troubleshooting ink application in reduction printing

[Former_Member]

Hi all,

Greetings from a new Printsy member. I've been exploring printmaking for a few years and ginned up an Etsy shop as an excuse to get into community with printmakers online (that means you!). Here I am with a technical question and am hoping for help.

I love working with reduction prints and am exploring multilayer prints with very sheer, translucent layers of ink. I find that the first layer of ink I put on the paper is very smooth, but that subsequent layers get sort of "pebbled" or "granular"--like the ink is tacky and will not lay out smoothly.

I'm using Daniel Smith water-based relief inks (mixed as mostly transparent medium with some pigmented inks mixed in for color) on lightweight Rives BFK paper. My print plate is Safety-Kut and I'm using a standard rubber Speedball brayer.

I've tried different methods of inking up and of burnishing while printing. (I print by hand at my table, using a baren or my fingers to burnish the back of the paper.) I find that if I apply too much pressure during printing that all layers of ink get pulled up/off--again, maybe an issue of tackiness of the ink? I tried letting the prints with the first few layers dry thoroughly to avoid the pulling up.

I haven't really tried thinning my ink because I'm not sure what to use. Water? The ink does seem somewhat tacky/nonsmooth when I roll it out on the palette too, I'm sure this is related--a "pebbled" appearance on the palette and on my brayer, it doesn't relax or pool into a smooth sheet...

I appreciate any insight someone can share. Every project is a learning experience, right? Right.

Best,
Angie
Eastward Arts
eastwardarts.etsy.com

[VivaCandita]

Hi Angie,

You may want to try acrylic retarder with the Daniel Smith Water soluble ink. It helps to thin the ink while printing and keeps it smooth and wet. I apply it to ink while printing as soon as I notice signs of drying.

You may also want to try using a stainless steel serving spoon or large soup spoon when you burnish the print. I have had better luck with these than the traditional wooden spoon. Another tool that is helpful for burnishing is a smaller brayer. I've had success using a 2" brayer for burnishing as well.
Also, could you post examples of your ink pulling up problem somewhere? On here or even in a convo to me?

Good luck!

Candace

[Former_Member]

Akua Kolor inks are very translucent and layer wonderfully well. They appear more like watercolor washes. You can vary the richness of the color simply by applying more or less to your block. You might want to give them a try.

[Former_Member]

Hi Candace and pejnolan,

Thanks for your helpful replies. Candace, your answer led me to look at the DS page which advocates thinning with either acrylic retarder or, duh, water itself. Obviously I need to experiment a bit, or at least RTFM...

I just took a picture of the issue but it looks like I can't append it to this post. Let me see if there's someplace else on Etsy I can stash it, hang on--or watch your inbox--

pejnolan, I've heard that Akua inks are luscious and I am definitely interested in trying them. I've got a whole drawerful of DS inks, though, which I generally really love, so I want to figure out how to make them do what I need them to do! (It occurs to me that I just loaded up on DS water-soluble inks and had previously been working with their oil-based inks, for easier cleanup--that may explain the new challenge...)

Appreciate the conversation! More suggestions are welcome, of course.

Cheers,
Angie

[Former_Member]

Late to the party...

I am having the same problem and was curious about adding water - how did that work out for? I've tried adding some retarder, but the results were not much better.

It seems like I can only get one good print, then it starts drying and gunking up my block. I have a sinking feeling that oil-based inks may be the only way.

Thanks,
Ryan

[starmagnolialino]

Hello Ryan,

I use oil-based ink and have found that subsequent layers are not the same as the first printed. They can be pebbly or granular, as the original poster said about water based inks. I mostly use Zerkall paper.

However, Japanese paper is super- absorbent and should be able to take many layers of ink. I have just started printing layers on HoSho paper (only 2 layers so far) and find that the paper absorbs the ink smooth and matt for each layer. (with oil based ink, often the first layer dries matt and subsequent layers dry shiny unless blotted).

Long story short, try Japanese paper even for water-based ink

[starmagnolialino]

Re-reading your post, if it's a problem of ink drying too quickly and retarders not being much better- yes try oil-based.

However, I suspect it may be a case of just working with the medium - the prints in your shop are great.

[Former_Member]

Hi Angie

I tried Schmincke water based inks and had similar problems with them too. The guy in the art shop told me to try a different roller and I did have more success with one that was medium soft. However it is so hot here (Australia) in summer that the ink dries too quickly no matter what, so I haven't really bothered with the water based ink much.

AM

[Former_Member]

I was about to post with a similar problem, but I am using oil paint and a Daler-Rowney medium. I've never had this problem before, it's just on one particular block. I have very thoroughly recleaned the roller and block, in case there was residual oil which was repelling the ink somehow, but that's not improved matters and I am now rather stumped.

Any ideas would be much appreciated, and I hope the PP manages to resolve their problem :D

[starmagnolialino]

Hello Hannah,

I've been using oil paint and the Daler- Rowney medium for my latest couple of listings so I'm all excited to find someone else who uses it.

What is the problem you're having? -we seem to have covered a few in this thread. Is it a patch on the lino block that doesn't print? If the patch is always in the same place I think it has to be a problem with the lino. This happened to me years ago at college, I checked the surface for dents then cleaned the lino in the solvent bath, with white spirits and with washing up liquid to remove any trace of oil but each time I printed from the lino, a patch would appear.

I don't know why it happened, my tutor suggested that since lino is made from oil, a part of it may not have converted. I ended up using a rubber tipped tool (colour shaper-?) to wipe wet ink onto the patch on the paper and then blotting it (not ideal).

Love your prints and the results you're getting using oil paint etc.

[Former_Member]

Laura Boswell, an English printmaker, has just done an evaluation of water based ink and you can see her report on her Facebook page. It might help you Angie. ... http://www.facebook.com/LauraBoswellPrintmaker

[bfhughes]

I haven't used waterbased inks because I think the color is more brilliant with oil based inks. I think the advice for rice papers is good, and sometimes for more transparancy I will use oil paints, but then the brayer might skid, requiring more care. But good for you for doing reduction blocks! They are so difficult to register.....

[Former_Member]

Hello Starmagnolia -

When I go to put the ink on the block it is almost as if the block is repelling it. Or perhaps the roller is, I haven't worked out which yet. It is very, very hard to get the many thin, tacky layers of ink on that I need to bring out all the fine detail in the block, as it is almost as if the uncut surface is resisting the ink and it is splurging into all the cuts. Very weird!

The result is a print with too much ink in the cuts, destroying fine detail, and not enough on the uncut surface, giving poor solidity/definition to the design - worst of both worlds! I've been working on this block on and off for almost a year and am devastated that it won't print, so really hoping I can resolve it somehow.

Thanks for any help you might be able to offer :)

I looked at your prints and they are stunning! I'm off to have a proper look through and favourite a load now :D