Re: Photogravure question

I'm curious, what kind of pressure can the polymer plate handle when
it is used as an intaglio plate (I've never worked w polymer)? Is the
ink deposited on the surface of the paper, or is it actually pressed
into the paper? I know that for the letterpress folks who print with
photo polymer it is possible to use enough pressure to leave an
indentation on the paper. Interestingly there was a very similar
back-and-forth on the letpress list with regard to the use of photo
polymer plates sometime ago; the issue re-surfaces there from time to
time. Many who work with traditional lead type do not consider
polymer plates to truly be "letterpress."

If the polymer plate can be used as in a manner which can be called
intaglio I think a term like polymer Gravure would be more descriptive
than photogravure. Photogravure refers, and has referred for quite
sometime, to a specific process. Even the commercial variant
roto-gravure makes clear the difference. While there is some murk in
printing terminology, much of it has been introduced by commercial
vendors. Certainly, most of the terminology that is used in printing
and in connoisseurship is very clear and well defined.

Best to all. -greg

On Tue, 4 Nov 2003, Kate Mahoney wrote:

> Polymer gravure IS an intaglio process - it produces an incised plate and
> the ink is applied just as in an etching. The difference is that the plate
> is etched by light rather than by acid, so in a way it's a really
> photographic process.
>
> Kate Mahoney
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Greg Schmitz" <gws1@columbia.edu>
> To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 3:42 AM
> Subject: Re: Photogravure question
>
>
>
>
> I don't discount that it is possible to pull some very nice prints
> from photopolymer plates. I would question if any process should be
> called Gravure unless it is an intaglio printing process. Calling a
> process, which is not an intaglio process, "Photogravure" is
> misleading although calling it such would have some "retro" appeal
> (good marketing hook). If it is possible to use photopolymer plates
> so as to produce a plate that prints in the same manner as a Gravure
> plate then I will have no problem calling it a Gravure process;
> otherwise the terminology is just plain wrong.
>
> -greg schmitz <gws1@columbia.edu>
>
>
>
> On Mon, 3 Nov 2003, Jalo Porkkala wrote:
>
> > Hello List,
> >
> > for all those thinking polymer gravure is not "real" photogravure a couple
> of web sites to visit. Polymer gravure has been practitioned in Scandinavia
> well over 10 years now, and the results can be stunning ...
> >
> > http://www.psy.ku.dk/ross/
> > http://www2.uiah.fi/~teofilus/
> > http://www.photoeye.com/templates/ShowDetailsbyCat.cfm?Catalog=ZB305
> >
> > Jalo
> >
> >
> > jack reisland kirjoitti 02.11.2003 kello 21:29:
> > >
> > >
> > > "Gordon J. Holtslander" wrote:
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Are the resulting prints from photopolymer plates and traditional
> > > > photogravure sigificantly different?
> > > >
> > > > Gord
> > > >
> > >
> > > Yes, indeed they are. Photopolymer etching is a two dimensional process,
> > > where
> > > the variation in tone is acheived by spacing the ink closer or farther
> > > apart,
> > > much like an ink jet print. Copper plate photogravure adds a 3rd
> > > dimension,
> > > by
> > > also varying the depth of the cells, or holes etched into the copper
> > > plate,
> > > and
> > > thereby varying the thickness of the ink applied to the paper. This
> > > results
> > > in a
> > > richness and depth in the image, especially in the darker tones, that
> > > cannot be
> > > matched by photopolymer plates.
> > >
> > > J. Reisland
> > >
> >
> >
> > ............................................................
> > Maksuton sähköposti aina käytössä http://luukku.com
> > Kuukausimaksuton MTV3 Internet-liittymä www.mtv3.fi/liittyma
> >
> >
>
>
Received on Mon Nov 3 13:41:50 2003