tinyurl.com/KrrrlOpenPress
UPDATE (June 8, 2023): My mini-print was posted on the Open Print Exchange website:
UPDATE (July 9, 2023): Katee of oncebelowatime.magictextiles posted the prints she received on Instagram on June 19th:
UPDATE (July 10, 2023): I received 9 prints in the mail:
- 435 -- Francesca Centioni (London)
- 464 -- Jimmy Kirkus-Lamont (New Zealand)
- 648 -- Antonio D'Souza (Ireland)
- 688 -- Marc Bühren (Germany)
- 731 -- Annett Günther (Germany)
- 807 -- Paul-Marc Camic (UK)
- 833 -- Nicole Tindall (California)
- 880 -- Teresa Tonai (California)
- 889 -- Melih Meric (Michigan)
*****
I submitted an edition of 10 small (7x7 cm) prints for the Open Print Exchange #2 -- 2023 (mailed on January 7th, 2023):
My relief print on 7x7 cm paper
(2.7 x 2.7 inches)
A big thanks to Adric, the president of Quelab, for signing me up and guiding me with technical advice.
Link to the Open Press Instagram account.
FAKE PRINTS
The print image was NOT drawn by me -- but rather it was generated with AI (artificial intelligence) in my drawing style, using the Photo Booth program by Open Art:
Pulled on a
3D PRINTED PRINTING PRESS
The edition of 10 prints had to be produced on the 3D Printed printing press -- designed by Open Press.
In 2018, Joshua of Quelab makerspace in Albuquerque had 3D printed an Open Press printing press for us -- using the files from Thingiverse.
A big thanks to Manuel Guerra of Horned Toad Prints in El Paso, who used that same press, to print my edition in 2023:
printing my Open Press edition in 2023
- Manuel Guerra printed on long pieces of Rives BFK Lightweight white paper.
- He made the first pass with paper on the linocut plate
- ... and made a second pass after adding a stiff matboard piece on top (which also added more pressure)
Gummi Thordarson helped Manuel Guerra with my prints, since he had successfully printed an edition for the first Open Print Exchange #1 -- 2022:
Gummi Thordarson (r) and I
holding the precious small press
in Horned Toad Prints studio in El Paso
The Horned Toad Prints studio is in El Paso Texas, a short walking distance to the Mexican border:
Street view in front of the Horned Toad Prints studio
in El Paso, Texas
OPEN PRINT EXCHANGE #1
in Silver City, New Mexico
- Last year they exhibited the Open Print Exchange #1 in Germany, Austria, Tokyo and New Mexico.
In 2018 we had first debuted the 3D Printed Printing Press during a previous Southwest Print Fiesta in Silver City, when Manuel Guerra gave a demo during the opening of the Horned Toad Print Exchange II:
The Printing Process
AI Image
I had first uploaded the first twenty drawings from my book to Photo Booth in Open Art, and now the AI program generates hundreds of figures in my style.
Laser Engraving
After choosing one of the best AI images, I laser engraved the figure onto linoleum with the LaserPecker 2 laser cutter:
Laser engraving into linoleum
- Power setting: 100%
- Depth 20%
- 8 passes
Laser Pecker 2 settings --
I used two of the above cycles to laser engrave,
which totaled 8 passes at 28 minutes
The linocut was ~6x6 cm
We printed with Akua intaglio raw umber ink
Inking the linocut
Manuel Guerra printing
on the Open Press printing press
We printed on long strips
(7 cm wide)
and tore the prints down later
First prints
We chose the ten best
for the edition
I packed the prints according to the Open Press packing instructions, and sent the edition of 10 prints to Germany in a regular envelop. Estimated time for delivery: 2.5 to 3 weeks. It cost me $1.79:
I sent the prints to Germany in a on January 7th, 2023,
in a regular envelop from El Paso
***
I was lucky to catch Manny...there were rumors that he was MIA before New Years:
MIA in the print studio
I actually had a great time
printing in Manny's studio
I was very pleased to use the tools of the 21st century to create my edition -- specifically an AI (artificial intelligence) imaging program, a portable laser engraver, and a 3D printed printing press.
Previous Attempts
We first tried to print at Deborah's studio, but could not get even prints:
Printing in Deborah's studio
The relief prints came out uneven
Intaglio Fail
Originally I had intended to make intaglio prints. I laser engraved on thin acrylic, but the plate bowed inward, and it would have cracked, or have been too big of a challenge to print on the Open Press printing press:
Laser engraved into acrylic,
to make an intaglio print
Gallium Etching
Atomic number 31 on the Periodic Table
We also tried to use aluminum plates for intaglio. I first cut away the black coating on aluminum business cards, and tried to "etch" that with gallium, but that did not work. We hoped that the element 31 gallium would eat deep enough into the aluminum plate so that we could make an intaglio print:
We will try again when we have more leisure. Maybe vinegar and salt will do a better job etching into aluminum.
- Perhaps the best intaglio approach would be to use a fiber laser cutter to engrave into copper, but the cheaper fiber laser cutters from Amazon might not be up to the task, like the ATOMSTACK M4 laser engraver.
We have also experimented with a gallium pencil.
Again, a big thanks to Adric, Joshua, Tim, Deborah Flowers, Manuel Guerra and Gummi Thordarson for helping me realize this print for the Open Print Exchange #2.
UPDATE (Feb 20):
Recent update from Germany
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