Solar Plate Printing

My inventory currently consists of a large quantity of 8x10 s since its been our most popular size.

Solar plate printing. With this hopeful small chance i am crossing my fingers that solarplate can continue. Plate thickness is less than standard zinc or copper and presses should be adjusted accordingly. Before inking eliminate the sharp corners of the plate with a file and remove the burr from the steel backing. Now the technique is widely known as solarplate printmaking or solar etching a term that describes so well the way many printmakers are working exposing plates in.

Once exposed solar plates are simply developed in water without the need of additional harmful chemicals. Solar plate printing was the process past resident monica lacey worked with while staying with us last summer. Dan welden an american printmaker found that by exposing a plate in the sun he could make a high quality intaglio plate very simply and cuickly thus the name solar plate. Solarplate is a light sensitized steel backed polymer material used by artists as an alternative to hazardous printing techniques.

Bright sunlight or a uv bulb. This post is going to show you the steps for printing solar plates through genna s wedding invitation. Images can be transferred from clear film such as acetate or true grain to the plate using a source of ultra violet light i e. Ink wipe and print as an intaglio.

Solar plates are made with a special photopolymer that hardens when exposed to a uv light source. A friendly competitor involved in the industrial printing world is looking into manufacturing the plates. The plates are developed by washing in water and can be printed as intaglio or relief prints. Unlike traditional etching techniques no.

You can work in normal indoor lighting conditions with incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs. Step six print plate. Nontoxic cleanup when finished printing solarplate can be cleaned using nontoxic methods. Solar plates are a simple safe and fast approach to etching and relief printing that does not use grounds acids or solvents.

Uv light sources can be purchased or made but i prefer to use a free source of uv light we call the sun. Solar plates are easy to use with little experience of traditional printmaking processes. Step five filing the plate. Solar plate printmaking or polymer etch is a relatively new print process that enables images to be established onto metal plates by exposure to light using sunlight or an ultra violet light source.

Printing may be done in either relief or intaglio.