mini-demo

FOCUSing

 mini-demo

One more post about the broadside! In this short (3-minute) video, Gaelle and Coralie lay the printed lithographs down on the inked woodblock for the second of four impressions. After each pass the block is re-inked (that part isn't in the video because it was my job). The paper is damp, a bit unwieldy, and must be taped to the registration jig in order not to shift as it passes under the pressure of the press roller.
At the end of the video - when the print is pulled up - you can see the "ghost" of the lithograph on the woodcut. Since the litho was still wet, it transferred off the paper and onto the woodcut. This created a double image of the litho on the next print, so we had to clean the block every 12 or 15 prints. We did this by printing on newprint three times (and not with solvents, as that would have messed up the ink). Can you say 'labor-intensive?'

It might look mindless but we are concentrating very hard. Each roll-up and pass-through the press risks a mishap, human or otherwise, and therefore one less possibility for the edition.

Thanks to:
Lee for the use of her Ettan etching press
Annette for the large roller which expedited the inking process
Sophie for the nostalgic 80's music