User Guide – The Ropewalk Printmaking Studio

The Ropewalk printmaking studio is a designated space, set out to allow the group or individual to work in a structured way, anyone using the space should follow guidelines and make themselves familiar with the health and safety advice. There are allotted spaces for each stage of the printmaking work, this helps to keep the work clean and the tools and equipment in good condition. It also contributes to safe practice.

It is the responsibility of the user to clean rollers and equipment and to replace tools back to their place and to keep the work space clean. For simple, practical reasons, it is helpful to have separate areas for preparation, printing and storage, where prints can be left to dry for a couple of days. For this purpose racks and drawers are available.

The studio has plan chests to store printmakers own paper and there is paper available for sale in the craft gallery and printmaking studio (there is an extra charge for materials used)

Always follow safe practice guidelines in the use of equipment and materials (Health & Safety)- you will be expected to have achieved a level of competency to work without a technician in the print studio.

Equipment and Processes Available:

Intaglio,

Etching on metals (Zinc, Copper, Steel, Aluminium)

Collagraph

Mezzotint

Screen printing processes.

Mono printing.

Traditional Art Equipment Etching Press – (suitable for intaglio, relief printing and some planographic processes)

Bed size 48”x24” (1220 x 600mm)

Small portable Etching Press

Bed size 24 x 12” (610mm x 305mm)

Setting pressure correctly on the Etching Press

  • Adjust the pressure by turning the T Bar turn screws; these should ALWAYS be adjusted together equally to avoid the top roller locking at an angle.
  • The turn screws must be turned CLOCKWISE to increase the pressure required.
  • As you tighten the screws, the top roller will move down onto the blankets, you should feel them both tighten equally at the same time.
  • Visually two small punch dots on the top of the turn screws need to move in parallel and stop in the same position when the adjustment is complete.

A test of pressure at this stage can be made by putting your un-inked plate through the centre of the press between two sheets of blotting paper just bigger than the plate, check the impression on the paper to gauge press pressure; tighten or loosen as required.

It is important to bevel metal plates and avoid sharp or heavy textures that will damage the blankets, should the pressure be high.

You may want to remove an upper blanket when printing mezzotint plates.

NEVER pull the blankets if they have become trapped. Do not wipe inky hands onto the blankets. Always keep blankets flattened, smoothed as they pass under the rollers. Unloosen the pressure if the blankets become trapped and reset the pressure.

NEVER Spin the fly wheel doing so is highly dangerous. Adopt a good posture (square on to the turning handle) to avoid strains.

NEVER put objects through the press for soft ground etching or raised surface collagraphs without seeking the print tutor’s advice. You may need to use foam sheet as an alternative.

NEVER remove the blankets and operate the press without them.

Nipping Press (suitable for Relief and Lino, woodcut)

Bed size – 30cm x 25.5cm

Some of these blocks can also be printed on the Art Equipment press others by simply using a baren or spoon to hand burnish.

The studio has sets of lino cutting tools and a set of woodcutting tools; these have to be kept in good condition and sharpened as required. Various rollers are available for general use and need to be kept in good condition.

Please do not use the ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ ground rollers which are only used for applying the hard or soft ground on etching plates.

Printmaking inks for relief printing are to be brought by the printmakers themselves where possible.

Vacuum Screen Printing Bed – (Screen Printing)

30”x 24” (60cm x 75cm) small/medium size screens

The lightweight Hallmark vacuum bed has a metal frame that hinges; this frame securely holds the screen by simple bolt clamps, when the vacuum is switched on it holds the registered paper securely on the flat bed.

The print studio has a small number of screens for general use and squeegees, at this present time only water based screen printing inks can be used in the studio. Screens can be cleaned in the spray booth.

Health and Safety

The Print Room is fitted with a fume cabinet; located in the corner of the room (holding the acid baths) please turn its extractor fan on when using the Print Room. Exercise caution when handling acids and corrosive chemicals. wear safety glasses, gloves and mask.

We recommend for Health and Safety reasons that if you are using The Aquatint Box Please wear safety goggles and mask

Acid Bath –Safety goggles mask and gloves

Degreasing of plates – when using ammonia, please make sure the extractor fan is turned on and please wear gloves.

First Aid

The Print Room is fitted with a first aid box, if you require any form of first aid assistance, a member of staff can always be located in the office (single grey door next to the kitchen)

The use of Acid

Solutions of Nitric Acid, Ferric Chloride, Copper Sulphate, are available to etch metal plates. Each solution is mixed by our print technicians and will have a date and dilution ratio written on it. Should you choose to mix your own acid the golden rule is ALWAYS ADD ACID TO WATER NOT WATER TO ACID. Always wear gloves and glasses when decanting acid and keep the extractor fan on. If you spill acid on your body or clothes then copious amounts of water will dilute it, if in doubt seek medical attention. Clean up acid spills immediately.

Use separate baths for different metals, for instance you may use the same strength of acid for Zinc and Steel plates but separate baths for each plate.

The question of how long should a plate be left in the acid is very difficult to answer, I find a test plate on an offcut of the metal being used is helpful and look at variables between 30 seconds and 30 minutes, this will give a good indication of what to expect.

Which Acid for Which Metal/general guide.

Nitric Acid / Steel, Zinc
Ferric Chloride / Zinc, Copper
Copper Sulphate / Aluminium, Zinc, Steel

If you are unsure of any acid, please refer to the red COSHH folder on the shelf in the print roomfor further information.

Materials

  • Some basic paper and black ink is available for general use, however should you require coloured inks, different paper or larger quantities of paper you will need to purchase them. A few items of stock and equipment are displayed just outside the print room. Gloves (available to purchase) and handwashing solutions are available for general use, however should you need further protections you may need to provide this yourself.
  • Rolls of paper for proofing and general use are kept in top of the plan chest in the corner by the door. This paper can be used free of charge.
  • The metal drawers located in the centre of the room have a selection of printmaking papers, newsprint, tissue and blotting paper. Everything is priced up individually and needs to be paid for in advance. The cabinet is kept locked – please ask at the office if you would like to purchase supplies.
  • Any materials purchased need to be paid for in the Craft Gallery.