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Nature Printing by Foilography |
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You
will have a very low relief plate, meaning the image you want
to ink and print stands out from the surface of the plate just slightly.
The foil itself is somewhat delicate and is subject to stretching
and tearing. Therefore, inking the plate to reveal the details
you see can be quite a challenge.
Squeeze a fingernail-sized blob of ink onto your inking slab
(create an inexpensive, disposable one by taping freezer paper,
plastic side up, to a tabletop or counter) and smooth it out
using the back of a plastic spoon or spatula. Run your roller
back and forth through the ink in various directions to create
a very thin even coat on the roller—less is better.
To keep ink off the background, you will need to make a mask.
Place a sheet of acetate over the plate and use a felt-tip pen
to trace around the outside of your subject. Do not follow every
indentation, but do try to stay within 1/32" of the outside
edge. Place the acetate on several layers of newspaper and cut
out the tracing using a sharp knife. |
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The mask is
in place and the plate is now ready to be inked.
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Place
the mask over your plate and use the inked roller to apply ink
to the subject. The edge of the acetate and the slight relief
of your subject should keep the ink from being applied outside
the subject area. After inking the plate, remove the acetate.
If you do get a bit of stray ink on the background, use a cotton
swab and alcohol to remove.
To print, place your inked plate on one of the boards, cover
with the paper followed by two layers of felt. Finally, place
the other board on top of everything and set the whole works
on the floor. To print, stand lightly on the top board, being
careful not to shift anything around. You may want to use a
light bouncing motion; again, be sure that nothing shifts around.
Remove the top board and the felt and then carefully remove
your print. Ink the plate again to make another print. Hang
your prints to dry for a day or two. |
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Other
Articles from this Issue |
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