Printing

	The Printing Process and Limited Editions
	Printing the Plate The plate is heated and stiff ink rubbed into it, then using small circular motions and a pad of wiping canvas, excess ink is removed, this is repeated, gradually using cleaner canvas. Finally, the plate is 'hand-wiped'; this removes plate tone and allows the lines to become more sharply defined. The paper for printing needs to be soaked and laid down for a number of days, this softens the paper, so that when it is printed it is forced more easily into the grooves of the plate. The pressure required for printing is great, several tons, and this is achieved by using an Etching Press. The press is a large mechanical device, with two main rollers placed above each other with a flat bed of steel that travels between the two. The sliding bed is moved from one end of the press to the other, with the inked plate resting face up. The paper is placed over it and then several wool blankets on top. The blankets are compressed as the rollers move, thus forcing the paper into the plate and so lifts out the ink. Once the plate is printed, the paper is carefully removed from the plate, a sheet of tissue paper is laid over the print and it is left between sheets of blotting paper under a heavy board to dry for a few days. The plate needs to be re-inked and re-wiped for each print! Editions All prints are 'Limited Editions' - A limited set of identical prints taken from the finished plate. Each print is individually and consecutively numbered. Once the edition is completed, drilling a hole through it, or engraving a line across it to prevent further printing then cancels the plate.

Debby Mason - Marine Life Etchings

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Debby Mason