Same here. I appreciate your input. I'll have to try the inking combo
you recommend.
I've been using Charbonelle Carbon Black without any modifiers. I've
found that with the finer stochastic screen I use, the graphic &
chemical ink was riding a little high on the plate and wasn't really
"soaking in" as well. Charbonelle inks made a world of difference and
go on very smoothly, producing very nice tonality and deep rich blacks.
Jon
Nancy Diessner wrote:
This discussion of the various steps in the
photopolymer process is very helpful. To
date, I've had contact with only a
small number of people who work with these plates (other than the
students I'm teaching it to!), and the suggestions here have already
opened up interesting new options.
Susan, you haven't written yet about wiping and printing the plates,
but I did want to mention a few things:
1. You may know this already, but using a sheet magnet while you ink
and wipe the plates makes wiping a breeze. The steel-backed plates
stick to the magnet and stay put as you ink and wipe.
2. The ink I use for these plates has been a mixture of equal parts
Graphic Chemical Bone Black, Stiff Black, and Transparent Base. I've
now started adding a bit of Graphic Chemical Gel (nontoxic) that makes
the ink more gooey and brings out more subtle tonal variations in the
plate. For some images I've made it so gooey I've had to almost pour it
on the plate (for plates I've heavily altered by hand). It's made a big
difference for me.
Others?