October 14, 2012

We printed some of my woodblock cuts at Studio Cool, just outside El Paso.  We tried various printing methods -- book press, barren, metal spoon, etching press -- and in the end, the etching press made the darkest, most even, and all around best prints:

FIRST PRINT

First we tried water based inks, on dry amate paper (Mexican bark paper), with a book press:

Cutting paper down to size:

Inking the linoleum block:

Printing directly onto amate paper with the book press:

That print did not come out too well, perhaps because some of the ink dried before pressing:

SECOND PRINT

We switched to oil based etching ink, and printed the second woodcut on amate paper, using the book press.  First we cut the woodblock:

Then we beveled the edges with an electric sander:

 

Spreading oil based etching ink:

Turning the book press:

This print did not come out well either:

THIRD PRINT

We tried again with the book press, wetting the paper first (as we did for the remaing prints):

However, the book press did not print evenly (note the darker spots at the bottom where finger tips pressed, to set the paper):

FOURTH PRINT

We used a barren to make the print, on amate paper:

Light print, not dark enough:

FIFTH PRINT

We used a metal spoon to print on rice paper, however the paper stuck to the wood block:

The paper stayed on the wood block, making it difficult to peel off:

Dark print, but a lot of  the paper stayed on the wood block:

We cleaned the wood block with a plastic brush, a metal brush, and finally wiped it with acetone:

SIXTH PRINT

Printed with a metal spoon on amate paper, linoleum block -- good, but not completely even:

 SEVENTH PRINT

Printed with a metal spoon on cotton paper, linoleum block -- again, not completely even:

ETCHING PRESS

Running the prints through the etching press gave us dark, even impressions:

The press pushed the ink through the paper, and even embossed the white parts:

 ALL THE LINOLEUM PRINTS

 ALL THE WOOD BLOCK PRINTS