Tuesday 8 February 2011

Nightmare on Inkjet Street -- finally seeing the light

I am going to attempt a quick post as I am feeling in celebratory mood - its only because I managed to print out one 'chine colle sheet', using the upright paper input feed.  Nowadays I put a sheet of ordinary copy paper underneath the Japanese paper I print onto.  I must say that this paper which I purchased from Falkiners Fine papers (London) is not as opaque as the previous batch.  What I have done to ameliorate this,  is paint the underside of the printed out sheet, once its dry, with a thin layer of white acrylic.  Seems to work OK-  although I'd rather it was just more opaque.



Anyway - I am feeling pleased about having had success with the Epson 2400 printer,  as on so many occasions it has refused to accept the paper.  Mind you on those occasions I was using the rear feed input tray and also the front input tray ( which were the more correct input points for the 'media types' !!).
Unless you have to contend with the 'cantankerousness' of these kinds of digital printers - then you can not appreciate the stress and frustration as well as disappointment that is very often involved.  I imagine there are many people who imagine that inkjet printing is a piece of cake - well it certainly isn't.  Its a major 'pain in the butt'!!.

After I had printed the Japanese sheet - I thought OMG I better do a printout of my "Tar Baby Come Out to Play" - while the Gods of inkjet are smiling !!!  So I did one of those - I also revised it and I feel improved on the previous version.  It's very subtle what I have done but I think it improves it.  Of course it will have the intaglio emboss element, added to it and then will be finished.

Same goes for the second one I printed,  which is called "Healing Chamber"  I have this one on my 'screen saver' on my computer and I really love this piece - it's one of my favourites.

I also managed to get some Lascaux acrylic wash resist, applied to a copper plate which the wonderful Bill Mc Kechnie at the FDPW print workshop, helped me apply an spray aquatint to, last Thursday.  I didn't have any red wine to add to the mix once it was painted / daubed onto the surface - and I COULD NOT find the tannin I made up ages ago and bottled.  I will see how it comes out when I put it into the ferric chloride at the workshop tomorrow.

I haven't got time to scan the excellent  instructions I came across in a book the mobile library woman brought to me last Thursday.  It shows how to do marbling using hard ground and a tray of water.  I am hoping to do an experimental day soon at the workshop with my good chum Angela Heidemann, and look forward to trying it out.  I will definitely post the article on here as well as document how myself and Angela get on.  Better get to bed now as I want to try to get up at a civilised hour in the morning to get to the print workshop.

2 comments:

  1. "healing chamber" is beautiful ....

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  2. These are both lovely.
    The saturation of the colors and the quirkiness of the drawing are both very appealing.
    Glad you're winning the battle with the digital printer.
    I especially like the tar baby.

    ReplyDelete

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