Home › Forums › Explore Media › Printmaking › Toyobo Printight plates – anyone using these?
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Deedub.
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August 18, 2008 at 2:54 pm #987336
I just started experimenting with Toyobo Printight plates for photo-polymer etching. I got four plates to experiment with, and generally this was a dismal failure. I’d like to talk to others using these plates to maybe get some tips.
Best, David.
August 18, 2008 at 4:18 pm #1105175David… I’ve not used that brand… What failed? Did you get no image? Did it cure properly?
Diane
August 18, 2008 at 7:02 pm #1105177http://www.andersonvreeland.com/PDFs/Printight.pdf
Here’s a webpage with instructions Diane. David, did you remove the cover film? I know someone who forgot to do that with Toray plates and they didn’t expose.
The only dif with treating these & the other photopolymer plates appears to be that they use some kind of machine to scrape the unexposed monomer off. Did you do this or use a brush? I shall look for other instructions online.
Here’s another webpage on printing these. http://personal.inet.fi/taide/kari.holopainen/gravyyri/page1.htm
Barbara >}}}}> >}}}}> >}}}}>
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v297/H2O_Baby/Printmaking/Monoprints%20and%20Monotypes/
http://atomic-surf-arts.blogspot.com/August 18, 2008 at 7:03 pm #1105173Hello,
You may wish to explore Dianne Longley’s site. Just recently I attended a photopolymer workshop which she ran. She is highly experienced and very approachable. Here is a link to some troubleshooting that you may find helpful. Also, I am sure she will answer an email.
http://www.printstudio.com.au/polymer/research/Demo_SGC.pdfIt would be helpful if you could elaborate on your process and what the finished result was.
Hope this helps Jen.
August 19, 2008 at 7:08 am #1105178Thanks all for your responses. I’ll read some of the info.
I had four plates to test with. In one I was testing my aquatint exposure: I got some texture at one minute, but with all the other times, the plate was down to metal, no polymer. In other tests, the plate was either still sticky, or had some image, but no aquatint, or was down to metal.
So, not sure if my exposure times are off, or I’m developing too long (or maybe too short?).
Some of this is just learning a new process I think.
Best, David.
August 19, 2008 at 7:40 am #1105176I had the sticky plate syndrome some years back. I hadn’t done the curing part long enough it seems. The worst part … I was doing a demo in a printmaking workshop. It became a ‘how not to’ session…
Diane
August 19, 2008 at 7:37 pm #1105179Yes, I’d like to have it down before I give a demo. Someone in my print group did that with Z-Acryl and his NuArc machine. Seems it didn’t work as he had hoped. I spoke with someone knowledgeable about Toyobo plates today and he gave me some pointers. I’ll be getting some more to try out.
The main reason I’m trying this is I can’t seem to get near photo-quality images from ImagOn; they are all very contrasty, more like a woodblock or silkscreen image (which, from what I’ve seen of most other’s work, is the norm for this film).
The worst part … I was doing a demo in a printmaking workshop. It became a ‘how not to’ session… Diane
August 20, 2008 at 6:19 pm #1105174Hello,
What type of exposure unit are you using? If all the polymer is washing away, sounds to me like the exposure time and the vacuum of the negative/positive film is not working. Also, certain films work better with one printer than another.
1. Are you trying for intaglio or relief prints? (This will determine the film you use).
2. Exposure longer for relief (this requires that the lines are very opaque), shorter for intaglio.
3. Develop relief plates for longer, intaglio for shorter.
4. Post expose relief plates longer, intaglio shorter.
5. Do a Stouffer wedge test in your unit on a small piece of plate to determine how much of the plate will wash away.I hope you have a small notebook in which you are writing down all of your results, because when you master it, you will want to remember how you did it. And you will get there. Good luck.
Jen
August 21, 2008 at 10:03 am #1105180I’m using a home-made unit with Olec UV point-source bulb. I spoke with someone at Anderson & Vreeland, where I get my plates. He suggested shorter development time and maybe longer exposures (I’m using 0.43mm thick plates, which will take a shorter development time than the 0.73mm plates that many people use).
I’m working with the Precision Digital Negative (PDN) method of making transparency positives on my inkjet printer. I have some good tips from Mark Nelson (who developed this method) on determining proper aquatint and image exposure times, which includes using a step wedge.
And yes, I take lots of notes on what I’m doing.
As I said, I’m just to work with the Toyobo plates and some of this is just the usual learning curve with a new material.
Thanks again for all the responses. David
What type of exposure unit are you using? If all the polymer is washing away, sounds to me like the exposure time and the vacuum of the negative/positive film is not working. Also, certain films work better with one printer than another. Jen
February 23, 2012 at 7:55 am #1105182Do most people use the aquatint screen after exposing the image? I was under the impression the screen came first then the image…does it matter?
February 23, 2012 at 2:03 pm #1105184I think standard practice is to expose the screen first so can lay down an even pattern of dots. If did in reverse then I think the screen’s pattern would not be evenly distributed–at least that’s how I do it.
February 25, 2012 at 2:06 pm #1105181I see some recent posts here. Since first starting this thread I had a chance to take a polymer gravure workshop with two great teachers: Mark Nelson (who developed the Precision Digital Negatives[/URL], PDN, system of make negatives and positives) and Paul Taylor, experienced in photogravure, printing and owner of Renaissance Press[/URL] in NH.
I have been more successful in using the Printight plates to create gravure images of photos.
As to the whether to expose the image or the aquatint screen first, I’ve been told that it makes no difference, though most of us start with the aquatint exposure.
Best, David
February 26, 2012 at 4:32 am #1105183I just started experimenting with Toyobo Printight plates for photo-polymer etching. I got four plates to experiment with, and generally this was a dismal failure. I’d like to talk to others using these plates to maybe get some tips.
Best, David.
Actually I haven’t. But I took some interest and read some things about it before. And after my research, I had my doubts if I could pull it off that’s why I never tried using Toyobo. I’m still sticking to my usual methods but I’m not entirely closing the door on this one.
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