Printmaking is 'process-based'. Here is how to print the image below - which is a three-colour, two-plate drypoint.
If we can, we work a two-person system - 'clean hands' and 'dirty hands'. Just one person here. . .
'Tea Break. 10th July'.
Paper-plate and aluminium drypoint.
1. The first to be inked is a paper-plate. As this is going to be 2-coloured, a sheet of tissue is used to hide the second-colour area. This means that the plate can be held securely.
2. The colour is removed with muslin scrim. Bundling the muslin into a smooth ball. Gliding over the service of the plate. Re-bundling when clean muslin is needed.
3. The second colour is applied. . . and removed as before. Now to prepare the second plate, as it is printed immediately after the first.
4. The second plate is aluminum which is a soft metal - and you don't want to 'flatten' the burr of the groove. So instead of a palette knife, rubber strip or card is used to apply ink.
5. After cleaning with scrim, tissue paper is used. To get a textured appearance - leave some of the ink on the surface.
6. The two plates ready for printing.
7. The first plate is placed on the printing bed and a mask is put on top. This is to give a good clean edge to the image. It also has the effect of giving an embossed edge.
8. The printing paper (first soaked then damped off) is put on top of the mask and plate. The whole is covered by paper and the blankets smoothed carefully . The press bed is then rolled through the press.
9. The blankets, backing paper and printing paper is folded back. The mask and first plate removed and the second plate follows the same procedure as the first.
10. The finished printed being removed from the second plate. The print is now put between blotters with a heavy weight on top to dry.
