press
bed with rails in place
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Check your composition at this point. If you find the material has shifted, or if you
do not like the composition, just start over with a fresh piece of foil. I re-did the
dust bunnies plate several times to get it the way I wanted it.
Figure 11: Initial dust bunnies plate from etching
press
You will find a final version of the plate below.
When you look at the plate, you may discover that there are wrinkles in the foil
where you do not want them to be. Most wrinkles can be removed by rubbing along
the wrinkle with a cotton swab; never rub crosswise to the wrinkle, or it will
become permanent.
You may also discover that there are small pieces of lint, dust, or other trash under
the foil. To remove these, you must carefully untape the foil and lift it. Remove the
trash with a fine, dry brush, and replace the foil. The blemish in the foil can then be
removed by rubbing it with a cotton swab.
When you are happy with the look of the plate, fold the remaining two foil edges
over and around to the back of the plate, pull toward the midline of the plate and
tape them to the backing. You do not need to run a whole line of tape continuously
around the edges, and indeed it is not a good idea to do so. It should be sufficient to
use a piece of tape at each end, and perhaps a piece in the middle if the plate is
large.
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Figure 12: Undesirable taping
Unless the plate is very small, I do not like to have the back completely covered by
foil, as it is in figure 12. It is useful to have bare areas of the plate to which to tape
the foil. And if you are using plexiglass backing, you may be able to see bits of lint
that need to be removed or see items that have shifted position. Unlike the example
in figure 12, you should try to tape the foil to the backing, not to other parts of the
foil. Taping the foil to the backing keeps it in place relative to the backing, whereas
taping the foil to other bits of foil allows the whole thing to move and shift. If
necessary, you are advised to trim the ends of the foil before taping to the backing.
Figure 13: Correct taping
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When taping, although you are pulling toward the midline, you should angle your
tension at each end of the foil toward the adjoining edge. You want to avoid
wrinkles in the middle of the sides. It is easier to get good tension if you use the
tape to help pull the foil. Stick the tape well down to the loose foil edge, then make
a tab on the free end by folding the tap on itself. Use the tab on the free end of the
tape to pull the foil, and then finally stick the free end of the tape down to the
backing. The tab will allow you to more easily lift the tape if you need to re-tighten
the foil later.
As you print, the foil may tend to stretch a little, and you may want to re-tighten it
by lifting the tape from the backing, pulling on the foil, and then sticking it back
down. You will find it easier to do if you make a tab on the end of the tape you
attach to the backing, as described above. Then you can easily free the tape from the
backing, pull the edges of the foil tight and tape them down again.
You should now have a complete plate, consisting of a backing, with a specimen on
top, all covered with aluminum foil which wraps around everything on all sides.
Figure 14: Finished dust bunnies plate
You will be amazed at how much detail shows in the foil. With leaves, you can
sometimes actually see the pores in the leaf. With feathers, you get all the fine detail
of the down. And with flower petals, you can actually see the veins in the petals.
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The challenge is to ink the plate in such a way as to reveal these details.
III.C.2 The Palm Press
To make the best possible plate, you need an action like squeezing a tooth paste
tube. You need to start with pressure at one end of the sandwich and move toward
the other end, squeezing out air and stretching the foil over the specimen in a
continuous movement from one end to the other. For best results, an etching press,
lithographic press, potter’s slab press, or something similar seems to be required.
However, there is a way to achieve very good results by hand.
The best alternative that I have found to an etching press for making foilographs is
a simple palm press. The one that I use is easily made from readily available
materials.
Go to the hardware store and look at the array of casters for furniture that are for
sale. You want a set made to go on a fridge or stove. Careful ... they make a
platform type that the whole appliance sits on ... that is NOT what you want. You
want a package of four casters. Each caster consists of two small diameter plastic
rollers, housed in a metal case. There will be a short threaded stub out the top of
each metal case. Your fridge or stove comes with 4 small, circular skid plates, one
screwed into each corner of the bottom, essentially for leveling the appliance. These
casters are designed to replace the little skid plates with rollers so you can move
your fridge or stove around. You will only need one of these little casters, but they
usually come as a set of 2 or 4. The threaded stub will have a nut on it. Take the nut
off. The threaded stub on the casters I have is 5/16 inch in diameter, and I suspect
that is a North American standard. Buy the largest diameter ball drawer pull you
can find ... you want something at least 1.5 inches in diameter. Or, you can take a
scrap piece of 2x4 and saw out a circle about 2 inches in diameter. Get a 9/32 inch
drill, and drill out the hole in the drawer pull; if you cut your own, just drill a 9/32
hole in the center. Now, just screw the handle down onto the caster as tight as you
can. Presto ... you now have a palm press. You could also use an old door knob for
a handle, if you can find the kind that screws onto the square rod through the door
that the old latches used to have; use epoxy to hold it in place.
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Figure 15: Making a simple palm press
To use your palm press to make a foilograph plate, place your backing, specimen,
foil sandwich on a firm surface preferably below waist high, like a table top. The
backing should be on the bottom, with the specimen next and the foil at the top.
Cover the sandwich with two pieces of thin, fabric store felt.
Figure 16: Place felt on top
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Next use the palm press to press the foil around the specimen. Place the palm press
on the bottom edge of the plate, put both hands on top of the press, and keeping
your arms stiff, lean onto the press with your upper body.
Figure 17: Palm press
position
In this position, you now roll the palm press forward and off the far edge of the
Figure 18: First
passes
plate. Pick up the press and bring it back to the lower edge of the plate again, and
continue making overlapping strokes from the bottom to the top until you have gone
over the entire surface of the plate. Then turn the plate with felts around 180° and
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repeat the process, essentially rolling over the plate in the opposite direction.
Figure 19: Second
passes
Next turn the plate 90° and repeat the same steps going from side to side.
Figure 20: Third passes
Figure 21: Fourth passes
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Now we can remove the felt to see how the plate looks.
Figure 22: Plate in initial condition
One thing we want to do is to cut off the excess of aluminum foil at the ends of the
plate, leaving about an inch or so to fold under. We also want to use a cotton swab
to rub out any wrinkles that have appeared because of the stretching of the foil.
Rubbing lengthways along the wrinkles gives the best chance of smoothing them
out. If you rub crossways, you are likely to produce a small fold which will be
almost impossible to remove.
Figure 23: Trimming ends and
removing wrinkles
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Finally, we need to turn the plate over. If the foil seems loose, it may be necessary
to carefully peel the tape holding one edge of the foil, pull the foil to tighten it, and
retape. Finally we need to fold the foil ends onto the back of the plate and tape
them.
Figure 24: Taping the back
At this point, the plate is essentially finished. As with a plate made on the etching
press, if there are any remaining wrinkles, they should be removed by carefully
rubbing along their length with a cotton swab. And if there are any undesirable bits
of lint or other trash under the foil, you must untape the foil, remove them carefully
with a dry brush, retape the foil, and smooth out the bumps in the foil.
Figure 25: The finished plate
Aluminum foil is quite plastic and will reveal an amazing amount of detail, as long
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as we have used enough pressure in making the plate.
Figure 26: Plate detail
II.C.3 Rolling Pin
It is possible to make decent small foilograph plates using a rolling pin. I prefer to
use a marble rolling pin, although a wooden one will also work well. Rolling pins of
the sort we want to use are constructed with a roller about 2 inches in diameter; a
shaft runs longitudinally through the center of the roller and through two plastic
bushings, one at each end of the roller. Two handles are pressed onto the shaft, one
at each end.
Figure 27: Marble rolling pin
As purchased, rolling pins for kitchen use come with quite a small shaft, and under
the full leaning weight of your body such small shafts tend to bend. If this becomes
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a problem, it is a simple matter to replace the shaft with one larger in diameter.
Figure 28: Replacement rolling pin
shaft
Purchase a length of smooth steel rod from the hardware store, about 5/16 or even
3/8 inch in diameter. Remove the handles from the original shaft. Try just twisting
them in opposite directions until they loosen and can be pulled off. Remove the
original shaft from the rolling pin. Use a drill of appropriate size to drill out the
bushings to accept your new shaft. Also drill out the handles to be a press fit onto
the shaft. Cut the new shaft to length, using the old shaft as a pattern. Then
reassemble your rolling pin. If the handles are too loose on the shaft, then you may
have to use glue to hold them in place.
The rolling pin is used in much the same was as the palm press. Place the sandwich
on a firm surface, with the backing down and the specimen covered with foil facing
up. For convenience, I will assume that the bottom of the plate is closest to you and
the top of the plate is furthest away from you. Cover the sandwich with a couple of
pieces of thin fabric store felt. Place the rolling pin on top of the felt, on the plate at
the bottom. With your hands on the handles at each end of the rolling pin and your
arms stiff, lean your body weight onto the rolling pin.
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Figure 29: Using a rolling pin
By pushing it away from you, slowly roll the pin from the bottom toward the top of
the plate and off the edge. Then turn the sandwich and felt 180 degrees, and roll the
pin beginning at the top of the plate and off the bottom edge of the plate. Next, turn
the sandwich and the felt 90 degrees, and this time run the rolling pin starting at one
side of the plate and off the opposite side. Finally, turn the sandwich and plate 180
degrees and roll the plate one last time in the opposite direction.
Now you can remove the felt. The plate should look pretty much as in figure 22. As
previously indicated, you can now remove any captured dust particles and smooth
wrinkles with a cotton swab. Trim the ends of the foil as in figure 23 and finish the
plate by folding the foil ends to the back of the plate and taping them in place, as in
figure 24.
For large plates, the rolling pin just does not seem to have enough pressure.
However, for small plates the rolling pin works quite well. For very small plates,
you may have difficulty keeping the pin balanced on top of the plate as you roll it
along. To cure this problem, simply place two rails, one along each side of the plate,
under the felt, for the rolling pin to rest on.
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II.C.4. Platen Press
Although a press with a rolling action seems to give the best results when making a
foilograph plate, you can obtain excellent results with platen presses unless your
material is very fine (e.g. very fine down). A platen press consists of two flat
surfaces ... a bed and a platen. Essentially a platen press simply presses the two
surfaces together, applying pressure to whatever we have placed between.
A relatively cheap, commonly available platen press is a book binding press,
sometimes called a nipping press. These presses are usually made of cast iron and
are quite heavy. Pressure is applied through a simple screw mechanism by turning a
handle. Because of the limitations of the screw action, it is difficult to obtain really
high pressures with a book binding press.
Figure 30: Book binding press
Better results can be had with a simple home made bottle jack press. There are
many designs, and the details are not important. The one illustrated uses a fixed bed
and a moveable platen; the bungee chords retract the jack and platen when the valve
is turned to release the pressure. The more powerful the jack used, the more
pressure can be applied, up to the limit of the press frame. I have found that at least
a 6-ton jack is preferable. The larger the plate you want to make, the stronger the
jack you should use.
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Figure 31: Bottle jack press
The process of making the plate with a platen press is much the same as we have
already discussed. Simply cover the sandwich with a couple of layers of fabric store
felt, and place the whole works on the bed. Then apply pressure. The more pressure
you apply, the more detail will be revealed on the plate. Because they do not have a
rolling action, platen presses usually produce more wrinkles on the plate. After
removing the plate from the press, remove blemishes and smooth wrinkles as
previously described.
II.C.5. Mallet Press
There was a German patent issued in 1940 for a technique for printing etchings with
a mallet. Essentially a mechanism was designed to keep paper from shifting on the
plate. In use, an inked plate was place in the apparatus, covered with dampened
paper. A pyramidal shaped platen was placed on the back of the paper and
hammered with a mallet.
I have experimented a bit with making foilograph plates this way. Basically one
places the sandwich, covered with a couple of layers of fabric store felt, between
two flat boards and then hammers away with a mallet. In theory it should work just
fine. The impetus of the hammering should mold the aluminum foil around the
specimen. But in my experiments, I did not find the technique to produce consistent
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results. Given the ease of making foilograph plates by other means, I have not
pursued this technique.
II.C.6. Blemishes
After the sandwich has been through the press process, look at the front surface of
the plate very carefully. You may find that there are stray bits of hair and dust that
have been caught under the foil. Any bump that is visible on the foil will catch and
hold ink and be printed. If you do not want these imperfections to show up on your
print, then you must remove them. In order to remove a hair or piece of lint,
carefully remove the tape and unfold the foil from one edge. You may then use a
fine water color brush or something similar to carefully brush lint from the surface
of the backing. In some cases the offending particle will remain embedded in the
foil, so be sure to examine the foil carefully. Again, use a fine brush to remove any
particle embedded in the foil. Because moisture helps reduce electrostatic attraction,
you might try using a very slightly damp brush if you are having difficulty with a
particularly recalcitrant particle. But you must be careful not to introduce any
moisture under the foil. Be very careful not to move the specimen during this whole
process.
After the offending particles have been removed, you need to replace and re-tape
the foil. When re-taping the foil, be sure the tape is firmly attached to the foil and
use it as a “handle” to pull and stretch the foil tightly around the backing. Then tape
the foil securely to the back side of the backing. After re-taping, you may smooth
out the lint "bump" with the back of a finger nail or cotton swab.
Because the foil stretches during the press process, after forming the plate in the
press, you may find that there are wrinkles in the surface of the foil. These wrinkles
will hold ink and print if they are not removed. If there are any small wrinkles in the
foil, you may carefully smooth them out by rubbing them with the back of a
fingernail or with a cotton swab. Do not rub across a wrinkle, as this will tend to
produce fine folds in the foil which are impossible to remove. Rather, rub along the
length of each wrinkle. If your plate is large enough, you may also find that rubbing
length wise along a wrinkle with your finger will remove the wrinkle. But be
careful rubbing with your finger, as the friction will tend to stretch the foil or even
tear it.
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Figure 32: Dust particles and wrinkles
After first forming the plate, or after a few prints, you may find that the foil appears
to be loose. If the foil is loose, it will be harder to ink the plate properly, and you
may introduce wrinkles during the printing process. To tighten up the foil, undo the
tape from the backing, carefully pull the foil to tighten it, and then re-tape it to the
backing.
Having spent a lot of time telling you how to remove wrinkles, let me take a step
back and suggest that sometimes the wrinkles can add a great deal to the image. For
an example, sprinkle some small seeds on the plate, such as mustard or poppy seeds
or small grass seeds, or some mixture. Make your plate, and you will find a network
of wrinkles joining the seeds in a random way. The first plate of this sort I saw was
made by Carole Carroll. Such a plate can make very interesting prints.
II.C.7. Summary Comparison
In general an etching press seems to give the best results when making a foilograph
plate. But when used carefully, a simple palm press can do almost as well. For small
plates, a rolling pin would probably be the next best. But for larger plates, a bottle
jack press will generally yield better results than a rolling pin, but not as good as a
palm press. For comparison purposes, here are some plates made with the different
techniques.
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Figure 33: Etching press plate
Figure 34: Palm press plate
Figure 35: Rolling pin plate
Figure 36: Bottle jack press plate
III. Inking the Plate
A foilograph plate is a very low relief plate. The greatest challenge is in inking the
plate to achieve the desired results. I think of there being five main inking
techniques, each producing somewhat different results: (1) blind embossing with no
ink; (2) a basic roll-up; (3) masking; (4) free-hand color application; (5) intaglio
wiping. Of course these techniques can all be combined in various ways. Any
inking method appropriate for collagraphs (e.g. viscosity inking) should work as
well for foilographs, as long as you are gentle and do not stretch or pierce the foil.
III.A. Blind Embossing
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A blind embossing is a design impressed into paper without any ink. Although there
will be some loss of detail, foilograph plates are very good for producing blind
embossings. If you are only going to do blind embossing, then obviously no inking
is required. For blind embossing, it is best to dampen your paper. Thick papers
made for etching work well for such an application. If you have particularly fluffy
paper and a high pressure press, you may be able to produce acceptable
emobossings on dry paper. However, dry paper is much harder on the plate, and the
foil will not last as long as with damp paper. Once the plate is made, just place your
paper over the plate and run it through your press.
Figure 37: Blind embossing
III.B Inks
Because it is aluminum, I find that water based inks sometimes ball up on the
surface. Speedball water based inks seem to work fine, though their pigment content
is not high. I have tried mixing pigments with rice paste, as with Japanese
woodblock printing, but the resulting ink just balled up on the aluminum. Some
additional plasticiser such as honey seems to be required.
Oil based inks seem to work the best. Any good quality oil based ink formulated
for block printing will work well. Applying very sticky ink to the plate tends to lift
and stretch the foil, creating wrinkles and spreading ink into unwanted areas.
Although lithographic inks have very good pigment content, they are far too sticky
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to use unthinned on a foilograph plate. I find that even etching inks are too sticky
unless well thinned. To avoid stretching your foil, your ink should have the
consistency of oil paint. If your ink is too sticky, then thin it with artist’s quality
linseed oil. Since you will not be using much oil, it is best to buy the highest grade
available from an artist’s supply store.
I have gotten quite reasonable results with water-mixable oil colors but again find
they are best thinned slighty. When using water-mixable oils, I find that I need to
use dampened paper to get the ink off the plate; water-mixable oils seem to dry a lot
faster than inks specifically made for print making. I have not tried other oil paints,
but they may also work.
If you like to make your own inks, you may begin with artist’s grade stand oil from
any good art supplier. The viscosity of stand oil is suitable for inking a foilograph
plate. If you are using print dispersions, they may be added directly to the stand oil
on your inking slab and thoroughly mixed with a spatula or pallet knife. To ensure
proper drying, you may want to add a drop of cobalt drier. I have used stand oil and
pigment dispersions from Guerra in New York in this way.
Dry pigments are difficult to mix directly into stand oil. They tend to clump and
ball up because the oil does not penetrate the powder well. However, dry pigments
can be use if you first make a paste with the pigment and very pure isopropyl or
ethyl alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol can be purchased in drug stores and can be found
99% pure in many locales. Ethyl alcohol is what is found in booze. In some
locations you can buy ethyl alcohol that is 95% pure (190 proof); it is sold under
trade names like “Clear Spring”, “Ever Clear”, or “Pure Grain Alcohol”. Mix the
dry powdered pigment with enough alcohol to make a paste. Then mix the pigment
paste with the stand oil to make your ink; again, you may wish to add a drop of
cobalt drier to ensure proper drying.
Aluminum reacts very readily with many materials. Some inks may react with the
aluminum and discolor slightly. Only experimentation will help you find out what
color you will get with a specific ink on your aluminum foil.
III.C. Inking Tools
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You will need a convenient place to roll out your inks; print makers usually call this
an inking slab. You can use a piece of plexiglass or a piece of real glass. But a more
convenient inking slab to use is a piece of white butcher paper or freezer paper,
which you can buy in most large grocery stores. I have specified white because it is
easier to see your colors on white paper; but except for color distortion, the brown
butcher paper works just as well. These papers have a plasticised side that is
impervious to water, grease and oil, so your ink should not penetrate the paper. Cut
off a piece of convenient size, and place the shiny, plasticised side up and tape it to
a firm surface with masking tape. After you are finished, clean up is simple ... just
throw it away.
You will also need a variety of ink rollers, or “brayers”. Brayers come in a variety
of sizes and degrees of hardness. Smaller sizes are readily available in most art
supply stores. You will want some brayers that are quite hard (often made from
plexiglass rod) and some that are softer.
Figure 38: Variety of brayers
You will also want to have a few large, hard dabbers. Hard dabbers are useful for
applying ink to the high spots of a plate. Hard dabbers are made by using a small
piece of dowel or similar material for a handle and gluing or screwing a small disk
(1 inch to 2 inches in diameter, depending on the size you need) to the end of the
dowel. Furniture glides work well for the disks and are available in a variety of
sizes at most hardware stores. For a bit of softness, the surface of the disk may be
covered with a thin layer of felt. Finally the disk, and any felt, is covered with a
layer of smooth leather or fine mesh silk or similar material, which may be secured
in place with string or a rubber band. A hard dabber may be inked with a roller. Or
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it may be inked by using it to smear a bit of ink around on the inking slab. The hard
dabber is used to apply ink to the high parts of the plate by carefully pressing the
dabber against the appropriate parts of the plate. I make my hard dabbers with
smooth leather scraps. They may be cleaned by using vegetable oil followed by
soap and water. Cloth coverings would have to be removed and washed after each
use.
Figure 39: Hard dabbers
In addition to hard dabbers, you may apply ink by hand to specific areas of the
plate by using soft dabbers. Do NOT use mat board or rolled up felt to scrape ink
across the surface
of the plate as you
would with an
etching. Such
measures tend to
stretch and/or tear
the foil. Instead,
you may ink
specific areas
with a paint brush
or a dabber. Paint
brushes tend to
leave brush
marks. Generally
you get smoother
results with a soft
dabber.
Figure 40: Soft dabbers
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Cosmetic sponges make very decent soft dabbers. They may be bought cheaply at
most cosmetics outlets or drug stores. Cosmetic sponges are hard to clean, but are
so cheap they may simply be discarded after use.
You can also easily make soft dabbers from most any close weave fabric, cotton
balls, and rubber bands. Simply place a few cotton balls in the middle of a square of
fabric. Then bring the corners of the fabric together and twist to make a tadpole
shape. Finally, secure the “tail” with a rubber band. The tail forms a convenient
handle.
Another useful soft dabber is made from a cut off finger from a nitrile glove.
Simply place a cotton ball or two in the tip of the finger, insert a cotton swab for use
as a handle, and secure the cut off finger to the swab with a rubber band.
To use a soft dabber, hold the dabber by the tail handle and dab the head of it into
the ink on your inking slab. A "dab" is a light, bouncing motion. Then dab the head
several times on a clear portion of the inking slab until the ink is evenly distributed.
Then apply the ink to the plate by dabbing with the inked tadpole. You will have to
re-ink the dabber frequently. You can also use a soft dabber to gently smear ink into
recessed areas of the plate. These dabbers can be cleaned after use by throwing
away the cotton balls and washing the material covering in soap and water. If cheap
material is used, it may simply be discarded.
III.D. Roll-up
To do a simple roll up, first the ink should be rolled out on an inking slab with a
“brayer”, or ink roller. The tendency of beginners is to use way too much ink. You
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want a very, very thin coat of ink on your brayer ... if in doubt, use less ink.
The ink is applied to the foilograph plate by rolling the brayer very lightly over the
surface. You should just use the weight of the brayer itself, without applying any
other pressure. This process will put ink on the high spots of the plate, leaving a
halo around them.
If you are using a small diameter brayer, you will have to re-ink your brayer many
times. You must be careful to avoid getting sharp lines when you reapply the brayer
to the plate. Strive for a smooth transition from lights to darks. Particularly for
small plates, you may find it useful to place the plate between two rails of the same
thickness as the backing. Then resting the inked brayer on the rails, simply run the
roller over the plate. Depending on the amount of ink desired, you may wish to run
the roller over the plate several times. You may wish to change the orientation of
the plate relative to the roller in order to produce a more uniform inking. If you use
a very hard roller, only the highest details will receive ink. The softer the roller, the
more ink will get on the shallower parts of the plate. Experimentation will allow
you to determine the look you like. The print in Figure 41 was produced by a simple
roll up using thinned sepia etching ink.
Figure 41: Memories of
summers past
III.E. Masking
If you want to limit the ink application to only a certain part of the plate (e.g. avoid
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getting ink on the plate around the outside of a leaf), then you can use clear plastic
sheet for a mask. Place the plastic over the plate and use a felt pen to draw around
the specimen. Then put the sheet on some other backing and use a knife to cut out
the shape of the specimen. Use the mask when inking; and when you are finished
inking, before printing, use a cotton swab and alcohol to carefully remove any stray
ink from the plate.
Figure 42: Mylar mask
You can also make a mask from plain paper. Either make a blind embossing or ink
up the plate and then print it with light pressure on the paper mask material. Use dry
paper, or else the mask will change dimensions as it dries. Then cut out the mask.
Spaying a paper mask with fixative or painting it with shellac or acrylic medium
will make it last longer.
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Figure 43: Horse chestnut
Using a mask with a rainbow roll can produce very nice results. For a rainbow roll,
two or more colors are laid out close together on one inking slab. A brayer is then
run through the adjacent ink, producing a stripe of each ink on the brayer, with a
blend between the stripes. Using a rainbow roll on the plate, it is possible to ink
with multiple colors that shade nicely into each other. My print of stair step moss
was done using this technique and three colors.
Figure 44: Stair step
moss
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III.F. Freehand
In some cases, you may prefer to apply ink to specific parts of the plate in a
freehand manner. Both soft and hard dabbers are very useful for this purpose.You
may also ink the plate by using a nitrile or latex glove and using a finger to gently
smear the ink around on the plate.
Figure 45: Inking dust bunnies
The dust bunnies plate was hand inked using soft dabbers for the blue, a hard
dabber to get black on the suface of some of the hair, and cotton swabs to get color
on the bit of leaf and the few wood chips.
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Figure 46: Dust bunnies print
III.G. Intaglio
You may also use intaglio techniques for inking the plate. The basic idea is to
gently apply ink in blobs to the plate and then gently smear the ink around, working
it well into low spots. Remember that you cannot use straight etching ink for this
process; it is too sticky and will stretch and tear the foil. Be sure your ink is quite
loose. I prefer to use soft dabbers to apply and smear the ink. Others may prefer to
use their gloved fingers. Then use news print or old phone book pages to very
gently wipe the plate.
If the plate is small enough, hold it in one gloved hand; if the plate is too large,
place it on a non-slip surface. You will begin by more blotting than wiping. Place a
sheet of paper over the inked plate, and use very light pressure with your hand on
the paper. Try to gently move your hand in a very small circular motion on the
paper. The paper may stick to the surface of the plate at first. Try not to lift of
stretch the foil. Carefully remove and discard the paper, and replace it by another.
Keep removing the inked paper and replacing it by fresh, and trying to move your
wiping hand in a circular motion. Eventually you will feel the paper begin to slide
over the plate. Look at the plate to see how much ink has been removed. This
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wiping process will tend to leave ink in the low parts of the plate and remove it
from the high parts. By differential wiping, you can produce very subtle gradations
of tone. By using different colors of ink on different parts of the plate and carefully
blending the areas during smearing and wiping, you can create quite intricate
gradations in color and tonal quality.
Figure 47: Light as ...
III.H. Combination Techniques
Of course all of these inking techniques may be applied in combinations. Often
inking obscures some of the details available on the plate. To reveal details, it may
be useful to wipe ink from the higher parts of the plate as is done in intaglio.
Alternatively, you may wish to add contrast and modeling by applying one color to
the recessed parts of the plate and a different color to the high portions of the plate.
After doing a roll-up or using a mask, you can gently wipe the high spots by hand
using a nitrile glove or with a piece of newsprint to remove the ink from the high
spots. After wiping the plate, you may then use a hard dabber or a hard roller to
apply another color to the high parts of the plate.
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As an aid in this two color inking process, one can rely on a technique from intaglio
printing, known as viscosity inking. In its original form, the technique relied on the
fact that inks of very different viscosities would not stick together readily. A very
thin, soupy ink will reject a stiffer ink. On the other hand, a thin ink will cover a
stiff ink.
In practice, you may use a thin, soupy ink on a soft roller or dabber to ink the lower
parts of your plate. Gently wipe the high parts with newsprint. Then use a hard
brayer to apply a stiffer ink to the high parts of the plate. The hard brayer will help
to keep the ink application on the high parts. This was the process used to produce
the print of Oregon grape in Figure 1.
A variant of the viscosity technique is based on the fact that in general water and oil
do not readily mix. You can apply this principle to get multicolors on your plate, as
long as you do not use water mixable oils. In practice, I find that water based inks
will not adhere when applied on top of oil based inks. So, one could begin by
appling an oil based ink to the lower parts of the plate using a dabber or a soft
brayer. Next, gently wipe the high areas with newsprint. Then use a hard brayer to
apply a water based ink to the high areas.
IV. Printing the Plate
IV.A. Paper Selection
Having inked the plate you are now ready to print. Paper selection can greatly
influence the outcome. Very smooth papers, such as card stock or cover stock,
reveal quite fine details. But card stock is very hard paper, and consequently it is
hard on the plate. You can also get good detail on oriental “rice” papers. I really like
fluffier papers, such as BFK Rives, but the very finest details sometimes do not
show up on it. As a generalization, lighter weight papers tend to give me better
details than heavier weight papers.
Rice paper must be printed dry. But heavier papers may be printed either damp or
dry. Thin Japanese papers may be printed damp or dry. I find I get finer details with
dampened paper. As with intaglio, if you use dampened paper, you will pick up the
ink in the little crevices of the plate. However, for most subjects you can get quite
acceptable results with dry paper. But remember that if you are using water-mixable
oils, you will probably have to use dampened paper just to get the color to come off.
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As with most everything else in printmaking, you really need to experiment with
papers, dry and damp, to see what suits you and your subject.
IV.B. Presses
Once the plate is made and inked, you will want to print it. Basically you just lay
your selected paper, dry or damp, on top of the plate. Cover with a couple of pieces
of fabric store felt, and use some means of applying pressure. You do not need to
use an etching press to print it. In fact, there are some good reasons NOT to do so.
One of the primary problems with using an etching press to print your plate is that it
tends to stretch the aluminum foil, producing wrinkles. The problem of stretching is
worsened if the printing surface of the foil is closest to the driving roller. For
example, on my press, the driving roller is below the bed. If I place felts on the bed,
then the paper, then the plate (printing the plate face down, as it were), then I get
more stretching than if I place the plate on the bed, then the paper, then the felts.
With the printing surface facing the driving roller, the following sequence happens:
the driving roller pulls on the bed; the bed pulls on the felts; the felts pull on the
paper; the paper pulls on the foil; the foil pulls on the plate; and the plate pulls on
the upper roller. Using the foil to pull the plate, rather than the plate to pull the foil,
seems to stretch the foil more.
However, some small etching presses with small diameter top rollers suffer from
blanket creep ... the blanket tends to be dragged by the top roller, rather than turning
the top roller. If you are printing with the plate on the bed, paper on top, and you
have blanket creep, then you are very likely to stretch the foil when you print. The
blanket will pull on the paper, which will pull on the foil. In cases of blanket creep,
you can sometimes lessen stretching by printing the plate “upside down” ... put a
couple of layers of fabric store felt on the bed, then the paper, and finally the plate,
covered by the etching felt; use a bit less pressure on the top roller. In some cases, it
may help to turn the plate 90 degrees to your normal orientation. As a last resort,
you may have to use velcro strips to attach the etching felt to the bed.
A second problem with using the etching press to print the foilograph plate is the
high pressures which may result unless a great deal of care is exercised. The heavier
the pressure, the shorter the life of the plate. Aluminum tends to flow under
pressure, so the foil will become very thin at the high spots and eventually tear. Just
as when making the plate, I find it useful to put two rails down the side of the bed,
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made of the same material as the plate backing. Leave room between the rails for
the plate and the paper. Then adjust the pressure so the roller and blankets are riding
on the two rails ... good, firm pressure on the rails should be sufficient. Then the
paper and plate should give plenty of pressure to print without stressing the foil
unduly. If you are using thicker paper, you should use less pressure. If you are using
dry paper, then use less pressure than with dampened paper. If you are not getting
good results, try placing an extra loose sheet or two of thin felt from the fabric store
over the paper. That little bit of extra flexible thickness is often all that is required
to get the pressure just right. Experience is the best guide.
To print your foilograph plate, you can use a letter press, a book binding press, an
improvised bottle jack or car jack press, a “walking” press, a marble rolling pin, or
even a “bean can” press. These techniques produce less shearing action, so there
should be less of a problem with wrinkling the aluminum foil. Also, these printing
options generally do not result in as high a pressure as an etching (or similar action)
press, so your plate should last longer and you will get more impressions from it.
For simple in-line pressure presses (letter press, book binding press, bottle jack
press), just place the plate on a backing board, cover with a sheet of paper, then
cover with some cushion material (felt, foam), place the whole in the press, and
apply pressure. Since there is no shearing action, there is less wrinkling of the
aluminum foil.
Walking presses can be quite simple or more complicated. The basic idea is to place
the paper over the plate and cover with a cushion (felt or foam). Then with bare
feet, walk carefully around on top, using the toes and balls of the feet to apply
pressure all over. With foilographs, I find this works best if you put a thin layer of
felt down, then the paper, then the plate, and cover the whole with a thick cushion
layer. A walking press consists of a simple backing board with a long leather or (or
similar material) flap attached at one end of the backing board. The plate-paper-feltcushion sandwich is placed on the backing board and wrapped with the flap to hold
everything in place as the user walks around on top of the flap.
To print with a rolling pin, place the plate on a firm table between two rails of the
same thickness as the backing. Place the paper over the plate between the rails, and
cover with a cushion (felt or foam) also between the rails. Place the rolling pin on
the rails, lean over the rolling pin with stiffened arms to put pressure on the rolling
pin, and roll over the sandwich. You may need to roll over the sandwich several
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times to get a good image. A marble rolling pin works just as well as the very
expensive stainless steel “pin press” sold by art suppliers.
A “bean can” press works in much the same way as the rolling pin press. Place the
plate-paper-cushion sandwich between rails as with the rolling pin. Then place a
piece of thin plexiglass across the rails, on top of the sandwich. Place a small can of
tinned vegetables or fruit on end on top of the plexiglass. It may help to apply a
small amount of lubricant to the bottom of the can (e.g., petroleum jelly). Then
place both hands on the top of the can, use stiffened arms to put pressure on the can,
and rub the can all around the plexiglass. The same technique will work using the
palm press described earlier.
IV.C. Cleaning the Plate
If you get too much ink on your plate or you want to switch to a different color
scheme, or when you have finished printing your edition, you will want to clean
your plate. In preparation for cleaning, it is a good idea to remove as much of the
ink as possible by printing the plate under light pressure several times on paper
toweling.
To clean the plate, I just wipe it with a damp tissue when using water mixable
colors. For normal oily inks, I use tissue and a bit of vegetable oil. Alcohol on a bit
of cotton batting works well to clean foilograph plates. Or you can use soap and
water. No matter what you use, you must be very carful not to introduce liquids
beneath the foil, or you will produce bubbles and wrinkles that ruin the plate.
If the ink dries on the plate, I find I can sometimes get it off easily by just buffing
softly with a dry tissue. Alcohol and water can also sometimes be used to remove
dry inks. As a last result, acetone will generally remove dried inks.
After printing, just remove the aluminum foil to retrieve the specimen. Or you can
store the plate, provided that the enclosed specimen is well dried and will not mold.
If you want to keep the plate, note that the aluminum foil is reasonably delicate, so
wrap the plate in newspaper to preserve it for future use.
V. Advanced Topics
V.A. Multiple Passes and Plates
Morgan
Page 47
In the printing, one fundamental question concerns whether there will be just one
pass through the press or multiple passes. Multiple passes and/or multiple plates
introduce the usual problems of registration. With foilograph plates, registration is
more of a problem because usually the foil wrapped around the edges of the backing
does not give a precise registration edge.
There are some simple pin registration techniques which work well. Each
registration pin consists of a flat, thin tab about an inch long and 3/4 of an inch wide
with a small perpendicular dowel at one end. The dowel must be the exact size of
the holes made by the punch (frequently 1/4 inch or the metric equivalent of 6 mm).
Registration pins of stainless steel may be purchased from lithographers’ supply
outlets. Or they may be made from brass, aluminum or plastic. I made some simply
by cutting small pieces of thin plexiglass and gluing a short 1/4 inch plexiglass
dowel at one end.
Figure 48: Registration pins
The basic idea is to use double backed tape to attach the plate to one end of a carrier
sheet consisting of a long piece of mylar, acetate, or similar material. You could use
paper for your carrier sheet, but I prefer to use plastic since any stray ink can be
easily wiped off. To be sure the plate stays in position on the carrier sheet, the tape
should attach to the backing material of the plate, not to the foil. The carrier sheet
must be long enough to extend well beyond the plate. You want to be able to print
the plate but keep one end of the carrier sheet from going under the roller or
pressure plate. In Figure 49, I have used a piece of blue paper for the carrier sheet
for ease of viewing.
Morgan
Page 48
Figure 49: Registration
technique
Use a two or three hole paper punch to punch holes in the end of the carrier sheet.
Use the same paper punch to punch holes in one end of the printing paper. Using
the two or three hole punch ensures that the holes are placed at the same position in
all of your material. Then you can use lithographers’ registration pins or similar
devices taped to the bed or bottom plate of the press to locate the plate on the bed.
Carefully note that the registration pins must be placed in such a way that they do
not go under the roller of the etching press nor under the pressure plate of the inline press. That is why the carrier sheet is generally quite long. For a bottle jack
press or similar press, you will probably need to make an extra bottom plate or
“sliding board” of plexiglass or other material that extends out to the side beyond
the pressure plate. The carrier sheet may be placed on this extra bottom plate with
the registration pins positioned out of the way of the pressure plate. You can then
position the inked plate+carrier and the paper on the plexiglass bottom plate and
then slide it into position in the press. You can then easily remove the carrier sheet,
leaving the pins taped in place; but you will be able to replace the carrier sheet
exactly where it was before by placing the holes in the carrier sheet over the pins on
the bed.
So, attach the plate to the carrier sheet. Ink the plate. Position the plate+carrier sheet
Morgan
Page 49
on the pins. Use the pins to place the paper over the plate. Cover with cushions as
usual. After one pass through the press, you can remove the paper, remove the
carrier sheet with the plate, and re-ink the plate leaving it attached to the carrier
sheet. Then you can replace the plate on the pins exactly where it was before by
using the registration pins and the holes in the carrier sheet. Then you can use the
registration pins to reposition the paper exactly.
In this way you can over-print one plate several times, perhaps changing the inking
at each pass.
You can use the same technique to align several plates to print in registration with
each other. Attach your first plate to a carrier sheet as before. Then instead of
printing on paper, print on a piece of mylar or other clear material that is also
punched and registered on the pins. Remove the transparent print and the first plate
with its carrier sheet. Place a second carrier sheet on the pins. Place your second
plate in approximately the right position, but do not tape it to the carrier sheet yet.
Place the transparent print from the first plate on the registration pins over the
second plate. You can then use the image on the transparent sheet as a guide to
position the second plate. When you have the second plate properly positioned, use
double backed tape to tape it in position on the second carrier sheet. In this way you
can register as many plates as you like to each other.
Since your printing paper is punched and registered to the same pins as your plates,
you should be able to print multiple plates in registration on your paper. After
printing, the end of the paper with the registration holes can be cut or torn away.
V.B Embossing Powder Plates
I owe the idea for the technique of using embossing powder to make plates to Fred
Mullet, to whom I extend my very warm thanks.
If one is more concerned about artistry and not so much concerned about biological
accuracy, then one can produce very nice results using plates made with embossing
powder. Much biological accuracy is lost because of the embossing powders tend to
form small lumps when fused. But the general characteristics of the subject are
retained.
Embossing powder is essentially very fine particles of plastic that will melt under
Morgan
Page 50
moderate temperature. You can purchase embossing powders from most craft stores
and from outlets carrying rubber stamps. The powder is very fine, and in use tends
to go everywhere. So be sure to cover your work area with old newspapers or
something similar.
The basic technique is very simple. First you make a print of a leaf or similar
material on good quality card stock or similar paper, using an oil based ink. You
could make a design with a paint brush instead of a leaf print; just be sure the ink is
not too thick on the paper. Then you sprinkle liberal amounts of embossing powder
over the print. I use an old salt shaker for this purpose. The powder will adhere to
the wet ink, but should not adhere to the dry paper.
Next, you want to remove all the excess powder. The excess powder can be re-used,
so you want to capture it. Fold a piece of paper in the middle and then open it out
flat on the work surface. Turn the dusted print upside down over the paper and tap it
on the back to remove the excess powder; the powder should fall onto your creased
paper. Examine the print closely. The inked areas should appear dull from the
adhering powder. You may see powder in other places on the print. Use a small dry
brush to dust off areas of the print where the powder should not be. Set your print to
one side. Carefully pick up your creased paper with the excess powder. Gently refold the paper, and let the powder slide down the crease and back into your
container. Be sure to put the lid back on your powder container at this point.
Now you are ready to fuse the embossing powder. You will need a good heat gun to
fuse the powder. A hair drier will not do the job. You can buy heat guns for
stripping paint or welding plastic, and many craft stores sell appropriate heat guns.
You may want to hold your print down with a couple of stones or something similar
at the edges, as the heat gun blows very hot air. Direct the flow from the heat gun
onto the powdered print. As it gets hot, the powder will fuse, turning from opaque
to shiny. Carefully go over the entire print to be sure all the powder has fused. Be
careful not to set the paper on fire.
Morgan
Page 51
Figure 50: Print with
fused embossing
powder
Once it is fused, the ink should feel dry to the touch, and the plastic should be
slightly beaded up on the surface of the paper. At this point, you make a foilograph
plate from the embossed paper in the usual way. Place the paper, embossing up, on
a stiff backing, such as plexiglass. Cover with aluminum foil, wrapped around two
sides. Apply pressure from a press. These plates are very low relief and require a lot
of pressure. Finish the plate in the usual way.
Figure 51:Detail of
embossing powder plate
Morgan
Page 52
Because the plate is so low relief, perhaps the most successful way to print it is to
ink and wipe it as intaglio.
Figure 52: Embossing powder
plate print
CONCLUSION
This is a VERY simple technique, which seems more complicated in the telling than
in the doing. Give it a try, and by all means, experiment with it. Let me know how it
works for you. SEND ME COPIES OF YOUR PRINTS !!
Charles Morgan
More Comments on Intaglio Inking
Page 53
A number of students seem to have trouble with intaglio inking of a foilograph
plate, so I thought I would make a few additional comments.
The first thing I want to emphasize is that intaglio inking is quite time consuming.
If you try to rush the process, you will be unlikely to have much success. You need
to be prepared to spend 15 minutes inking a small plate, and of course much longer
when inking a larger plate. Take your time ... do not be in a hurry.
You need to be careful in your selection of inks. I have had good success with oil
based inks, but less success with water based inks. You may try true water based
block printing inks, like Speedball. But you will most certainly need to use a
retarder to keep water based inks from drying too quickly on the plate. In general, I
have not had good success with acrylics. These days many manufacturers are
producing inks advertised as “soap and water clean up”. Such inks are really oil
based inks, but the oil has been modified to be mixable with water. I find that water
mixable oil colors dry much too quickly to be used for intaglio inking of a
foilograph plate.
The next thing I want to emphasize is that you should use very loose inks for
intaglio inking a foilograph plate. When inking a foilograph as intaglio, it is quite
different from doing collagraph, etchings, or engravings. You need to use LOOSE
ink. Remember, that foil is thin and stretches easily; the characteristics that allow
the foil to reveal such fine detail make it difficult to ink with stiff inks. Standard
etching inks are much too sticky; even most block printing inks are too stiff.
You may want to use Miracle Gel or Easy Wipe to loosen your oily inks. I have
good results with plain artist’s grade linseed oil. You want to loosen your inks with
a product that will dry and harden over time, like linseed oil. Other ink additives
may lead to creeping, oily stains on your print over time. The linseed oil will dry.
When inking standard etchings, engravings, and collagraphs, one frequently uses a
very stiff, hard applicator, like matboard, to apply and spread the ink. Never do this
with a foilograph; you will stretch or tear the foil. When applying the ink to a
foilograph, I have had the best results using a soft dabber to smear the ink around
on the plate. Use a gentle, circular motion. If the ink is sticking and the dabber is
Charles Morgan
Page 54
dragging, loosen the ink. Do not press the dabber down and then lift it straight up,
or you will lift the foil ... gently slide the dabber around in the same plane as the
foil. Remove the dabber by sliding it off an edge of the plate. Remember, if you lift
the dabber straight up, you will lift the foil.
Wiping etchings, engravings, and collagraphs is usually done with a fair amount of
pressure and vigor. With a foilograph plate, you must be much more gentle. Pay
careful attention to your wiping materials and technique. NEVER use tarlatan, or
any similar stiff, rough material. I use old phone book pages. I wear disposable
gloves to keep ink off my hands. For small plates, I begin with a sheet of paper on
my upturned left palm and place the plate flat in my left hand, ink side up. For
larger plates, you will have to place the plate on a flat working surface. To keep the
large plate from slipping, you may want to place it on some rubbery, nonskid
material. Then I cover the inky plate with another sheet of paper flat in my right
hand ... use a gentle, twisting motion to blot the plate and take the ink off the high
spots. Again, do not lift the paper straight up. Try to wipe the plate, moving the
paper toward an edge, like wiping your palms together.
As more of the ink is removed, put your finger near the edge of a piece of paper and
use it to wipe the ink from the specimen toward the edge of the plate. BE GENTLE.
You are not going to be able to remove all the ink from the aluminum ... you will
not get it shiny clean. You are looking for good contrast between what is left on the
specimen and what is left on the plate. The inking is more like a dry point than an
etching ... you will be wiping the high surfaces clean and leaving ink in the low
spots next to the relief.
I would not use paper towels or kleenex to wipe the image, because that will take
too much ink out of the image. You could use paper towels or kleenex to wipe the
plate from the specimen toward the edge of the plate, but not for general wiping of
the specimen.
If you are getting white lines when your are wiping, it means you are dragging an
edge or a fold in your wiping paper. Try to wipe only with flat material.
I do not clean between inkings unless there is way too much ink ... even then, I
usually just print the plate several times on paper towel to remove excess ink. If you
feel you must clean the plate during a run, BE GENTLE. For water based inks, use
a lightly moistened kleenex. For oily inks, put a few drops of linseed oil on a piece
Charles Morgan
Page 55
of kleenex and carefully wipe the plate ... then use clean kleenex to take off the
residue. Or you can use baby wipes to clean the plate.
Charles Morgan
Inking Very Thin Subjects
Page 56
Using an Inking Sheet and Mask
Charles Morgan
Mossworks Studio
77 Moss Street
CANADA
(250) 920-0281
[email protected]
www.mossworks.com
© October 22, 2006
Foilograph plates made from very thin subjects offer special challenges when it
comes to inking. It is very difficult to apply ink to the foil covering exceedingly thin
material without getting ink on the background as well.
For some thin material, intaglio inking seems to work well. However, for some
subjects it is difficult using intaglio inking to get good contrast between the subject
and the background. And the look obtained by intaglio inking and wiping may not
be what is desired by the artist.
If the thin material consists of just one area, like a flower petal, then good results
may be had by cutting a close fitting mask of acetate or other thin material and
inking the plate with a roller. However, if the thin material is complex in shape,
with many voids, then using a roller and a simple mask often leads to deposits of
ink in the many voids, resulting in an unsuitable print. If one uses a very hard roller
in an effort to avoid getting ink in the shallow voids, then it is often the case that
significant areas of the specimen will remain un-inked. The problems is that there is
enough variation in the thickness of various parts of the specimen that a hard roller
will miss the thinnest parts.
To help solve some of these problems, I have developed a technique which I call
Charles Morgan
Page 57
“sheet inking”. As an example of a subject that is challenging to ink, I made a
foilograph plate from a wispy piece of down.
Figure 53: Fine down plate
The first step is to cut a mask from a piece of acetate or similar material. Start with
the plate face up on a piece of newsprint on your work surface. Then place the mask
on the plate. You may find it useful to use tape hinges at one end of the mask to
make it easier to flip the mask out of the way, but to return it when needed.
Figure 54: Mask in place
Charles Morgan
Page 58
Rather than using an inked brayer to apply ink to the plate, we will use a sheet of
acetate or flexible plastic table cloth material. My personal preference is to use the
thickest version of plastic table cloth material. It is flexible enough to reach
appropriate areas of the specimen, but still stiff enough to bridge over the really low
areas. Let your own experience and working habits be your guide.
To begin, we use a brayer to roll an even coat of ink on the inking sheet. You will
want enough ink on the sheet to transfer readily to the foil covering the specimen.
But, you do not want the ink to be so sloppy thick that it oozes into the low spots on
the plate. Moderation is the key. When the sheet is evenly inked, carefully place the
sheet, inked side down, on top of the mask, which is in place on the plate. Be
careful not to move the mask.
Figure 55: Inking sheet in place
Now, use an un-inked brayer and a light touch to roll over the back of the inking
sheet, pressing it lightly down on the plate. You will probably need to make several
passes with the brayer in several different directions. As you progress, you should
begin to see the specimen through the inking sheet. You can use the developing
image of the specimen as a guide to tell where you need to do a bit more with the
un-inked brayer. When the image of the specimen is reasonably clear, you are
finished.
Charles Morgan
Page 59
Figure 56: Inking sheet after rolling
Now you may carefully peel the inking sheet away from the mask and the specimen
to reveal the inked plate.
Figure 57: Inked plate
If the inking is too light, you may re-ink the inking sheet and reapply it. But great
Charles Morgan
Page 60
care is needed to re-apply the inking sheet; the tendency is to get too much ink
where it is not wanted. If the inking is too heavy, you must clean the plate and begin
again. If there is only a bit of excess ink in a few places, you may carefully remove
it with a cotton swab. When the inking is satisfactory, you may proceed to remove
the mask and print the plate. The scan of the print reproduced below has been
rotated and flipped to correspond to the orientation of the image of the plate printed
above, so that you may compare the two.
Figure 58: Finished print
Getting good detail is especially important with very thin specimens. I find that I
get the best detail with such plates by printing them dry on very smooth, hard paper,
like card stock. Again, experimentation is the key. Try various papers, damp and
dry, to get the effect you want.
Charles Morgan
Printing Foilographs with a Palm Press
Page 61
Charles Morgan
Mossworks Studio
77 Moss Street
Canada
©October 21, 2006
(250) 920-0281
[email protected]
In order to print a foilograph with your palm press, you will need to keep the paper
from shifting on the plate while you make multiple, overlapping strokes with the
palm press. For small plates, you can use a clipboard and some of that non-slip
rubbery sheet that is sold for shelf liners. The rubbery stuff can be found in marine
and RV supply outlets, but it is cheaper if you buy it where shelf liner is sold in
large cut-rate department stores.
First, put a sheet of non-slip material on a firm, flat surface a bit below waist height.
Figure 59: Non-slip material
Next, place the clipboard down on the non-slip material. This will keep the
Charles Morgan
Page 62
clipboard from moving around during the printing process.
Figure 60: Clipboard in place
Now place another piece of non-slip material on the clipboard, held in place by the
spring clamp. This will keep the plate from moving around while you are printing.
Figure 61: Non-slip on clipboard
Place your inked plate on the non-slip material, inked side up. Position the plate so
that it will print where you want it when the paper is under the spring clamp.
Charles Morgan
Figure 62: Plate in place
Carefully slip your dampened paper under the spring clamp.
Figure 63: Paper in place
Cover the paper with two sheets of thin, fabric store “felt”.
Page 63
Charles Morgan
Page 64
Figure 64: Place felt under camp
****It is important to start at the end nearest the spring clip.**** That will help
keep the paper from moving while you print. Place your palm press at the bottom
edge, with one roller on the plate and one off the plate.
Figure 65: Begin first
passes
Begin with the palm press
toward one side edge of
the plate. Put both hands on top of the press. Keep your arms stiff and lean your
body weight onto the press.
Charles Morgan
Page 65
Figure 66: Palm press position
In this position, you now roll the palm press forward and off the far edge of the
plate. Pick up the press and bring it back to the lower edge of the plate again, and
continue making overlapping strokes from the bottom to the top until you have gone
over the entire surface of the plate. The paper will now have the plate mark well
embossed, and this will help to hold the paper in position.
Now you want to repeat the process, but beginning at the end of the clipboard away
from the spring clip.
Charles Morgan
Page 66
Figure 67: Begin second passes
As before, put both hands on the palm press, lean your upper body weight onto the
press, and then roll the palm press forward and off the far edge of the plate. Pick up
the press and bring it back to the lower edge of the plate again, and continue making
overlapping strokes from the bottom to the top until you have gone over the entire
surface of the plate.
Hopefully your foilograph will now be printed. You can check on your progress by
going to the edge furthest from the spring clip and carefully lifting the top felts and
the edge of the paper.
Charles Morgan
Page 67
Figure 68: Check progress
If the image is not satisfactory, let the paper and the top felts relax back into
position, and repeat strokes with your palm press in any places that seem too faint.
Be careful not to shift the paper as you make additional strokes. I have not had good
success running the palm press from side to side. For me, doing so almost always
results in shifting the paper slightly, with a resulting double image. Such shifting
could probably be eliminated by putting another clip on the clipboard along one
edge, at right angles to the original spring clip. But with two clips so arranged, it
becomes more difficult to lift the paper and check on the progress of the print.
Figure 69: Finished print
Charles Morgan
Page 68
For larger plates, the process is much the same, but of course you will probably
need something larger than a clipboard. Art supply stores sell sketching boards that
work very well for our purposes. These boards are 18 inches to several feet on a
side, and come equipped with two large spring clips like those found on clipboards.
Alternatively, you can easily make your own printing board from a piece of
plywood or MDF. Simply cut it to size and screw on a couple of spring clips
purchased from an office supply store.
Charles Morgan
Bottle Jack Press
Page 69
Bottle Jack Press
Charles Morgan
Mossworks Studio
77 Moss Street
(250) 920-0281
www.mossworks.com
[email protected]
© October, 2006
This little bottle jack press is very handy for relief printing, and it can even handle
most collagraphs and mono-prints. I have shown it with a 6-ton jack; but if you are
doing only relief work, a 2-ton jack would probably be sufficient.
There are many designs for such presses available. In some the jack sits stationary
on the bottom and raises the bed, with the unmoving platen fixed to the top bar. I
personally prefer a press with a fixed bed and a moveable platen, and that is the
design I used for this press. This press has the same action as a bookbinding (or
nipping) press, and could be used for that.
The top and bottom bars are made by screwing and glueing two pieces of 2x4
lumber together. This construction provides ample strength. One could use 4x4
material, but it will be more prone to cracking and not be as strong as the laminated
design.
I used slotted steel angle for the uprights ... 1/8 inch thick, 1 3/8 inches per side.
This material is readily available, cheap, light, and amply strong. Also, it need not
be drilled. The wooden top and bottom bars must be drilled through to take the bolts
which attach them to the uprights. I used threaded “ready rod” for the through bolts,
cut to appropriate length. I used wing nuts to make disassembly easy.
I use bungee chord to retract the platen and the jack. One could use springs, but
they are expensive to buy in an appropriate size. Bungee chords are cheap and easy
Charles Morgan
Bottle Jack Press
Page 70
to find, and they work well. If the bungee chord available to you is too wimpy to
raise the jack, simply double it. Some designs dispense with the bungee chords and
springs altogether, relying on retracting the jack by hand. I find this to be
exceedingly tedious, especially during an edition.
I used old 5/8 inch thick melamine counter top material for the bed and the platen,
but one could use plywood. The bed is well supported from the bottom, and one
layer is sufficient. The platen on my press is just two layers to improve stiffness. In
my design, the two layers need not be attached to each other, as the pressure of the
bungee chords and jack will hold them in place.
The bottom plate is centered on the bottom bar. Supports of 2x4 material are
attached to the underside of the bottom plate at each end, parallel to the bottom bar.
I used angle brackets to attach the bed to the bottom bar and the end supports. Be
sure the screws for the brackets are shorter than the thickness of the bottom plate so
they do not come through the surface.
The platen needs to have some play in order to be self-levelling. But too much flop
is to be avoided. I put two guide screws in the edge of each side of the platen to
prevent too much back and forth sway. You may find it desirable to use blocks of
wood or dowels attached (glued and screwed) to the edge of the platen for the same
purpose. The side to side motion of the platen is restricted by the uprights.
The jack should be centered on the top of the platen. If you find the jack shifting
around in use, just glue some corner guides to the top of the platen to match the
base of the jack.
It is undesirable for the ram of the jack to be digging into the wood of the top bar.
And it is desirable to have some means of keeping the ram centered on the top bar.
Because I had a piece of scrap, I used a piece of box sectioned steel tube, with a
hole cut out for the ram, screwed to the underside of the top bar. A piece of thin
sheet metal and a couple of angle brackets would serve the same purpose.
In use, the printing plate needs to be well centered on the bed. I use a ruled sheet of
plexiglass. Place the plate with the paper on top in the center of the plexiglass sheet.
Cover the paper with whatever felt blankets or backing material you choose to use.
Then just slide the plexiglass in place on the bed.
Charles Morgan
Bottle Jack Press
Page 71
To apply pressure, be sure the valve on the jack is closed ... most turn clockwise to
close. Then place the jack handle in the appropriate recess and pump up and down.
This action will extend the ram, lowering the platen. When contact is made,
continue pumping until the desired pressure is obtained ... experience and the
quality of the print will guide you.
To release the pressure, you must open the valve on the jack. Most jacks are
designed so you can use the jack handle for this purpose. One end of the handle
should be a close fit over the head of the valve. Turn in a counter clockwise
direction to release the pressure, and the jack and platen should start to rise. Close
the valve when you have enough clearance to slide out the plexiglass sheet with
your print and plate.
None of the dimensions nor the material is crucial. Use whatever material is to hand
and adjust the dimensions appropriately. The only proviso is that if the bed is much
larger, then a stronger jack must be used for large plates.
If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions, please feel free to contact me.
And of course I would be delighted to hear from other press makers and to get
photos of your creations.
Cheers ..... Charles
Charles Morgan
Bottle Jack Press
Page 72
Charles Morgan
Bottle Jack Press
Page 73

Foilography Printmaking

Transcription

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