RE: Hand collotype in process
Wow, thanks much! I'm interested in commercial fine-art printing (albeit in a very small artisanal scale; maximum 40-50 copies per plate or so...), therefore, I definitely need a press. If I'm not mistaking, an etching press can be converted to a relief press but I'm not sure how. Regards, Loris. ________________________________ From: Tomas Sobota [mailto:tom@sobota.net] Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 11:45 AM To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca Subject: 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 Guidèe" 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.
|