Table of Contents
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Name: Min Lim
Date and Time:
Location: Making and Knowing Lab (Chandler 260)
Subject: Copper-plate polishing
Aims:
To polish copper plate to prepare the surface for etching.
Materials:
Copper Plate, 6 x 4 inches (Making & Knowing Lab)
Paper Towels (Making & Knowing Lab)
A4 Blank Papers (Making & Knowing Lab)
Goddard’s Silver Polish, 7oz (Making & Knowing Lab)
Newspapers (Making & Knowing Lab)
Procedure:
After lining the table with newspapers, I started off by adding a little polish to the plate. I scrubbed the plate in small circular motions with a paper towel, spreading the polish across the plate as much as possible, and applying some pressure. The polish — initially white — started taking on a greyish tint, and grew increasingly darker in colour. Also, the more pressure I applied when scrubbing the copper sheet, the faster this colour change occurred.
After the white polish turned entirely black, I switched to another paper towel and started scrubbing until all polish was visibly removed from the copper sheet. I then used a blank sheet of paper to scrub any remaining polish off. I repeated the process of scrubbing by adding more polish until satisfied.
According to Ad, the copper plate should be shiny enough that “we can see our eyelashes” when reflected. I used that as a visual marker of when to stop polishing the plate. Even when the copper plate had reached that stage, there were still small scratches on the metal plate — it was not entirely smooth.
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There was also a faint circular patch in the middle of the plate that could not be scrubbed off. Perhaps it came with the manufacturing of the plate.
I then flipped the plate over and repeated the process of polishing on the other side. I found that as soon as I was done, smudges of the polish would be found on the side of the copper plate that I had just flipped over. I thus had to finish off polishing both sides of the plate by placing the sheet on top of a fresh sheet of paper, before scrubbing off any smudges, constantly flipping the sheet around.
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When done, I wrapped the copper plate in paper, labelled it, and brought it back along with engraving materials to work on the design.
Thoughts/Observations:
It is interesting that a useful marker of when we are “done” polishing is when “we can see our eyelashes”. While it may seem vague/imprecise, the visual marker was actually really helpful in helping me determine when to stop polishing. This would have also worked better than “polish the copper plate for x minutes”, given that the rate of polishing would’ve differed depending on 1) how much polish was applied on the plate 2) how much pressure exerted when scrubbing 3) materials used for scrubbing, and other factors. Further, without the visual marker I would’ve kept continuing to scrub, given that the copper plate was never entirely smooth and still had markings/scratches.
I was initially unsure of the difference between using the paper towels and the papers to scrub. As I was polishing though, I found that using the paper towels was a good start in spreading the polish around and creating less small scratches on the plate. After it reached a certain stage (where there wasn’t as much polish on the plate), I did find that using the paper prevented the polish from being absorbed too quickly (compared to the paper towel), allowing it to take effect on the copper plate.
Name: Min Lim
Date and Time:
Location: Making and Knowing Lab (Chandler 260)
Subject: Copper plate engraving, zinc plate polishing/applying ink ground
Aims:
To engrave given design onto copper plate to practice and test out engraving techniques; to prepare the surface of zinc plate for etching as well.
Materials:
Copper Plate, 6 x 4 inches (Making & Knowing Lab)
Zinc Plate, 6 x 4 inches (Making & Knowing Lab)
Heating plate
Clamp
Inking/etching ground
Feather
Burin (Making & Knowing Lab)
Etching needle (Making & Knowing Lab)
Wooden Ruler
Paper Towels (Making & Knowing Lab)
A4 Blank Papers (Making & Knowing Lab)
Goddard’s Silver Polish, 7oz (Making & Knowing Lab)
Newspapers (Making & Knowing Lab)
Methanol (Making & Knowing Lab)
Procedure:
12:15pm: I started by polishing my zinc plate using the same process as what I did with the copper plate. I only needed to polish one side (instead of both sides) of the zinc plate. I found that this attempt at polishing went a lot easier, because I knew how long to polish for and what my end goal should look like. I was also more confident in simply following the visual marker for success than to obsess over its smoothness. After polishing, I wrapped it in paper and set the zinc plate aside.
12:30pm: I moved onto engraving on my copper plate. I used the etching needle to trace out the larger grids of the design, creating a 5x7 grid of 1-inch squares. When complete, Ad came over to provide a demonstration of using the burin to engrave the design. He mentioned 4 important things for the technique:
How to grip the burin
The angle of the burin to the paper when etching (how I should start off with a large angle, before lowering it to ~10-15 degrees when pushing the burin along the plate)
How to apply minimal pressure to engrave lines using the burin
How to place the other hand (not holding the burin) to steady the plate in a way that prevented injuries
12:45pm: Tested out the burin myself after Ad’s demonstration. I found 1) rather unintuitive, and my grip constantly changed even as I was working on the design. I also found that 2) and 3) had to be done extremely consciously, as I tended to apply too much pressure onto the copper plate at a high angle (like the linocutting technique), which increased the resistance between copper plate and burin, making the engraving process more difficult. I did find that the lower the angle between burin and copper plate, and the better my grip of the burin was, the easier it was to etch. The only pressure I needed to exert to push the burin along came from the back of my palm, and my fingers were only supposed to be guiding the burin along. I found this harder than the lino cut.
Further, It was also difficult to know how to properly lift the burin after I was done engraving a line, and many of my copper trimmings remained stuck on the plate. I also approximated quite a lot of my lines just to see how long the process might when I’m attentive to the details (which I will do on the zinc plate) vs. when I’m less precise. I found that if I wasn’t careful, it was easy for my lines to either go beyond the grid, or be too contained within the grid. The alignment of the very tip of the burin really mattered in terms of line precision, especially when I had to go over the lines several times.
1:00pm: We watched Ad demonstrate how to apply the ink ground to the surface of the zinc plate. I then attempted this myself. I unpackaged my zinc plate onto a worktable, and cleaned the surface of the plate with methanol to wipe away any smudges. I then held onto the edges of the zinc plate to prevent any fingerprints on the surface, and transferred it to the fumigation chamber. I used a clamp to hold an end of the zinc plate, and held it approximately 0.5cm above the heat source.
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After zinc plate was sufficiently hot, I applied the etching ground to the plate. Initially, it was slightly sticky on the plate (i.e. plate was not hot enough).
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I thus returned the etching ground and heated my zinc plate further, before attempting again. This time the etching ground rubbed across the plate more smoothly (like melted butter on a pan).
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After applying a thin coating of the black etching ground to the surface of the zinc plate, I used the ends of feather to spread the ink homogeneously across the entire surface, until the etching ground covered the entire plate and no specks of the zinc could be seen.
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I then placed the zinc plate onto the work surface to cool.
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I used the etching ground to cover up any uninked areas or specks, as well as the part that was clamped.
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1:15 I then transferred the zinc plate onto a table outside of the fumigation hood, labelled accordingly and left it to cool down and dry.
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1:20: I continued working on my copper plate engraving, until it was time to pack up.
Name: Min Lim
Date and Time:
Location: Personal Apartment Bedroom
Subject: Copper plate engraving (cont.)
Aims:
To finish engraving given design onto copper plate to practice engraving technique.
Materials:
Copper Plate, 6 x 4 inches (Making & Knowing Lab)
Burin (Making & Knowing Lab)
Etching needle (Making & Knowing Lab)
Procedure:
11:00pm: I continued working on the copper plate, using the burin to engrave the designs out until satisfied. While I had more success with the process — some strokes came out easily and smoothly — this was still uneven. In other words, for every stroke, I had to reset my grip, angle, position of the burin, and this was sometimes done more successfully than others.
Curved lines: Pressing one end of the burin into the plate, I slowly began pushing my hand forward to guide the burin along as I rotated the copper plate with the other hand. This was easier to execute for the waves as opposed to the larger spiral/circle in the given design, given its smaller scale, which made it easier to approximate. The circles especially, I found the hardest, as the speed in which I rotated the plate and pushed the burin across had to be constant to make it completely round.
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Straight lines: I approached this the same way I did with the curved lines, except instead of rotating the plate, I used my free hand to hold the plate down to prevent it from moving. I found it difficult at times to engraving a completely straight line, as my grip on the burin was not as steady, which led to changes in its direction as I pushed it across the plate. Moreover, given that it was easier to make shallow lines across the plate, the engraved ridges were at times, unable to secure the burin in its place.
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Nitches: I saw these as shorter versions of straight lines. However, instead of pushing the burin all the way across the plate at a similar angle, I would press the burin down, lower the angle of my grip, push it slightly across as I simultaneously flicked the burin upwards. This allowed me to create dots and small dashes at a faster rate.
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12:30am: Finally finished engraving the design, which took approximately 3-4 hours.
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Thoughts/Observations:
Even though both engraving and lino cutting involved making the relief, with similar processes (carving out negative space from a surface), they were really different in terms of their difficulty level and technique. I found linocutting much easier than engraving, where improper technique significantly affected how easy the process was.
Designing on a metal plate was also different from the lino block, as one encounters much more resistance given the solidity of the material. The reflectiveness of the metal also made it much harder to see the lines at times. The burin as well, differed from the lino cutter, as the lines carved out were much finer, and had to be gone over several times to make a deeper impression on the metal surface.
It was also much harder to make small, quick strokes (vs. my lino cutting technique - see my field notes here), as my copper shavings kept getting stuck on the plate and refused to come off.
I was also warier of brushing the shavings aside, as I did not want any metal splinters in my fingers. I was thus more mindful of the waste produced by this process.
I was also very aware of how my aims affected my engraving process. As I was more concerned with practicing my engraving technique than producing a design, I found myself being less conscientious about reproducing the assigned design in its exact specifications. I instead spent more time adjusting my grip and position of the burin and practicing the strokes I felt less comfortable with, at the expense of the design.
Name: Min Lim
Date and Time:
Location: Making and Knowing Lab (Chandler 260)
Subject: Etching on zinc plate, preparing zinc and copper plate for printing
Aims:
To complete design and preparations for zinc etching and copper plate engraving for printing the next day
Materials:
Copper Plate, 6 x 4 inches (Making & Knowing Lab)
Zinc Plate, 6 x 4 inches (Making & Knowing Lab)
Copper sulphate electrolyte solution (Making & Knowing Lab)
Tap Water (Making & Knowing Lab)
Masking Tape (Making & Knowing Lab)
Paper towels (Making & Knowing Lab)
Sunflower oil (Making & Knowing Lab)
Dish soap (Making & Knowing Lab)
600 and 1200 Sandpaper (Making & Knowing Lab)
Bevelling tool (Making & Knowing Lab)
Etching needle (Making & Knowing Lab)
Heating plate (Making & Knowing Lab)
Clamps (Making & Knowing Lab)
Procedure
12:10pm: With an etching needle, I started etching my design onto the zinc plate, which was previously coated with a thin layer of etching ground (now dried). I decided to use the same design as I did for my lino block to see how differently it would turn out when printed, and whether there would be any difference in my approach, design, and technique.
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I first used the needle to sketch the outlines of my design, faintly scratching off the etching ground from the zinc plate.
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I then traced over the sketched lines 4-5 times to create a thicker outline for my design. This also allowed me to sketch out the finer details of the outline, such as the foams of the wave. As the needle was quite fine, I was worried that my design would be too faint when printed, and thus created a thicker border around my waves, mountain, and moon. As I was etching the design free-hand, I was at this point, thinking of how the design would look when inked. With the linocut, since I was carving out what wasn’t going to be inked, I had to do the inverse in this case. This would require a lot of shading (with the night sky).I wasn’t sure whether I should copy the design fully, or if I should’ve adapted the design for etching purposes instead. I was constantly thinking which would be (1) easier and (2) more aesthetically pleasing, and decided for the purposes of the experiment and my desire to compare both etching and linocut, I would replicate the design as much as I could, at least preserving the same bits that were inked.
After making the thick outlines, I began filling in the spaces that were to be printed black, including the body of the waves, the night sky, and the mountain. For the body of the waves, I tried making small crosshatches with the etching needle, taking care to ensure that most of the etching ground was removed especially at the borders to preserve the details of the sea foam. This was particularly hard as the etching ground kept getting stuck on the needle, which blunted the tip. As I approximated most of my lines at this part, which led to some overlapping bits. And because the crosshatches were so small, the needle thus ended up removing more of the etching ground than I would’ve liked. In retrospect, I would’ve achieved a much better gradient in my shading if I were more purposeful with my strokes and if I made the crosshatches larger. As seen in the etching examples in the RBML, the strokes used for shading and tonality were still very evenly and neatly spaced out.
I was more conscious of this as I shaded the moon and the clouds. It was also easier as only a small portion of it needed to be shaded vs. the huge body of the wave.
I then moved onto etching the night sky. I started by making small horizontal strokes about 0.5cm away from the main design (waves / moon/ mountain) to create a border so that there would be some definition when printed. I also wanted to mimic the linocutting effect. I then made quick, longer strokes across all the unfilled area, and went over them a few times using cross-hatches and shorter horizontal strokes. To create a gradient, I spaced out my strokes nearing the horizon and mountains. At this point, I was worried that my lines would be too messy/ there would be too much negative space that the design would become too chaotic, where the main design would be indistinguishable from the sky. I therefore tried making as much horizontal strokes as I could across the sky. Again, in retrospect, I would’ve been more purposeful in my strokes to create shading and tonality even with the sky. This made me realize how different etching was vs. linocutting. I wanted to achieve the linocut effect of solid, black inked portions, but in doing so, I was not making full use of the strengths of etching — small details, gradient, and tonality. It also seemed silly to use a fine etching needle to completely carve out entire chunks to ink. It was also especially difficult to make it aesthetically pleasing using the etching technique because the original design that I based mine off was a woodblock print. Creating the relief would thus also be carving out the portions that weren’t going to be inked, similar to the linocut. With etching, I had to achieve the same effect with the inverse method, which meant more work.
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As I was working, I also found that etching ground was smudging onto my palms, and the particles were also gathering in the grooves of my etching plate. I thus had to keep sweeping the particles away, which further stained my hands. In retrospect, I would’ve probably used gloves, or swept them off with a paper, and also set up more paper beneath my zinc plate to catch these particles and reduce mess.
12:45pm: After I was done etching my design, I wiped it once with a blank paper to get rid of any bits of etching ground, and then went on to preparing my zinc plate for printing. As instructed, I tore off 4 long strips of masking tape and taped the borders of my zinc plate to prevent the copper sulphate solution from “biting” into the design. I then tore off a longer strip of masking tape and made a handle on one of the short ends of my zinc plate so that I could lift the plate up without coming into contact with the solution that it was to be immersed in.
1:00pm: I brought my zinc plate to the fumigation chamber, and immersed it into the blue copper sulphate electrolyte solution. I used a feather to brush (gently) the surface of my zinc plate to prevent copper sulphate crystals from forming on the surface.
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1:05pm: As I could not see any changes (and was also uncertain of what to look out for), I lifted the plate a few times to see if there were any visual markers that might tell me that my plate was ready. To my surprise, the entire plate had turned red (likely due to some chemical reaction?) I decided to leave the plate in the solution for another five minutes...just for good measure.
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1:10pm: Lifted the plate out of the solution. As I could see no further visual changes to the plate/design, I transferred the plate (still holding it using the masking tape handle) into the container of water to rinse out the solution. I swished the plate around for 5-6 times, before lifting it up, and shaking it to get rid of excess water droplets.
1:13pm: I moved my plate to the sink and rinsed it once again with tap water, before patting it dry with paper towels. I then removed the taped border from the zinc plate.
This process felt easier to manipulate given the size of the zinc plate. It was easy to handle and transport the plate, and manoeuvre the feather on its surface. I wonder how the process might have differed with larger plates — would a feather still be used to brush off sediments, though more time consuming? Also, what were the safety conditions of printing workshops in the past when dealing with the solutions? How would they have handled larger plates differently?
1:25pm: Using a pair of metal clamps to grip my zinc plate, I placed it 0.5cm above a hot plate to heat it up and remove the remains of my etching ground. I tested to see when the zinc plate was sufficiently heated by swiping a paper towel over it. If the ground feels sticky, the plate needed to be heated more.
1:32pm: After zinc plate was sufficiently heated, I placed it onto a sheet of newspaper and began wiping off the etching ground with a paper towel. I was surprised by the depth of the grooves created from the copper sulphate solution, which were more visible after the ground was wiped off. As I had many small grooves, I had to apply quite a bit of pressure to ensure that the etching ground within these grooves were wiped off as well.
1:45pm: After most of the etching ground was wiped off, I coated the zinc plate with sunflower oil and began scrubbing it with a paper towel in circular motions, just to get the last bits of etching ground off the plate.
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I then rinsed the plate under the sink with dish soap to remove the oil.
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1:50pm: Using a bevelling tool, I began to bevel the sides of the zinc plate to reduce its sharpness so that it would not tear the paper when rolled under a printing press. I tilted the tool at a shallow angle against the plate, and guided it across the edges of the plate, scraping off the zinc. This was a similar process to the copper plate engraving. I gripped the bevelling tool with my thumb resting on the tip so as to have better control over the tool. I counted 50 scrapes for each side of the zinc plate before moving to the next side. I pressed my palms to the edges of the zinc plate to determine if it needed more bevelling. If it felt sharp, I scraped the ends another 20 times.
2:10pm: After all sides were sufficiently smooth, I used a 600 sandpaper and in a back and forth motion, began sanding down the corners of my zinc plate. I counted 50 back-and-forth motions on each corner, before pressing my thumb down on the corner to test its sharpness. If it felt blunt/ did not prick my thumb, I moved onto the next corner. I also inspected the corner closely to affirm that there was a visible blunt rounded corner. After this was completed, I wrapped my zinc plate in paper and set it aside to work on my copper plate.
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2:20pm: I wet my copper plate under a running sink, and used a 1200 sandpaper to sand the surface of the copper plate to remove any copper filings and bumps on the plate. This process made a lot of sense to me as I was initially troubled with being unable to remove all the bumps from the copper plate. I took care to use as little force as I could, and made sure that the sandpaper and copper plate was wet, so that I would not leave any scratches on my plate.
To test if I had sufficiently sanded my plate, I ran my thumb across the plate to check if there were any grooves. Once the surface felt entirely smooth, I wiped it with a paper towel and set it on the table.
2:25pm: I added copper polish onto the plate, and began polishing the plate, using the same method as I did with my zinc plate previously (see entry 2018.10.17, 12:15pm). As I was short on time, I was hastier with this process, and added polish only twice to the plate, before checking to see if it was ready (if I could see my eyelashes).
2:30pm: I began quickly bevelling the sides of my copper plate using the same method as I did with my zinc plate.
2:35pm: When it was time to pack up, I brought home a 600 sandpaper to sand the corners of the copper plate for printing.
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Thoughts/Observations:
This was the most packed day in terms of practical work. As I prepared both my etching and engraving pieces for printing, I realize how similar the process of preparation was (polishing, bevelling), even though the sketching process differed greatly.
I expected myself to feel tired after so much hands on work, but the logic of the process (soaking the zinc plate in acid, wiping the ink ground on, etc.) really carried me through, and it became more meditative than anything.
It also made me realize how much preparatory work needed to be put in place even before the printing process — so many things could’ve gone wrong: I could’ve sanded my copper plate too roughly, leading to scratches; I could’ve soaked my zinc plate for too short a period, leading to shallow etching marks, etc. This really impressed upon me how intricate the printing process was, and how human error could’ve influenced the outcome of the piece
Conversely, the lino cut required much less preparatory work (in fact, none at all), which thus makes the printing process more efficient.
Name: Min Lim
Date and Time:
Location: Personal Apartment Bedroom
Subject: Sanding edges of copper plate
Aims:
To sand edges of copper plate for printing
Materials:
Copper Plate, 6 x 4 inches (Making & Knowing Lab)
600 Sandpaper (Making & Knowing Lab)
Procedure
8:10am: Using the same process as I did with my zinc plate, I started sanding the corners of the copper plate until they were no longer sharp. I also used the sandpaper to sand the sides of the copper plate as well to reduce its sharpness, as I did not have much time with the bevelling the previous day. After 10 minutes or so, I wrapped the copper plate in paper and stored it alongside my zinc plate for printing.
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Thoughts/Observations:
It was interesting to consider how the process felt when it was done in a series alongside other printing processes (eg. polishing the plate, bevelling) vs. done in isolation. I found myself surprisingly less focused and meticulous this time than I was yesterday, where I was led through the “motion” of the process, and felt it less repetitive. I am imagining what the implications of divisions of labour in a printing workshop are, and how the printing process might have been affected when different processes are done in different locations, workshops, and individuals vs. a singular person.
I was also sitting down when I was sanding my copper plate vs. standing up when sanding my zinc plate. I felt that the sanding of my zinc plate was more effective, like I was “putting my body into it”, as if the tool and plate were extensions of my body. Standing up made me feel more active, and more involved with the process, which makes me better appreciate how most of the printmakers in the past (in paintings we’ve seen) were standing up as well.
Name: Min Lim
Date and Time:
Location: Teachers College, Columbia University, Printing Workshop
Subject: Printing plates
Aims:
To print engraved copper plate and etched zinc plate
Materials:
Copper Plate, 6 x 4 inches (Making & Knowing Lab)
Zinc Plate, 6 x 4 inches (Making & Knowing Lab)
600 Sandpaper (Making & Knowing Lab)
A4 Newsprint Paper (Printing Workshop, Teachers College)
Print Roller (Printing Workshop, Teachers College)
Watercolour paper (Printing Workshop, Teachers College)
Fancy 18th century paper (Making & Knowing Lab) - please check terminology
Felt (Printing Workshop, Teachers College)
SoySolv II: Cleaner, Degreaser, Solvent (Printing Workshop, Teachers College)
Salt + Vinegar Solution (Making & Knowing Lab)
Paper towels (Printing Workshop, Teachers College)
Printing Ink (Printing Workshop, Teachers College)
Printing Palette Knife (Printing Workshop, Teachers College)
Cardboard pieces ~3x1 inches (Printing Workshop, Teachers College)
Cotton cloth ~ 5x4 inches (Printing Workshop, Teachers College)
Towels (Printing Workshop, Teachers College)
Rolling Pin (Printing Workshop, Teachers College)
Dish soap (Printing Workshop, Teachers College)
Procedure:
9:15am: While waiting for the print rollers and materials to be set up, I continued sanding the edges of my copper plate. Even though the corners were already rather smooth, the hastiness of my work made me more inclined to give the plate a proper sanding to further blunt the edges. In retrospect, this step was perhaps unnecessary, but important psychologically.
9:30am: Satisfied with the corners of my copper plate. I set it aside along with my zinc plate and lino block and observed Ad’s demonstration of the printing process. What really struck me was the durability of the heavy duty roller, and how it was built to last for decades. I was also struck by the particularity and attentiveness of Ad to each part of the printing process, as he double checked the location of each of the printing materials to orientate himself before starting the whole process. He was also extremely cognizant of the condition of the printing materials and the rollers, such as the dampness of the printing paper, the pressure of the roller, and the quality of the printers ink. I wonder if this conscientiousness comes with experience — that he knew what to look out for — and how I could train that in myself. I thus resolved to be as attentive, and did so by reconstructing Ad’s printing demonstration, down to his checks (a reconstruction within a reconstruction!)
10:30am: After Ad’s demonstration, I began by putting on an apron as well as S-sized latex gloves. I brought my copper plate to the inking station, and placed it on top of a sheet of newsprint, which was on a table laid with newspaper. Using a printing palette knife, I gently scraped off some ink from the tub of printers ink, holding the tub at a 90 degree angle and moving in a circular motion, so that the knife only takes off ink from the surface (vs. digging into the ink pot). I dabbed different portions of the copper plate with ink. I then used a small piece of cardboard to spread the ink across the entire copper plate. This was used instead of the palette knife to prevent scratching of the plate. Though I only made 4-5 small dabs of ink on the plate, I was surprised by how much the ink spread, and how thick the coating of black was on the plate — I probably used more ink than necessary.
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I then took a small piece of cloth and rubbed the plate in small circular motions to get all the ink into the grooves. After I had done this to the entire surface of the plate, I laid a sheet of newsprint on top of my copper plate. Using the side of my palm, I smoothed the newsprint onto the copper plate to remove any excess ink. I repeated this step four times. I then folded the newsprint into eights. Gripping the paper with the flats of my fingertips, I gently rubbed the surface of the copper plate to remove excess ink, until all remaining ink was only in the grooves of the copper plate. When the base of the paper was quite black, I turned to a fresh side. I was careful not to apply too much pressure, and kept the paper as parallel to the plate as I could. However, even after 10 minutes of rubbing, there were a few stubborn ink spots on the plate — likely because I applied too much ink beforehand. I increased the pressure as I attempted to rub as much of the ink spots off the plate as I could. After ink was completely removed from surface of the copper plate (except in the grooves), I used a small piece of cloth to wipe any remaining ink off the corners and edges of the plate. I was now ready to print.
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11:00am: I took off my gloves and laid a sheet of newsprint onto the surface of the roller. I then transferred my copper plate onto the newsprint, taking care not to disturb the surface of the plate. I then layered my printing paper on top of the copper plate, pressing down gently, and placed another sheet of newsprint on top. Paying careful attention not to cause any movement of the papers, I transferred these sheets to the middle of the printing roller. I then laid down the sheet of felt from the roller onto these sheets, smoothening the felt to prevent any air pockets or creases. I then turned the handle of the machine, until the roller has pressed the papers past the entire copper plate, and only a short layer of felt could be seen on the other end of the roller. I then removed the felt, the sheets of paper, and retrieved my impression (Attempt #1).
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Attempt #1 left a rather weak impression. This was due to my impatience in getting rid of the ink spots, which led to over-wiping of the copper surface. Some ink from the grooves was thus removed. The paper was also over-dampened. The edges of my print were also slightly stained.
I realized that i had taken off my gloves before I was completely done with handling the copper plate, which led to ink stains on my hands and thus onto the plate. I decided to try reprinting my engraving again, mindful of my mistakes.
11:15am: I repeated the entire inking process on my copper plate, this time taking less printers ink with the palette knife, and being gentler in scrubbing the ink off the plate. At this point, I was told that we had limited sheets of watercolour and “fancy paper” to print with. I could thus only reprint my copper plate onto a dry sheet of newsprint.
11:30am: Repeated printing process as before. Attempt #2 on the dry sheet of newsprint barely left any impression at all.
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It was not only important to prepare the copper plate and design, but the paper for printing as well. So many factors were in play that could affect the quality of the print. At this point, I set my copper plate aside and began working on my zinc plate for printing.
11:33am: Wore gloves and brought zinc plate to the sink. Added salt+vinegar solution and rubbed it gently onto the entire surface of the zinc plate with my finger tips. I then held the plate up and let the solution stand for 5 minutes before rinsing it off with water. While the solution was supposed to remove any leftover inking ground from the plate, this had little to no effect on mine. Perhaps I should’ve let it stand for longer. I then dried my zinc plate with a paper towel, and moved on to applying the printers ink on it.
11:38am: Repeated the process of layering, spreading, and removing the printers ink as before. This time though, I put even less pressure as I wiped the excess ink off the zinc plate.
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Given the number of etched lines and the depth of my grooves, the catching of the ink onto the grooves was a lot more visible, and I had a more distinct marker of when to stop scrubbing. The reduced pressure however, meant that the process of getting the ink off the plate was a lot more time consuming.
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11:58am: Finally done with scrubbing excess ink off the zinc. Repeated the process of layering sheets and printing, this time using fancy paper. At this point, Ad had re-dampened and calibrated the paper for printing. Given my first two lackluster attempts at printing, I was surprised when the print came out quite well. The impression left was distinct and dark, and managed to capture the shadings and small details of my design. The middle of the waves was a little faint, which Ad attributed to the shallowness of my etching. The edges were also slightly stained with printers ink, again due to improper wiping. In all, I was satisfied with the print (Attempt #3). I left the print aside on the worktable for the paper to dry out, along with Attempts #1 and #2.
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12:10pm: I started cleaning my copper and zinc plates. After wearing gloves, I brought them to the sink and added soysolv to both plates. I used my fingertips to rub the solvent across the entire plate, going around again in small circular motions to ensure solvent gets into the grooves. I repeated this process with both plates, until solvent darkened in colour. I then washed the plates with water. At this point, much of the ink was already removed from the plates. I then used dish soap and wiped it across the entire surface once again to clean away the solvent. I dried my plates with paper towels and left them on a work table while I started on my lino block printing. (For a detailed procedure of my lino block printing, see my lino block field notes here).
12:40pm: After printing my lino block, I returned to the first printing workshop and wrapped my copper and zinc plates with newsprint. I then stored it in a ziplock bag along with my linoblock, and packed up for the day.
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12:43pm: In all, 5 prints were produced:
| Attempt No. | Type of print/material/ relief style | Type of paper | Design printed | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copper plate engraving | Watercolour paper | Assigned design by Ad (gridwork) | Weak impression, visible lines throughout with the exception of some patches of white. Printers ink stains on some edges of print. |
| 2 | Copper plate engraving | Newsprint | Assigned design by Ad (gridwork) | Extremely weak impressions. Lines almost illegible. |
| 3 | Zinc plate etching | Fancy paper | Great Wave | Strong dark impression. Visible lines throughout even in small details. Faint shade of gray across print. Printers ink stains on some edges of print. |
| 4 | Lino block | Watercolour paper | Great Wave | Strong dark impression — solid black. Some bleeding of design on paper which shrunk amount of negative space / white of design. |
| 5 | Lino block | Watercolour paper | Great Wave | Fainter impression, but visible lines and outlines of image. Ink is more faded and watery with more bleeding. |
These were all left to dry on a work table in the workshop.
Thoughts/Observations:
After seeing the final product, I better appreciated the process of reconstruction, and seeing through the entire process. It not only made me realize how intricate the printing process was, but how much technique and experience went into the process. There were so much room for mistakes that the printing itself required a lot of trial and error. In my printing attempts, for instance:
Attempt #1 (Copper) left too weak an impression, due to (1) paper being too damp (2) over-wiping of copper surface that removed ink from the grooves (3) pressure of the roller
Attempt #2 (Copper) left an even weaker impression and a more tinted print, due to (1) use of newsprint paper - too dry and (2) under-wiping of copper surface
Attempt #3 (Zinc) left quite a deep impression, as I was mindful of my mistakes, and took a longer time applying less pressure with wiping off the printing ink. Ad had also re-dampened the paper to the right dampness. Even then, certain corners were still quite faint as my etchings were too shallow. Thus, even if the printing process went perfectly, the etching process could still affect the outcome of the print
This raised more questions with the division of labour in printing workshops. On one hand, it is important for specialization not only for efficiency, but an accumulation of skill/experience in one area of the printing process would likely reduce human error. Yet, if the printing turns out unsatisfactory — how was the source of error traced along this chain of production? Was this a more time-consuming process? This also removes the reflective process of an individual who has seen through the entire process from sketching to printing. What happens then, and how important is this reflective process? I wonder if this would affect opportunities for innovation and a recalibration of one’s technique.
The nature of the design itself was also an important factor. In other words, there are designs more suited for etching vs. engraving vs. linocutting. Does a sketcher/designer have to start out with the medium already in mind? How have designs evolved when transferred from different mediums? We saw an example with Hopfer’s transfer of his design from print to armour, but it would be interesting to see how transfers may differ across print mediums.
Working in the workshop/lab also made me interested in further exploring workplace conditions in early modern Europe, an underexplored field Ad briefly talked about in his lecture on Monday (Oct 22). This includes safety conditions (our equivalent of gloves, lab coats, fumigation chambers) as well as cleanliness, as this not only affected the health of the workers, but the quality of the print as well. For instance, attempt #1 had some residual printers ink on the edges. This was not because of insufficient wiping, but rather I had taken my gloves off before I finished handling the plate, and the printers ink smudged onto my hand, which smudged onto the edges of the plate. It would be interesting to see how different workplace environments affected printing conditions, and what happens if the environment changes as the printing process is transported to different locations within the workshop as well as between workshops.
This also made me more cognizant with the different forms of relief printing. I have noted my details of comparison below:
| Process | Engraving (Copper plate) | Etching (Zinc plate) |
Linocutting (Lino block) |
Woodblock Printing (Wood block) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preparing the surface for design | Polishing of plate required on both sides of the plate. Moderate time needed to prepare plate before transferring design. Heating element not required. |
Layer of plastic removed from plate. Polishing of plate required on one side of the plate. Methanol used to wipe zinc plate of imprints. Zinc plate to be heated for etching ground to be applied to surface. Etching ground must be left to dry before use (a longer time process) Heating element required. |
0.5cm border drawn around the lino-block and carved out with a lino cutter. Little to no time needed to prepare plate before transferring design. Heating element not required. |
No preparation needed. |
| Sketching | Etching needle used to scratch out grid and faint outlines. Lines will not be visible when printed and require going over with a burin. Lines cannot be erased. |
Etching needle used to scratch out faint outlines Lines will still visible when printed. More mindful of process. Lines cannot be erased. |
2B Pencil and eraser used to sketch outlines. Lines will not be visible when printed and require going over with a lino cutter. Lines can be erased. Faint outline and smudges of granite remain on lino block. |
2B Pencil and erase used to grid and sketch outlines. Lines will not be visible when printed and require carving out with wood cutter. Lines can be erased completely. |
| Transferring Design | Burin used to engrave design into copper plate. Going over a same line with the burin increases thickness and depth of line. Shading created through cross hatches or increasing/decreasing spaces between each individual line. Time-consuming process as each stroke requires reset of positioning of burin and copper is not easily removed from the plate given its material properties. Design engraved will be inverse of printed design. |
Etching needle used to etch design into zinc plate. Going over a same line with needle increases depth of line. Thickness created by etching out more individual lines. Shading created through cross hatches or increasing/decreasing spaces between each individual line. Quick process as etching needle can be easily manipulated. Lines can be approximated. Inking ground easy to remove. Design etched will be inverse of printed design. |
Lino cutter used to carve out the negative spaces of the design (i.e. what will not be printed) Depth of line does not matter. Thickness created by using a thicker nib of the linocutter, or by carving out more lines. Shading created through increasing/decreasing spaces between each line. Quicker process (vs. engraving) as linocutter can be easily manipulated. Positioning of lino cutter to lino block is not as important in ensuring ease of motion as linoleum is easier to remove than copper. Design etched will be inverse of printed design. |
Woodblock cutter used to carve out the negative spaces of the design (i.e. what will not be printed) Depth of line does not matter (although the deeper the line, the less likely ink will catch onto it and the cleaner the image produced). Thickness created by carving out more wood. Did not attempt shading. Time-consuming process as knife has to first go over outline of the woodblock several times, before the cutter can be used to chip away the wood at a certain angle — positioning and grip of cutter thus also important. Wood is not easily removed from the block. Design carved out will be inverse of printed design. |
| Using of Tools | Etching needle to sketch, burin to engrave. Technique/use of tools significantly affected ease of engraving process. Grip of burin and angle of burin to copper plate factored into how easy it was to carve out design on copper plate and how shallow the engravings were. |
Etching needle to sketch and etch. Technique did not affect ease of etching process — easy to etch design onto zinc plate and remove ground. It however affected level of shading and tonality in final design. |
Lino cutter to carve. Technique affected ease of carving out linoleum (less so than engraving). Grip of lino cutter factored into how fast my hands became numb, and angle of lino cutter to lino block factored into how easy it was to carve out design and how shallow the cuts were. |
Knife used to go over outline of woodblock, woodblock cutter used to chip away block. Only attempted briefly, but technique slightly affected ease of carving away woodblock and level of precision. |
| Preparing the surface for printing | Copper plate scrubbed with sandpaper Copper plate polished to remove scratches. Edges and corners of copper plate bevelled. Physical alteration of plate. |
Zinc plate immersed in acid/electrolyte solution. Zinc plate heated to remove excess inking ground. Edges and corners of zinc plate bevelled. Chemical and physical alteration of plate. — |
— | Did not attempt |
| Printing process | Printers ink applied to surface using palette knife, spread into the engraved grooves, and excess ink is removed from plate. | Printers ink applied to surface using palette knife, spread into the engraved grooves, and excess ink is removed from plate. | Printers ink applied to surface using a paint roller. Roller ensures even coating of ink across linoblock. |
Did not attempt |
| Final Product | Dampness of printing paper affects quality of impression. Pressure of printing roller affects quality of impression. Overwiping/underwiping of ink from plate affects quality of impression. Over/under polishing of plate affects quality of impression. |
Dampness of printing paper affects quality of impression. Pressure of printing roller affects quality of impression. Overwiping/underwiping of ink from plate affects quality of impression. |
Ink dries out much faster, and also bleeds depending on ink type, which affects impression. Pressure of printing roller affects quality of impression. |
Did not attempt |
I also just realize upon completing my field notes how I grouped “etching and engraving” together but separated the rest… I think I subconsciously did this based on how similar these two processes were — metal plates, etching needles (preliminary sketching for engraving), and a similar space/class time to work on it. Will take care to standardize separation vs. grouping all printing techniques together instead of categorizing it based on underlying assumptions!
For field notes on other printing processes, see: