Home Forums Explore Media Printmaking Ink Drying Times …blotting?

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  • #992448
    jbsweet
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        I have the common problem of way-too-long drying times for my linocut prints. I use water-based inks: Charbonnel, Akua Intaglio, Blick, and Speedball Tissu. The better the ink, I’ve found, the longer the drying time.

        In the event that one were to be making holiday cards say…7 -8 days before the holiday (!) on cardstock…how would you quickly dry the inks without losing a good strong image.

        I’ve had the drying time issue on everything from fabric, to rice paper, Rives, etc. I am aware that these inks dry by absorption, and some papers are clearly more absorbent and image dries faster. But I still would like a common solution. Charbonnel and Akua take the longest. A few days is fine, but…two weeks to a month??

        Question: I’ve read that blotting the print between blotters, or pages of newsprint helps. But my question is: wouldn’t that actually remove ink from the printed image, making it a less-clear, solid image? What would you consider the greatest factor in decreasing drying time in a relief print?

        PS. Though my studio is more humid in summer, it is very dry in winter, therefore, it’s not an environment issue…I print by hand, and with a Blick etching press.

        Thank you for any help.

        #1215369
        lovestofish
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            I have used 3 methods for faster drying times. Using dryers (2 way or 3 way) added to the ink but only for oil based inks. Placing the prints on a drying rack and putting a fan on them – just enough to move the air but not enough to cause them to flutter. Making a drying stack which I suspect would not interest most of those who read this website. At the bottom and top of the stack I have large acoustic ceiling tiles with blotter, print, blotter, print etc sandwiched in between and then have a fan blowing hard on the whole affair. I put weights on top to create pressure. Lastly, I wrap the whole stack in vapor barrier plastic with an entrance tube and exit tube for the air. But once again – it was for oil based lithos, reliefs and etchings. The latter is extremely fast…………………..in answer to your question I would say it is moving air across the surface of the print is the biggest factor unless there are dryers for water based inks – aside from how thick of a printing ink layer there is on the print. I have no idea how much offset you would get if you sandwiched/blotted the prints with newsprint by hand after you printed them.
            I have “stripped” litho prints by running them through a press by laying newsprint on top of them and there was some offset, but not much. I did so at the direction of the man in charge who did not like to use dryers — Yea, humidity does matter.

            #1215371
            jbsweet
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                Thanks for the info. I blotted the prints between newsprint last night (unweighted). The newsprint sheets do pick up a ghost image or residue from the extra ink. Is that what you mean by “offset?” I still can’t tell if the strength or solidity of the original image has been compromised by doing this, as until the prints are completely dry, I don’t think I will be able to tell.

                I have a feeling this would be less likely to happen with oil based inks, and maybe that is why you’ve had success with blotting it. Not sure about that…

                I have read that safe-wash inks like Akua and Caligo can take additives like cobalt or manganese dryer. However, one of the reasons I use these inks is the non-toxic quality of them. I hear cobalt dryer is pretty toxic so I’ve been hesitant to try it. But maybe this will fall into the “desperate measures” category.

                #1215370

                Ink drying time is often a problem, especially when using Charbonell inks. I’ve experimented with all sorts of ways to speed things up…. and the only two things that work consistently for me is to add Cobalt / Japan driers to the ink, or interleave the printed materials with a slip-sheet and simply wait until the drying is complete.

                One thing to keep in mind is that trying to “speed things up” is sometimes a slippery slope toward losing quality. If the ink that gives you the best impression takes a few days to dry, then you are better off just waiting those few days. Quality is everything.

                Patience, Grasshopper.

                "Political Correctness" is just another way to muzzle free expression

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