Intaglio Type - Photopolymer Printmaking
A breakthrough in intaglio printmaking
Traditional intaglio printmaking cannot produce the kind of full photographic color achieved in other print media. In the year 2000 KEITH HOWARD and his colleague David Jay Reed set out to change that fact. Through their collaboration, a number of Intaglio Type techniques were developed that bring photographic realism to the intaglio medium - in full, glorious color. In a similar manner to screenprinting or offset, a set of primary colored plates is made from color separations then overprinted, on the same sheet of paper, to produce the full spectrum of colors. The fact that these prints are made in the intaglio manner gives a tremendous richness and saturation to the resulting image.
Keith Howard, Adam, 2004
high resolution Intaglio Type
The NEW Color Intaglio Type
Keith Howard's new full color photopolymer process involves the use of digital halftones made on an inkjet printer, thin transparent PETG plates that serve as the matrix for ImagOn film, and crucially, a new method of registering plates through the inverse placement of the plate on the press bed. The fact that the plates are transparent allows for the perfect sequential alignment that is required by a multi-plate project in full color. The result is a stunning new intaglio aesthetic.
Adam Worth, RIT
large-scale color Intaglio Type
A breakthrough in intaglio printmakingTraditional intaglio printmaking cannot produce the kind of full photographic color achieved in other print media. In the year 2000 KEITH HOWARD and his colleague David Jay Reed set out to change that fact. Through their collaboration, a number of Intaglio Type techniques were developed that bring photographic realism to the intaglio medium - in full, glorious color. In a similar manner to screenprinting or offset, a set of primary colored plates is made from color separations then overprinted, on the same sheet of paper, to produce the full spectrum of colors. The fact that these prints are made in the intaglio manner gives a tremendous richness and saturation to the resulting image.
Keith Howard, Adam, 2004
high resolution Intaglio Type
The NEW Color Intaglio TypeKeith Howard's new full color photopolymer process involves the use of digital halftones made on an inkjet printer, thin transparent PETG plates that serve as the matrix for ImagOn film, and crucially, a new method of registering plates through the inverse placement of the plate on the press bed. The fact that the plates are transparent allows for the perfect sequential alignment that is required by a multi-plate project in full color. The result is a stunning new intaglio aesthetic.
Adam Worth, RIT
large-scale color Intaglio Type
A quick guide to photopolymer printmakingFor more detail go to the
BEGINNERS COMPENDIUM
and INTAGLIO MANUAL
and the websites of the following experts
Keith Howard, Munch's Scream Missing, 2006
4 Colour Intaglio Type 32 x 48 inch (hand printed with 8 plates)
The Film
Most printmaking suppliers stock photopolymer film such as ImagOn and ZAcryl film (see PRINTMAKING RESOURCES). You may also want to research your own source of circuit board film - it may well be suitable for the process.
Artwork
Use any kind of black or tonal artwork created on a clear transparency. A wide range of positives is suitable for the process: use a photocopier, inkjet printer or laser printer for reprographic stencils. The more opaque the marks the better, you may double up copies to obtain a better transparency. Follow expert instructions on how to make high definition transparencies (websites listed at the bottom of the page). Alternatively paint and draw on Mylar using waterproof felt-tip pens, crayons, acrylic, or toner washes.
METHOD
Prepare the plate as follows:
- Evenly sand a metal plate/ thin PETG or Plexi plate, or similar
- De-grease the plate with dish soap or Comet
- Rinse well then dry
- Cut a piece of film slightly larger than the plate
- Peel back the soft layer of clear Mylar (use a piece of sticky tape as an aid)
- Sandwich the plate between sheets of newsprint, cover with opaque smooth paper, and run through the press, preferably twice
- The emulsion is heat and pressure sensitive so heat the plate now with a hairdryer or heat gun on the low setting or use a lightfast drying cabinet
- Immerse the plate and film in a water bath then squeegee for the best lamination
- Trim the plate edges with a blade or scissors
METHOD
Expose the plate as follows:
Aquatint screen exposure (non-etch)
- Turn on the Exposure Unit.
- Place the plate with the emulsion facing the light source on the bed
- Cover with a suitable random dot aquatint screen (see AQUATINT SCREEN)
- Expose for about 10 to 15 Light Units; this should yield a good black. If in doubt use the Howard testing method for exact determination of the screen exposure (The Contemporary Printmaker, Write Cross Press 2003).
- Close the lid of the exposure unit and engage the vacuum pump
- Press start to expose
The light exposure will now convert the
semi-liquid monomers of the acrylic polymer emulsion into hard plastic.
All areas that are covered by marks will stay soluble and will wash
away during the development process. In a sense the process equates to
traditional acid etching of a metal plate, only in this instance it is
the polymer emulsion that is being eroded to create the intaglio
printing surface.
Image Exposure
After following the steps outlined above, remove the aquatint screen and repeat the procedure at a slightly lower setting for your artwork (about 7 to 10 Light Units tends to work well). A homemade set up using photo floods would require longer exposure times, say 5 minutes for the screen and 3 minutes for the image.
After following the steps outlined above, remove the aquatint screen and repeat the procedure at a slightly lower setting for your artwork (about 7 to 10 Light Units tends to work well). A homemade set up using photo floods would require longer exposure times, say 5 minutes for the screen and 3 minutes for the image.
Halftone
If your transparency is a halftone made especially for this process no aquatint screen exposure is required (about 7 to 10 Light Units tends to work well).
If your transparency is a halftone made especially for this process no aquatint screen exposure is required (about 7 to 10 Light Units tends to work well).
METHOD
Develop the plate as follows:
The standard developer for photopolymer films consists of a mild solution of sodium carbonate in water.
- Make up the developer using a ratio of 10g of sodium carbonate crystals per 1 liter of water - this has been successful in many print shops. Always make sure there is ample developer in the bath, say 5 liters or 1½ gallons. This ensures that plates develop well. Plates tend to be under-developed if there is an insufficient volume of developer in relation to the surface of the plate. Follow Keith Howard's advice on making up a developer and testing the water for perfect results.
- Place the plate face-up in the bath and develop for 9 minutes. If you decide to agitate the plate or brush it with a sponge development will be quicker but more intuitive. A slightly under-developed plate can always be proof printed and then redeveloped for perfect results.
- After 9 minutes rinse the plate with water, then spray with a mild vinegar solution to stop development and stabilize the plate.
- Now, quickly blot the plate then blow dry it until the plate surface feels hard
Print the plate as follows: RIT grad students registering an ImagOn plate
Bevel the plate (very thin plates may not require
bevelling) - Print the plate in the usual intaglio manner using oil-based etching ink or the new Akua waterbased intaglio inks (these are easier to wipe). After squeegeeing on the ink use scrim (tarlatan) to remove the bulk of the ink. Then do most of your wiping with newsprint or yellow pages, using a flat wiping action. All or most of the ink should be removed from the surface making the image fully visible against the blue polymer surface. Make sure you clean the underside of the plate as well the edges to ensure a clean print.
RIT grad students registering an ImagOn plate
NEW METHOD
Keith Howard's new "upside-down" method of printing transparent plates using waterbased ink, allows for perfectly registered full color intaglio prints (see PERFECT REGISTRATION).
Click for the 'Grabado y Edicion' article Keith Howard: Llego la revolucion (2008)Or visit the publication website: www.grabadoyedicion.com
Click for the 'Grabado y Edicion' article fotograbado con film fotopolimero (2008)Or visit the publication website: www.grabadoyedicion.com
Joan Hausrath
Intaglio Type print
made during the 'Innovative Intaglio'
International Summer School
Gracefield Arts Center, UK
Intaglio Type print
made during the 'Innovative Intaglio'
International Summer School
Gracefield Arts Center, UK
