U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | Re: wiping KM73 polymer plates

Re: wiping KM73 polymer plates



Jon,
I should have been more descriptive in what I mean by looking like a BW print: the solarplate will look tonally so much like a BW print that someone might think, why bother printmaking when you can print it in BW just as well? That's what I mean. This is the critique I got about my solarplate prints--almost a "so what"? But that is what intrigued me about the process, that and I personally feel that the printmaking process adds a texture and relief that isn't present in a BW print. But you are right that they are different.

So you explained something, below. I used to only use cheesecloth because the plates seemed to scratch. This year I went ahead with the double exposure aquatint screen. I have been using tarlatan and didn't know why it wasn't scratching anymore. So it's the aquatint exposure?? I have also begun post exposing 10mn UVBL at least and it seems very hard to me. Boegh says a plate will do 1000 pulls, whereas someone else (Dan Welden probably) says 25-150.

The one thing that does bug me a bit is the appearance of slight aquatint screen in the highlights sometimes. I expose the screen 1mn15sec and the image 8mn45sec which is way different than say 1/3/2/3 or 1/2 times other books recommend. I was just searching for when open bite no longer occurred on my aquatint test plate and that was the time.

I also find it interesting you say, below, that there is a dif between this and true gravure. I would love to see an image printed both ways side by side. In this collaborative portfolio I am in, one of the others is using Z'Acryl sheets on copper and then etching it with ferric so it'll be fun to compare our work. But I find that, for instance (not having done gravure) that the look of a mezzotint--a kind of soft velvet--is so distinct that I can imagine the interaction of the metal microscopic bits must print differently than plastic in any printmaking process.
Chris

One thin> I agree that a good curve will make all the difference, and can be used
successfully against Solarplates(TM) as well as the Toyobo brand. I will say there's a smoothness to the Toyobo that doesn't contain the pits or manufacturing "features" sometimes evident in Solarplates (and JetUSA plates as well). I've tried different thicknesses of polymer, but those are the only 3 brands I believe I've tried. Anyone have of any others they like?

I will say that, with few exceptions, I have yet to see a polymer plate print that matches good B&W silver prints or true copper gravure. There's still something missing. Something in the way the plate tone gets held on the plastic I guess. It's never quite as smooth and convincing as these other processes. Not to say I've not seen great and inspiring prints -- but it's got a distinctly different look to my eye. One day the technology will catch up, if there's enough interest in it, but I don't think we're there yet.

As far as wiping, I use phone pages followed by tissue paper only now. In spite of experimenting with fairly long post-exposures, the KM73 plates (with the finer screen I use) scratches like the dickens under tarlatan. In this way the Solarplates in conjunction with the standard aquatint screen are probably more durable. But I think the finer screen is probably a significant variable. Finer dots mean less plastic to hold up the image structure - thus greater fragility. That's what I've deduced at any rate. Cleaning the plate properly is also critical - paint brush and mineral spirits dissolve the plate's matrix, the way I burn them, so I've found other approaches cited in other posts here.

Best wishes,

Jon





Christina Z. Anderson wrote:
Hi all,
I find solarplate prints pretty close to a BW print...detail is not the issue with solarplate once you curve it correctly. The biggest problem is those dam mottles. But if in fact you all are right that Printight is more detailed, I may just have to buy some.

One thing I notice, having printed (limited) other types of processes, solarplate requires quite a bit of wiping. I have been using etching ink which works fine for me, but what I find about solarplate at least is that you have to use the tarlatan very well and then finish off with telephone book pages, wiping the plate to the point that you think you are wiping all the detail out. In other words, the plate should look like all ink is off the highlights of the image when, in fact, they still print! I don't know why this is the case that the ink is not visible on the surface but still prints. I may use a total of 4 telephone book pages wiping the plate clean, with a flat hand.

I read that the plate hardens from bottom up--that a flash exposure of 3-5 secs will harden the goo at the steel plate level and then you expose your neg. I find this fascinating after all the discussion on this list about top down hardening of gum. I have no idea what the hardening agent is in solarplate (any guesses? Diazo?).

Mind you, I have been working on solarplate all week to perfect my curve after a major glitch related to positive/negative issues, so I am solarplated OUT at the moment...
Chris
----- Original Message ----- From: "taylordow" <taylordow@sprintmail.com>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 4:26 PM
Subject: Re: wiping KM73 polymer plates


Nancy,

I use Daniel Smith's Miracle Gel Reducer http://www.danielsmith.com/ catalog/products/?T1=284+900+001&UID=2007020715152611 which sounds similar to Graphic's Chemical Gel. Using this and wiping initially with tarlatans and then finishing by hand, you can get some incredible detail.
Someone mentioned in an earlier post that they found the Solarplates didn't resolve the fine detail as well as the Printight plates. This was exactly the reason I changed. Not that there's anything wrong with the Solarplates, just they weren't suitable for my work.

Keith.

On Feb 7, 2007, at 5:09 PM, Nancy Diessner wrote:

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.