Re: Photopolymer Plate Options
I am really glad that this thread is carrying on. I use a vacuum frame with a UV light source and I am lucky enough to do my experiments in a traditional acid etch zinc plate class. I have done this type of traditional etching in the past. The class is only once a week but it does make things easier, especially for inking up and printing. My problems are about plate materials but Jon Lybrook's mails have been a big help. I have been buying my plates from an a supply shop and they have switched from solarplate to Toyobo and there are working differences between the materials. I have gone back to the Stouffer step wedge with the Toyobo plate and shall continue experimenting. Thanks to everyone. Hellena ----- Original Message ----- From: "taylordow" <taylordow@sprintmail.com> To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca> Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 3:49 PM Subject: Re: Photopolymer Plate Options > Hi Chris, > > I'm using a vacuum frame but it doesn't always eliminate the problem > of mottling and uneven contact, although I find the Printight plates > are better than the Solarplates. I think part of my problem (with > either plate) is that I'm having to cut them with a straight edge and > utility knife because I don't have the room for a guillotine. I get a > good vacuum and have never had contact problems with other processes > so I don't think it's the frame. > > I found that when I started using the Printight plates, problems that > I'd associated with bad contact disappeared straight away. The plates > were able to resolve detail in areas that just didn't have any before > (shadows especially) and the mottling was significantly less of a > problem. I don't know if that's a result of the slipcoat you mention, > or just because it's able to resolve more detail. Either way, I think > you'll certainly notice a difference if you move to the Printight > plates. > > Another thing I do is to dust the plate with talc just prior to > exposure and to gently brush it around with a very soft brush, so > there's just a very light dusting on the plate. This seems to really > help increase the contact, although this would only work with vacuum > frames. > > A friend here in Minneapolis is a letterpress printer who uses the > polymer plates for type and needs to resolve the finest lines and > serifs. He uses a vacuum frame with Kreen instead of glass. Kreen is > a plastic that's available from Boxcar and is really the best way to > go for perfect contact. Jon Lybrook I know asked about this before, > although I don't know if he made the switch. Jon? > > Lastly, one of the most informative books on using Toyobo Printight > plates specifically I found to be Diane Longley's "Printmaking with > Photopolymer Plates". Published by Illumination Press in Adelaide, > Australia. > > > Keith Taylor > > > On Feb 13, 2007, at 8:53 AM, Christina Z. Anderson wrote: > > Jon, Hellena, Nancy, Keith, etc. > > Do you find that the toyobo plates don't mottle as much as > solarplate?? It seems from the website description that it has a > slipcoat to obtain better contact between film and plate. Do you > think this would solve my problem of not having a vacuum frame or are > all of you using vacuum frames as well? > Chris
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