Inking & Printing your Plate

Materials & Supplies

Decide on the size paper you will be using. Generally, allow for generous margins around the edge of the plate, usually equall on the top and sides, and approximately 1/2" greater on the bottom margin. (A" bleed print", however, is printed on a piece of paper smaller than the plate)
Measure paper for your edition and tear the edges, using a straight-edge, rather than cutting them. Initial the back of your paper so you know which is yours in the water bath!
Create a template by tracing around your plate on a piece of heavy paper, showing which way is "up", and tracing around where your printing paper will be laid down in relation to the plate. If you want accuracy this will involve measuring with a ruler. Cover this with a sheet of clear contact paper so that ink can be wiped off it. Be careful not to get bubbles or creases in the contact paper. Trim the template so that it will extend beyond the printing paper on all sides if the printing paper is laid on top of the template in the correct position. A quick version -- Newsprint

Soak your printing paper - most sized papers require at least 20 minutes.

Ink the plate up. If you use Daniel Smith's Intense Black, add 10-15% Setswell Compound or Easy Wipe Compound and mix well with a putty knife on one of the ink slabs. Vine black can be used straight. For Daniel Smith Etching Black #514, add light plate oil to soften ink when it is stiff.
Use a Scrap piece of matboard or felt dabber to spread inkcarefully and gently over the plate in all directions, being careful to fill all etched areas

Take a 36" square tarlatan and "break it in" if it is new by tugging at it diagonally to the weave in both directions. Create a large pad and gently wipe the plate as follows:

Wipe the late wit used tarlatan and little pressure to remove most of the ink until the image is somehow clear yet hazy looking.
Continue until the surface of the plate is fairly clean, using cleaner parts of the tarlatan as it picks up the ink*.
Follow with clean tarlatan.
You may want to wipe the edges of the plate with a rag or paper towel.
Some people like to do a final brief and gentle wipe with telephone-book paper ( sometimes ver a block) for a brighter background. This will polish the top surface without removing ink from the deeper areas. Gloves provide friction for effective wiping.

Take your paper from the water. Let excess water drip off and put it between two towels and roll out the water. It should appear matte and not shiny with moisture.

Used paper for proofing
Place the template you made earlier on the center of the bed of the press. Put the plate on it, FACE up.
The best prints are from a freshly inked plate.
Carefully place the paper over the plate according to the markings you have made on your template. Cover the printing paper with another, larger, sheet of clean newsprint.
Position the blankets over the template, plate and paper: Make sure that there are no wrinkles.
Crank the handle of the press so the roller passes over the plate and paper completely, taking care not to stop over the plate itself.

Pull back the blankets and remove your print, picking it up slowly from one corner, and place on racks to dry.

If you will not be printing another print immediately, clean the ink off your plate with vegetable oil and a rag. Clean up ink etc. the same way. Put all paper, templates, plates etc. away in your drawers and shelves, and keep the shop clean and tidy to maintain a good work environment.
If ink is being shared, make sure that a fair division of labor is agreed upon.
Ink soiled newsprint, solvent soaked rags, etc should be placed in the red cans for disposal. Other cans are provided for paper towels from hand washing, etc.