Re: Hand collotype in process
Loris, Collotype definitely can be done in-house, since I did it :-) Naturally, I'm not interested in commercial printing, for that you need serious equipment and a collotype press... and a lot of training. However for experimental work where a blemish or two (or many more in my case) on the plate are tolerated, the technique is fairly approachable.
From what I have read, you can use an etching press, which you will need anyway, if you are interested in photogravure. The pressure needed is far less that what you need for woodburytype, so people also use relief presses as those used for linoleum or wood.
I don't think that collotype presses are made anymore, since it is a process that has fallen abruptly to disuse since offset came along. They were beautiful beasts, you can see one here: http://www.lichtdruck.de
But they were dismantled and destroyed since, so it is very difficult to find one. Also, you need a large space to house them. On the other hand, these guys in France: http://perso.numericable.fr/bquantin/web_phototypie/phototypie.htm
use a small letterprint press. If you read French, visit the site of Michel Momal, he is a French expert in collotype and has loads of info about the process: http://www.phototypie.net . (Click on "Visite Guidče" on the left and then n.9 on the bottom "Les presses phototypiques". You will see several images of collotype presses. Momal also has a pretty large one)
cheers Tom Sobota Madrid, Spain On Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 10:18 PM, Loris Medici <mail@loris.medici.name> wrote:
Hi Tsuyoshi & Tom,
I'm interested in photogravures, I'm currently researching (and judging feasibility)... I plan to use photopolymer plates, mainly because I find traditional photogravures (copper plates, carbon tissue, ferric chloride etching etc...) is too much complicated and time taking. Plus, we have two Toyobo distributors here in Istanbul, so it's accessible to me...
Collotype is most interesting because one doesn't have to rely to "expensive" factory-made materials (such as Toyobo photopolymer plates!), it seems something that can be done in-house totally. Am I right?
I guess one needs a relief press if they are not going to make hand impressions? Are ordinary relief presses OK for the job, or are there specialized collotype presses around? (Will do single impressions; I'm not interested in duotone, tritone, quadtone or color work.)
Thanks,
Loris.
On 16.Haz.2009, at 17:06, Tsuyoshi Ito wrote:
Hi Tom,
There is no instruction in the link that I referred earlier. My friend went to Kyoto to see the proof prints for me and simply writing about the experience.
There is a little more information as well as images from the studio in Kyoto on our site but I am not sure if it is practical enough for you. But take a look:
http://www.projectbasho.org/collotype/
There are two more studios which still make Collotype on a commercial basis as far as I know: one in Germany and the other in Italy. I do not remember the names top of my head, but maybe they can be helpful for you.
I am not sure if they do hand impressions though as the prints usually go through a huge collotype press as you know. Yamamoto-san at Berido, the person in the pictures, has been experimenting with hand impressions for some time.
Another person to contact is James Hajicek who teaches photogravure and collotype at Arizona State University (http://www.alchemy-studio.net/). We invited him for a lecture on collotype last year during our show. He told me that he is about to retire and start teaching a workshop on collotype out of his studio soon.
If you can come to Japan, I am sure Berido people will show you around the studio. I will there again at the end of August this year.
Hope these will help.
Warmly,
Tsuyoshi
On Jun 15, 2009, at 4:04 PM, Tomas Sobota wrote:
Tsuyoshi,
I am interested in collotype. Right now I'm rather a beginner in this technique, but I already managed to make a couple of reasonably decent plates. What I'm lacking is traditional printing skills, so I would like to learn more about the hand impressions that you mention.
Sadly for me, the website you refer to is entirely in Japanese ...
cheers
Tom Sobota
Madrid, Spain
On Sat, Jun 13, 2009 at 4:04 AM, Tsuyoshi Ito <tito@projectbasho.org> wrote:
Hi,
I am just going to send this link to those who may be interested in Collotype.
http://blog.livedoor.jp/motoyukikubo/
I had an opportunity to work with Benrido, a collotype studio in Kyoto, and they are making some prints for me. As you know, they usually use a press to make collotypes, but here they are making hand impressions. We are hoping to bring them for a demonstration or workshop at our studio next year.
We also hope to show a video clip of the entire process soon. I will let you know once it is up.
Warmly,
Tsuyoshi
|