Two Plate Color Print Process

Mary and Leslie created a two color plate etching, after transferring the key drawing onto a second plate. They did that with some magic using the press.

TRAP AND SWITCH

Registering the plate on the press first

The inked key color plate

Putting paper over the inked plate,

as if one were going to make a regular print

Rolling the plate and paper through the press...

BUT NOT ALL THE WAY!!!

The bottom of the paper is trapped in the press!  Leslie did NOT crank the press all the way through.

Paper trapped tightly under the press roller

Take the key plate out

Place a BLANK plate 

in the exact same registered position

Roll the paper and the blank plate 

together through the press

The ink comes off on the blank plate --

as if the copper plate were paper

The inked plate above,

above the newly printed copper plate

Leslie then scribed into the newly ink plate,

creating dry point marks

The engraved or dry-pointed second plate,

with a different color (blue)

is laid on the press for the first printing

The press traps the paper with the blue image,

while the plate is switched out,

with another plate with a different color,

The paper is run through the press a second time,

taking a different color

Voila!  A two colored etching print

MULTIPLE PLATE COLORED PRINTS

Mary Teichman creates colored prints with more than 2 plates.

The 4 copper plates used,

to make a 4 colored etching

The first 3 plates,

added different colors to the etching

The final 4 colored print,
next to the 3 colored stage

• BASICS

• PLATE WIPING

• HARD GROUND

• SOFT GROUND

• AQUATINT

• SUGARLIFT

• TWO PLATE COLOR

• IMAGE TRANSFER

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