Baren Digest Wednesday, 17 September 2003 Volume 24 : Number 2374 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "marilynn smih" Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 15:14:34 -0700 Subject: [Baren 22782] Re: Baren Digest V24 #2373 Question??? I am running a woodblock, oil ink, press. When I left today i told the husband, I am not happy with these last prints. He said why? I said they are not as crisp as I would like??? He said is your ink too thick? Is my ink too thick? It appears to be over inked in places and under inked in places, the first ones were fine??? Perhaps a little gel and they will be smoother? Marilynn ------------------------------ From: Myron Turner Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 17:19:24 -0500 Subject: [Baren 22783] Re: Baren Digest V24 #2373 What kind (and brand) of ink are you using? And what kind of press? Myron Turner ------------------------------ From: FurryPressII#aol.com Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 18:31:31 EDT Subject: [Baren 22784] Re: Baren Digest V24 #2373 One solution with over inking in oil based ink to to apply it in thin layers that way it will build up to the correct amount of ink with out filling in your details. Another cause for over inking is that the ink has the wrong tack when it is too runny it tends to fill in details and does not allow thin layers to be built up. To correct this add mag. carbonate to the ink. some people add corn starch if they can't find mag. john "oil based furry press" center ------------------------------ From: "nancy osadchuk" Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 19:03:25 -0600 Subject: [Baren 22785] unbelievable service Last week, Thursday I think, I sent in an order to the Baren Mall. Because I was going to be away for three days, I waited until this morning to get and send the money order (Tuesday).  The parcel was delivered just as I got hom Amazing service! Nancy O. ------------------------------ From: Cucamongie#aol.com Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 21:27:13 -0400 Subject: [Baren 22786] pigherding on the moon. Hi all, recently I posted about my "Pigherding on the Moon" series. I have now posted some of the drawings from this series on my yahoo site, here's the page http://www.geocities.com/nashmetropolitan007/newpictures.html also I have some prints from this series on my main website, where I also have some other new stuff I recently put up www.sarahhauser.womanmade.net Enjoy! happy drawing and printing. Sarah ------------------------------ From: Chromoxylo#aol.com Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 21:53:22 EDT Subject: [Baren 22787] Re: Baren Digest V24 #2373 Some people add starch because it will add bulk to the ink whereas magnesium carbonate is still considered an extender and it's bulking qualities are not as good. Paul Ritscher ------------------------------ From: Ian Smit Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 23:01:19 -0400 (GMT-04:00) Subject: [Baren 22788] Linoleum Block Printing Prefs I am getting into woodblock but am currently printing editions off of Linoleum blocks and want to know everyones preferences for paper and water based inks vs oil based inks. Can you really get a smooth, crisp print off of water based inks or are you forced to use oil based inks. Do you have to pre-soak paper and would you pre-saok paper when using water based inks? I think your print would turn into a big watercolor painting if you pre-soaked the paper but I don't know. I never have pre-soaked the paper and have had mediocre results. Help with your suggestions please. Confused printer, Ian Smit ------------------------------ From: Emma Jane Hogbin Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 23:28:57 -0400 Subject: [Baren 22789] Re: Linoleum Block Printing Prefs On Tue, Sep 16, 2003 at 11:01:19PM -0400, Ian Smit wrote: >I am getting into woodblock but am currently printing editions off of Linoleum >blocks and want to know everyones preferences for paper and water based inks vs >oil based inks. Can you really get a smooth, crisp print off of water based inks >or are you forced to use oil based inks. Do you have to pre-soak paper and would >you pre-saok paper when using water based inks? I think your print would turn into a big watercolor painting if you pre-soaked the paper but I don't know. I never have >pre-soaked the paper and have had mediocre results. Help with your suggestions please. I'm also *very* new to woodblock printing. I've been using Speedball (water-based) ink. I've had approximately the same luck using dry and "wet" paper. Wet isn't really the right word though. I've found a few articles by David Bull which are quite good and explain soft paper: http://www.barenforum.org/encyclopedia/topics/004/004_frame.html http://woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/onepoint/018_29/018_29_frame.html I've increased my "luck" dramatically by doing the following: - make the paper soft by adding water (I've used a barely damp sponge and "pasted out" the paper with water...waited for the paper to relax and then wiped it down once more then set up my station for printing. I'm sure it is *not* as good as the process David describes in his articles, but it does seem to make the paper more receptive to the ink--it seems happier to soak into the paper rather than just sitting on top) - put the block on the table (carved side up) - roll the ink onto the block - put the paper onto the block (I'd been treating the block as a rubber stamp--it's not) - rub the paper with the back of a wooden spoon (your finger will not cut it) I've never had a problem with the water-based ink bleeding. The paper would be too wet if this was happening. The paper shouldn't be wet. It should be cool and flexible (I think of it as being spineless or limp). As the second URL describes it's not about making the paper wet, it's about making it soft. My biggest problem now is that I can't ever get the right amount of ink on the roller. Either I have too much (and everything is muddy and the details get lost), or I have too little and the print is splotchy (parts don't have colour). I'm sure this will come with practice and patience. I hope that's a little bit helpful. emma :) - -- Emma Jane Hogbin ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V24 #2374 *****************************