How To: Drypoint on Perspex (Plexi-glass)
January 15th, 2009 by sissT
There a million different approaches to drypoint printmaking. This post describes one approach. There are different schools and different characters. Rumor has it that you can’t print with water based colours and a book press. Actually I can ^_^…
Many more pictures on Flickr.
Update 20.01.2010: Totally forgot! Videos are now on youtube: Dry Point Printmaking on Perspex – 1.) Introduction to Drypoint on Perspex, Dry Point Printmaking on Perspex – 2.) Step 1 Preparing the Plate and Dry Point Printmaking on Perspex – 3.) Step 2 & 3 Inking and Wiping.
Update 30.05.2010: There is a follow up post online on the minu blog called ‘How to: Multi Colour Drypoint Etching – One plate, One Go‘ focusing on inking the plate with multiple colours. Enjoy!
Background: Relief and intaglio printmaking
Traditional printmaking techniques like drypoint or etching enables an artist or print maker to print a certain amount of prints (edition) from a handmade plate. The plates are inked and the ink is transfered from either the surface (relief printmaking e.g. woodcut or linocut) or the incised lines (intaglio printmaking e.g. etching or drypoint) onto paper using a printing press.
In drypoint printmaking an image is incised into a plate with a hard-pointed “needle”. Traditionally the plate was copper, but today plexi-glass is commonly used.
Advantages of using Perspex or Plexiglas
- The Material is cheaper than copper or zinc plates.
- The plates are easily cut into the right size.
- You can see your sketch through the plate.
- You can see the inked areas through the plate.
Three Steps
Intaglio printmaking processes follows three steps.
- #1 ‘Transferring’ the artwork onto the plate
- #2 Inking and wiping
- #3 Printing the artwork onto paper
Materials needed
For step#1 Transferring…
- Your Sketch :-)
- 2mm clear Perspex or Plexiglas
- Ruler and cutting knife
- Sandpaper or a file
- Marker (fine line)
- Etching needle
For step#2 Inking…
- Ink
- Gloves
- Paint knife
- Glass plate
- Dabber
- Pasteboard cuttings
- Gauze
- Phone book
For step#3 Printing…
- Paper
- Tray (water bath)
- Towel (white)
- Newsprint
- Printing press (I use an old book press) including board and blankets
#1 Transferring the artwork onto the plate
The image is cut into the plate with a needle leaving lines in the plate.
Cut the plate into the right size and bevel the edges to prevent sharp corners from cutting into the paper while printing.
The final print will be a reversed copy of your plate. So you have to transfer a mirror image of your drawing onto the plate.
Place your perspex plate over the mirror image and transfer the outlines onto the plate using a marker.
Start ‘scratching’ your image into the plate with the etching needle. Experiment holding the needling in different angles to create different depth of lines and burrs.
TIP: Proof your plate early on to see the effect of your lines on paper. Keep your needle sharp with a whetstone.
Background: Lines and Burrs
The lines on the final print are formed by the burr – thrown up at the edge of the incised lines – as well as by the line itself, producing a soft, dense line rather than a smooth, hard-edged line, almost like a soft pencil stroke.
The size of the burr and the softness of the line depends on the angle of the needle while cutting the plate. A perpendicular angle will leave little burr, the smaller the angle the larger the burr pileup. A lighter line – less pressure – may have no burr at all. By holding little ink this will create a fine line in the final print.
The burr is removed – or flatten – by the pressure applied by the printing press – as well as during inking and wiping of the plate. So the number of prints from one plate are often small.
#2 Inking and Wiping
Ink is applied to the plate. Excess ink is removed from the surface leaving the ink in the burrs and deeper lines.
Inking and wiping the surface defines the colour and the contrast of your print. Once the plate is ready for the first proof ink is applied to the plate with a dauber. The ink is applied onto a glass plate where the dabber is ‘loaded’ with ink.
Once the plate is completely covered with a thin layer paste board cuttings are used to remove excess ink form the surface.
To protect the burr you could also skip this step and wipe the plate using gauze, a loosely woven cloth. Pages from old phone books are useful for the final wipe. You can set highlights removing more ink from selected areas.
TIP: Clean the backside of your plate and review your plate on a white piece of paper.
#3 Printing the Artwork onto Paper
The plate is run through a press transferring the ink onto a piece of dampened paper.
Be careful too much pressure will flatten the burrs and ruin the plate. To less pressure will produce faint and blurred images.
There are different approaches the dampen paper. You could either spray or water your paper depending on the kind of paper you use. The paper I use should soak for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Let the excess water drip off while holding the paper on one corner. Put the paper on a flat towel and cover the sheet with the other end of the towel. Apply even pressure with your hands or underarm. The paper should be damp not wet.
Put your inked plate on a board. Carefully ‘roll’ the paper on top. Add another layer of newsprint and a felt blanket. Apply enough pressure using the press to push the paper into the lines.
The blanket helps to even the pressure of the press and to push the paper down into the incised lines. Release the press. Carefully remove your print from the plate.
TA DA!
TIP: Water your paper before you start inking your plate. Experiment with different papers.
Many more pictures on Flickr. Video coming soon.
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April 11th, 2009 at 6:57 am
awesome tutorial! superb description and great images! keep up the GREAT work..
August 2nd, 2009 at 9:53 am
i have been looking for this information for over a week now -eureka-
borrowed books from library-all said i needed a rolling press costing thousands
i am going to now make my own press using thick ply
studding and nuts
your blog says medium pressure i hope i can get
enough with a home made press
wish me luck
cheers for now
graham
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Looking forward to your video!
Such clear pictures, and instructions, here!
I”m presently taking an Intaglio printing course at our local art college…the first part is drypoint on plexi. My instructor is having us use oil-based inks; and, needless to say, the college is equipped with the huge traditional press.
I love drawing, so drypoint appeals to me greatly; I appreciate being studio/rental independant, so using water colours and a small book press as you stated above – also have read about using the top from an old wringer -washer machine- appeals as well!
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Website art blog is wildgoosewanderings.blogspot.com….forgot the s at the end!
October 18th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Thanks for the great post! I was ready to give up on my drypoint attempt, thinking that it wasn’t possible with the small press I have available. But then I saw your blog, and decided to try again with a few tweaks to my process. Success!
And I was so happy to find out I could use water-based inks, since I’m pregnant and don’t want to risk the life of my fetus!
Just wondering, how many prints do you typically get out of a block? My 15th was looking pretty fuzzy.
Also, I didn’t have any gauze available, but found that tulle (netting, like a ballet skirt)seemed to work – though perhaps it abuses the plate more?
Thanks again! (I linked this tutorial to my deviantart journal because I thought it was so helpful.)
January 20th, 2010 at 5:24 am
I stumbled across this basically because I have no money, not enough for a real press at any rate, but am very interested in printing drypoints. With that in mind I had a few questions I was hoping you could answer. First off, did this process produce a high enough quality image to make it worth your while to continue using it? Basically I’d like to know if you ended up having to abandon this technique or not. I’d also be interested in hearing how you went about gauging how much pressure to apply so as not to break your burrs. Finally I wanted to ask if you thought the same procedure might translate to other types of plates (coper, zinc, and steel for example) ad if you thought the mechanism itself would be suitable for scaling to accommodate a larger plate.
Thanks for posting this and I know it’s been a year since you did but I find this really intriguing, don’t think I’ll be sleeping tonight XD
January 20th, 2010 at 5:55 am
@Strange1900
I am still doing it for all my proves. However, if I print a edition I go to the Inverlochy print studio (here in Wellington) – there is a big metal roller press – this is not so much for the pressure but using the book press is really, really exhausting. I can do maybe 3 to 4 prints in a row before my arms fall of.
Regarding the pressure with the Book Press, there is no question of too much pressure :-) Drypoint plates do not last more than 10 to 25 prints (including proofs) this comes with the technique. The burrs flatten and in addition the surface gets micro scratches with every inking, these start to show after a set of prints.
My press is a bit bigger than A4, the biggest plates I use are A5. As I said this is more for proving or home printmaking.
With my set up this is only working for Drypoint on Perspex and Woodcuts, not for etching on metal plates. I tried this the – very – last time yesterday with an acid etching including aquatint and it is not working, not even getting close.
Another thing: these old presses are not easy to get and too heavy to ship. If you can get hold of one – and are interesting in printmaking – get it, otherwise there might be a print studio near you to print an edition…
May 28th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
[...] found a couple of fantastic resources regarding the art of drypoint– including methods wherein plexiglass or even cardboard can be used as plates! I’m utterly intrigued, and was happy to learn that the [...]
May 28th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
[...] found a couple of fantastic resources regarding the art of drypoint– including methods wherein plexiglass or even cardboard can be used as plates! I’m utterly intrigued, and was happy to learn that the [...]
June 24th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
[...] not on copper plates). Minu has links to her fantastic how-to videos regarding this method here, if you’re interested or [...]
August 12th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Great, informative article, thank you. I will be experimenting with Perspex (as we call it in the UK) very soon!