Today's postings

  1. [Baren 43882] Re: Drying prints on a wire rack? (Phil Hillmer)
  2. [Baren 43883] Re: Drying prints on a wire rack? (Phil Hillmer)
  3. [Baren 43884] Re: Drying prints on a wire rack? (Phil Hillmer)
  4. [Baren 43885] Re: Printing on wet paper with etching inks... ("Lea")
  5. [Baren 43886] Re: New Baren Digest (Text) V56 #5702 (Aug 7, 2011) (regnaterrn # comcast.net)
  6. [Baren 43887] drying prints, dampening paper (Marilynn Smith)
  7. [Baren 43888] Re: drying prints, dampening paper (Phil Hillmer)
  8. [Baren 43889] Re: Printing on wet paper with etching inks... (Sharri LaPierre)
  9. [Baren 43890] Re: Drying prints on a wire rack? (Sharri LaPierre)
  10. [Baren 43891] Did you ever wonder, when you were in Crate & Barrel... ( slinders # comcast.net)
  11. [Baren 43892] Re: Drying prints on a wire rack? (Curtis Wright)
  12. [Baren 43893] About your posting - relief printing problems. (Clive Lewis)
  13. [Baren 43894] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification (Blog Manager)
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Message 1
From: Phil Hillmer
Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:52:35 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43882] Re: Drying prints on a wire rack?
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....I am thinking maybe a good way to do this, since my wire mesh opening is
so wide, is just to lay only one blotter on each shelf, put a print on top
of blotter so it absorbs the dampness from the underside of the print, and
place nothing at all on top of the print.

that way because my wire mesh is so wide - about 5" square - the wire rods
won't leave impressions on the back of the print.

And with the wide mesh it would dry out the blotter quickly. Anyone think
this is a good idea? Or should I blot the top too?
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Message 2
From: Phil Hillmer
Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:56:53 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43883] Re: Drying prints on a wire rack?
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Thanks Barbara,

I guess I will be trying out your and Robert's methods see which works
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Message 3
From: Phil Hillmer
Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:58:12 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43884] Re: Drying prints on a wire rack?
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I mean to see which works best for me, I am sure you know what you are doing
unlike myself LOL.
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Message 4
From: "Lea"
Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:18:00 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43885] Re: Printing on wet paper with etching inks...
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Barbara:
Thanks.I never did this process, but I have a LIMA'S prit like this.I only wonder if he dumped very little the paper...must try!
My best to you too.
Lea
visite meu blog
www.graphotactil.blogspot.com
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Message 5
From: regnaterrn # comcast.net
Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:23:09 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43886] Re: New Baren Digest (Text) V56 #5702 (Aug 7, 2011)
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Phil, if you put something stiff like poster board on the wire rack first. of course white, it should dry well.  Then you would stack to dry flat once done(at least that's how we did it when I had access to a rack.  I didnt even put anything underneath my prints, just layruthed them on the wire and let them dry.  I have been looking for a drying rack and they are not cheap, so dont give it away until you have tried every which waymto use it.  Good luck. 
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Message 6
From: Marilynn Smith
Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:26:32 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43887] drying prints, dampening paper
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When I dry my prints I simply put them in a blotter and stack a few
extra blotters on top. I don't even change them out and they dry flat.
They also dry faster than using a heavy board on top. Phil, your
drying rack should work very well with a blotter and maybe an extra on
top for a bit more weight. Your prints should dry very fast and be
flat. You might wish to do as Barbara suggests and change out the
blotter for a dry one.

When dampening paper I use a large soft short bristled brush. I
believe I learned this method at one of our summits. I brush water on
both sides of the paper. Than I stack two damp ones in my blotter and
one dry one. I layer them with leaving about a quarter to a half an
inch at the top of each sheet showing.I but the folded blotter into a
large plastic bag and leave it over night. The paper is perfect the
next day. Leaving paper damp for more than one day is risky and
depends on your climate. It can mold.

Marilynn
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Message 7
From: Phil Hillmer
Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:37:32 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43888] Re: drying prints, dampening paper
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So you suggest one blotter on the bottom on the shelf itself, then a damp
print, then two blotters on top of the damp print? One print per shelf- and
three blotters per shelf?

Then change out the blotters after a half hour with new blotters as Barbara
suggests, so three blotters per shelf times two?

Not exactly sure what you mean by your second paragraph - to dampen, do you
stack two damp papers on one blotter, then a dry sheet on top of the two
damp sheets and blotter, then interleaving on top of that? So you have a
sandwich with blotter - damp paper -damp paper - dry paper - interleaving -
Then another identical sandwich on top of that?

Not sure what you mean by layering them with leaving about a quarter to a
half an inch at the top of each sheet showing


On Sun, Aug 7, 2011 at 1:26 PM, Marilynn Smith
wrote:

> When I dry my prints I simply put them in a blotter and stack a few extra
> blotters on top. I don't even change them out and they dry flat. They also
> dry faster than using a heavy board on top. Phil, your drying rack should
> work very well with a blotter and maybe an extra on top for a bit more
> weight. Your prints should dry very fast and be flat. You might wish to do
> as Barbara suggests and change out the blotter for a dry one.
>
> When dampening paper I use a large soft short bristled brush. I believe I
> learned this method at one of our summits. I brush water on both sides of
> the paper. Than I stack two damp ones in my blotter and one dry one. I layer
> them with leaving about a quarter to a half an inch at the top of each sheet
> showing.I but the folded blotter into a large plastic bag and leave it over
> night. The paper is perfect the next day. Leaving paper damp for more than
> one day is risky and depends on your climate. It can mold.
>
> Marilynn
>
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Message 8
From: Sharri LaPierre
Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:56:01 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43889] Re: Printing on wet paper with etching inks...
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Phil,
If you purchase large items at your local art store (mat board) and it
comes in a plastic bag - save it! It is perfect for full sheet paper
packs. On the heavier paper, wetting every other sheet is generally
not enough, you need to do every sheet (maybe climate makes a
difference)! You may want to "calendar" your paper before printing:
dampen the paper and then run it through the press to stretch it.
This can save precious registration issues later. I have never had to
re-dampen papers for every color. Immediately after printing place
them again in the paper pack - unless you are finished printing! If
your printing is interrupted for a period of time it is okay to dry
the prints and re-dampen them later. Once ink dries it is permanent
and soaking won't hurt.

You asked me off line about drying prints flat: I have several sheets
of 5/8 plywood that I use. Place the prints between blotters and
about every 5 blotters place a piece of plywood. I've seen others use
sheetrock (much too heavy for moi.) Some use clamps around the
plywood and I've done that, too, but the weight of the wood will
usually do the trick. I've never waited for a print to dry between
printing colors and never had a problem. Change blotters after 20 -30
minutes, or at the end of printing.

A thought: a trick that I picked up from a fellow printer. At a
fabric store purchase a couple of yards of clear vinyl in a medium
weight and cut it the same size as your other blankets. Use this
between your print and the sizing catcher. It protects your blankets
from transfer of ink, dirty fingers, sizing, and dampness and mildew
in humid climates. Since my sizing catcher is not absorbing the water
from the print maybe this is why I don't have to dampen paper again
during printing. The vinyl blanket in no way alters the quality of the
impression, and is easily cleaned at the end of the day with a rag and
a little rubbing alcohol, if any ink does transfer.

Cheers ~
Sharri
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Message 9
From: Sharri LaPierre
Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:06:50 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43890] Re: Drying prints on a wire rack?
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Phil,
I think your drying rack was really intended for screen prints which
are always on dry paper. Any time you print on dry paper they will
work well without any accoutrements. Barbara's weightless drying
method will work well as long as you are not doing any deep embossing
or have fairly light press pressure. But, with heavier pressure you
risk them not drying flat without weight. They will be great for
drying blotters.

Cheers ~
Sharri
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Message 10
From: slinders # comcast.net
Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2011 20:36:47 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43891] Did you ever wonder, when you were in Crate & Barrel...
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..about how they printed the Marimekko fabrics?

http://www.dwell.com/slideshows/helsinki-ink.html?slide=1&c=y&paused=true

http://www.dwell.com/slideshows/marimekkos-iconic-patterns.html

I think it would be 'fume-y', but what a slurpy bunch of colors!

Sharen
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Message 11
From: Curtis Wright
Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2011 03:51:07 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43892] Re: Drying prints on a wire rack?
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I work mainly in intaglio--and usually color with multiple plates. I let the prints dry on a rack as you described and then rewet them later to be flattened in my forced air print dryer. The specs for such a dryer can be found at http://www.magical-secrets.com. The dryer works wonderfully and the prints come out in 48-72 hours flat and ready to store. The climate will dictate the drying time.
On Aug 7, 2011, at 6:22 AM, Phil Hillmer wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I have a drying rack I acquired some time ago, it is the wire frame type with spring loaded stacking shelves that swing up and it's on casters. It seemed like a good idea at the time because I have a small room where I work - 10 x 10'. I thought that the wire frame rack would take up less space than an over head clothes pin type rack with prints hanging over head everywhere in that tiny room - I would have no head room to walk around.
>
> But now after reading all the posts about how printmakers dry their prints after printing (if printing wet), i.e. stacking them one on top of another with blotters in between and plywood on top, I am wondering if I should just move the rack out and use the stacking method instead.
>
> So I am wondering, do any of you actually use the wire shelf type of drying racks, and if so, how do you get individual prints one on each shelf to dry flat?
>
> Or are these wire racks used ONLY for a final drying stage (and temporary storage) after the prints are initially dried by stacking many prints one on top of another with blotter in between?
>
>
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Message 12
From: Clive Lewis
Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:26:30 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43893] About your posting - relief printing problems.
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Hi Phil, without seeing your print it's difficult to say for sure but it
sounds as if you may be using to much pressure thus causing a bit of
embossing. The emboss while printing a colour will cause that 'shadow' of
colour around the edges. If you are overprinting another colour that has
been embossed you sometimes get a white halo around the edges of the
previous colour.

You mentioned using a number of additives. I use Graphic Chemical ink right
out of the cartridge for relief printing and have never needed any additive
except, if I'm overprinting solids, a few drops of cobalt dryer. The dots
and the beading, especially the beading, make me think you have too much
pressure and/or too much ink perhaps complicated by changes to the ink
caused by the additives. Were it my print I'd start by not adding anything
(but, perhaps, cobalt) and then backing off on the pressure and the ink.

Felt blankets are great for embossing but not controllable enough for
regular relief printing; the rubber offset blankets work quite well. I get
them from printers but a Printers' Graphic Supply House or even a Paper
Company would sell you one.

I got a bit lost when you described the issues along the lines of abutting
colour but there might be, in part, an issue of fitting the blocks. A 1/32
to 1/16 overlap of colours will 'trap' the colour underneath, important
especially when using any type of press that pushes the paper ahead of it a
bit and causes it the expand.

As a game plan? Try a stiffer blanket like the offset blanket and, if you
can, get rid of the 'pusher' blanket. Try printing with no ink, it's easier
to see how much emboss you have. Try the ink without the additives and try
cutting back on the amount of ink. Less ink and a bit more pressure works
for me but watch you don't emboss the paper.

Good luck with it.

Clive

Digest Appendix

Postings made on [Baren] members' blogs
over the past 24 hours ...

Subject: Mystique Series #15 : printing steps 11~12
Posted by: Dave Bull

Two more today ... moving steadily along ...

This one might not jump out at you at first ... it's a small gradation up on the comb - another of the impressions that is building up to (eventually) make that part of the print transparent:

Next up is an easy and quick one ... a dark green tone on the clothing area. This overlays the blue that was there, turning it into a darker tone:

We're getting closer; perhaps there are five left, not quite sure ...


This item is taken from the blog Woodblock RoundTable.
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Subject: Desert Tea Party
Posted by: Phare-Camp

Been working on some new compositions for a couple of barenforum.org print exchanges.  One exchange is to be 3x7" the other is to be a 3.5 x 2.5" ACEO (Art Cards Editions and Originals).  The 3.5 x 2.5 size for ACEOs is a standard.  The 3x7" size is a traditional size for a few of the annual barenforum print exchanges.  The images I'm posting are the ideas I developed into digital collages.  I've made a decision on which ones I'm doing...have fun guessing!

Exchange Number 49




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This item is taken from the blog Phare-Camp Art Journal.
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Subject: An exhibit that only goes up
Posted by: Elizabeth Busey

August is a very hot month in the Midwest, and in past years has been very dry.  This year is no exception. My exhibit at the City Hall Atrium in Bloomington, Indiana, is designed to quench the viewer's thirst.  Entitled "Force of Nature...Wellspring of Life," the show has fourteen of my prints that have something to do with water.  Some celebrate the beautiful calming aspects of water, while others consider its carving, sculpting force.   Still others show how our agricultural practices are shaped by water's availability or scarcity.  My latest print, Day's End on the Ontario Shield, highlights the intricate patterns created by the freezing and thawing of glacial waters over the millenium. 
Elizabeth Busey, Day's End on the Ontario Shield, Linoleum Reduction Print, 2011.
City Hall in Bloomington is located in the former Showers Furniture Factory.  Artwork is hung on a grand staircase wall the color of deep eggplant.  People who came to the opening said they liked the quiet, contemplative space -- so different from the noisy parking lot outside where Bloomington's Saturday Farmer's Market takes place.  In the picture below, you can just see a corner of the cage where adoptable kittens play hilariously.  
. . .
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This item is taken from the blog The World in Relief.
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