Mylar!?!?!

Let me start this off with how worried I was when I realized that I had decided to sign up for Advanced Printmaking… (Insert terrified girl screech). It had sounded like a great idea, and I had really enjoyed my Lithography class last winter. However, I still was nervous. On the first day, I realized quickly that I’m one of the youngest in my class. Looking around the room, it was very intimidating collection of printers. We read the syllabus, and I was soft spoken when I was my turn to speak. And to make matters worse, for some reason I was called on twice to read…and I could feel my voice shaking as I listed the required materials. The word Mylar felt foreign to me as I skimmed the list, even though I know very well what it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mylar: Used for registration for multi-layer prints and for centering images, great for a more professional print look. 

I would greatly advise all printers to have AT LEAST one go-to sheet of drafting Mylar. It can  be purchased at most art supply stores, and comes in  a few different varieties. Personally, I used the single sided frosted. As the name suggests, one side is frosted and the other is smooth. My reason is very simple as to why I choose this type. The frosted side holds my pencil marks better than the smooth side. A double smooth would smear the pencil marks that are measured out to center your image, and a double frosted would make it hard to see your registration when you flip over your Mylar to print. 

So what is Registration? I've been throwing around a word that might not be familiar to non-printers. Registration is the method of correlating overlapping colors on one single image. There are many different styles and types of registration, many of which employ the alignment of specific marks.

"First Color Run"

When printing an image that has more than one color, depending on the method of printing, it is necessary to print the image one separate time for each separate color. Each one is called a "color run," and they can be pulled from the same surface, inked differently, or from a completely different surface. So that the final image is consistent, and so each of the colors lines up correctly, a system of registration is necessary. Different printing devices have different methods of creating separate color runs.

 "Second Color Run"

And from there it's simple! Just keep layering your colors until you're finished, and there you have it. A beautifully registered, multi-layer print is easier than you thought. That is...if you have Mylar. Oh! The joys of Mylar :)

Hard Ground Demo

    Above are two of my current prints. I've been working on a series of Intaglio prints involving the male figure in various states of undress. I truly do love the male form.

      In my Intro to Intaglio class we've been working with hard grounds, the foundation of intaglio printing. This type of printing is done on metal plates usually and involves various etching techniques. The use of a hard ground is a very basic, but useful way of making a print. If there's one kind of print I do the most it would be intaglio.

in·ta·glio
n. pl. inta·glios 1. Printing done with a plate bearing an image in intaglio.

    When doing intaglio you start off with a metal plate, usually copper or zinc.

    A hard ground is a surface on a print plate that is generated by using asphaltum, which is a natural tar like substance. It works as a repellant for the acid that will be used to etch an intaglio plate. Before doing anything you'll need to measure and cut your plates using some sort of cutter. My studio has a large, rather out dated piece of machinery, but with lots of time and patience it gets the work done. You'll then have to degrease your plate, because of course you've touched it and the zinc is now covered in your fingerprints. this can be done quickly in a sink with some sort of mild cleaning agent. Once that is done you're ready to apply your hard ground.

 
     There are a few different ways to apply the substance. It comes in two primary forms, liquid and the chunky form shown above. The liquid form can be painted on with even brush strokes. The rock-like form must be heated before use and applied with a roller.

    Once you have your plates evenly coated then you leave them to dry. Once they are dry then you can go ahead and draw into the surface with etching tools. These can really be any sharp object that is used to remove fine lines of hard ground so the acid can reach the plate.

And that my friends is how you apply a hard ground.