Viscosity printing

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Viscosity printing is a multi-color

relief printing and intaglio printing. It was pioneered by Stanley William Hayter
.

The process uses the principle of

better source needed] and Shirley Wales
.

Intaglio

There are a number of different types of original print methods to be aware of. Intaglio prints: for example a dollar bill—bills and most stamps are engraved in metal plates and are printed after a viscous ink (about the consistency of oil paint) is forced into grooves, scratches, etched lines or indentations. The polished surface is then wiped clean using newsprint and

Rembrandt, Goya, and Picasso
.

The process

Three to four colors of ink are mixed, each of a different viscosity. This viscosity is adjusted by the addition of uncooked linseed oil.

Metal plates, usually copper or zinc, are used, as in the

tarlatan
.

Ink of a second color, and the thinnest viscosity, is then applied to the surface of the plate with a hard rubber roller, so that it covers the plate in one pass and only transfers onto the highest areas of the plate. Ink of a third color, and a much stiffer consistency, is then applied to the lower areas of the plate with a softer rubber roller. The varying viscosities of the two rolled-on inks prevent them from mixing. A fourth color, of even thinner viscosity, can also be applied at this point. This color is either spread out on a glass plate, which is then pressed against the printing plate so that the ink only adheres to the highest points of the metal plate, or it is applied by a hard roller applied with very little pressure.

This process may be done with a monotype as well. Inking the acrylic or plexiglass plate with one ink with a very high viscosity, and following that, rolling a very loose ink over it, produces two tones on a single plate. One may attempt to scratch an image onto the plate, but acrylic and plexiglass plates are more temperamental than copper or zinc, and wear out sooner.

A sheet of printing paper is then placed on the upright plate and passed through a printing press, which prints all of the colors simultaneously. This is of a certain advantage, as in some other multi-color printing processes, correct registration of the blocks presents a difficulty.[3]

See also

Look up intaglio in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

References

  1. ISBN 9780810937437
    .
  2. ^ Gilbert, Gregory. “Clare Smith and the Influence of Atelier 17 on Printmaking in Illinois”. 2017 Midwest Women's Artist Symposium. Bradley University. 2017.
  3. ^ Gascoigne, Bamber (1988). How to Identify Prints: A complete guide to manual and mechanical processes from woodcut to ink jet. Spain: Thames and Hudson. p. 31c.

Further reading

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