Re: Photogravure with photopolymer

Strange Ross (ross@axp.psl.ku.dk)
Mon, 1 Jan 1996 14:58:26 +0100

>>>In-Reply-To: <v01530500ad0974a27d2a@[130.225.200.51]>
>..
>>
>>Presumably there are a number of brands of photopolymer. The one I am usin=
g
>>is Toyobo Printight, Type KM 73R. In Denmark this is supplied by
>>
>..
>>
>>Normally, this material is used for industrial high-relief printing
>>(Flexoprint).
>
>There are two common terms for this process, i.e., Flexography and Anilin
>printing, the latter not to be confused with the other "aniline" process
>(Willis). Flexography with the use of rubber plates was introduced ca. 1900
>and has been useful for printing on packaging material. Modern photopolymer
>plates are much more recent. They are also used to print cheap paperback
>editions of popular novels. The process, for a long time, was used for line
>illustrations and text although in recent years 133 line screens have been
>used, also for *RELIEF* printing.
>
>The use of photopolymer plates for relief printing has been discussed off
>an on on the Letterpress and Book Arts lists. Those of you on Alt-photo
>looking for ideas that would make use of your hand-made prints may want to
>visit the Book Arts archives and see what people have been doing with
>custom made books and portfolios.
>
>I am lucky enough to have a copy of M. & S Chayt's _Collotype_ (Anachronic
>Editions, 1983) here in my collection, which was printed by (hand-set)
>letterpress (5 colors!) on a variety of rag papers, bound by hand with
>original collotypes tipped in and illustrated with *relief* *Nyloprints*
>
>Needless to say that this is a book that my students/visitors have to
>handle with white gloves on...
>
>Which brings us to the next question:
>
>>The process may be similar to that developed by Keith Howard (Safe Photo
>>Etching for Photographers and Artists, Wynne Resources Lrd, 1991 ISBN
>>0-9695577-0-1) which I and others have previously mentioned here.
>
>>Poinsaing, and is described in detail in his book "Photopolymergravure: A
>>New Method", Copenhagen: Borgen, 1995
>
>Are the illustrations in these books printed off polymer plates? Intaglio
>(gravure) or relief? And what about the text?
>
>Luis Nadeau
>awef6t@mi.net
>Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
>http://www.micronet.fr/~deriencg/nadeau.html

Besides numerous small sketches illustrating the various technical
processes, Eli Ponsaing's book ("Photopolymergravure: A New Method",
Copenhagen: Borgen, 1995 (ISBN 87-21-00396-3)) contains one original
(intaglio) photopolymergravure print and eight stochastic raster offset
reproductions of such gravures.

The process described in this book, and in my previous communications, is
the intaglio one. Earlier I just mentioned that the photopolymer material
_normally_, i.e., in industrial use, is employed for high-relief printing.

Strange Ross
Hvidehusvej 35
DK-3450 Aller=F8d
Denmark Phone: (+45) 48 17 42 92