embossing

This time I'll show, how I make a "blind-embossing", a print without ink, but with a lot of pressur.
The clicheé I've etched with FeIIICl in Copper.

an old screw-press

the copper-clicheé

Postcard, face to the chlicheé

the cover is closed

the carriage under the press, after a lot of pressur...

...you can see the relief on the back-side

the blind-embossing on the face of the card

Hope, you enjoyed this little lesson. If you've any question about, please write.
-ekk-

Quick&Dirty Thermofax, some Trouble-Shooting

A. At first I thought, that the Riso-Master has the same qualities, then the Gestetner "CopyMaster.
But it is not...
This Thermofax-Screenprintig is only possible with the Master-Film from Gestetner!

1. Just I' ve tried to make a "Gestetner-Master" with a bigger black area. The copy-machine became to hot, and the "Riso-Master" wrinkles.
It helps to use a black paper as carrier (it takes a part of the heat), and to screen (80%) the black area.
Additional, you should start with black areas, when the copy-machine is still cold.

2. Metallic-colors. They are not printable. The pigments of this colors are too big for the "Gestetner-Master".

3. Cover-tape-frame. I don't use it anymore. So the waves, I make while printing, become flat after every print. "Riso-Masters" with tape-frame became more wrinkles after printig a while.
And now I use less pressure, while printig.

Hope this will helps you
-ekk-

PS. I' ve tried some fonts. "Gill sans", normal, 9 pt, or bigger, works fine.

PPS. I've 2 of this Tattoo-Copy-Machines. Now, after some days useing them, one has a slack joint. The result are stripes in the motive, when I don't "kick" the machine.
The other machine becomes too hot. That means, only lines can be copied, without wrinkles...
...shall I buy a third one?
Still, I love this thermofax... The results are sooo 70th ;-)

Cheapest Thermofax-Screenprinting "quick and dirty"

I suppose, you know the basics of screen-printing and/ or Thermofax-Screenprinting.If not, please take a peak to the many videos about at youtube.

Thermofax-Screenprinting is not new, but I suggest,  the way I've found out, is the cheapest and quickest of all.
Do you know "Risography"? It is a kind of digital thermofax-screen-printing. Also used from Gestetner as "CopyPrinter". !!!NEW (2022): Gestetner no longer produces "Masters". The replacement comes from Ricoh and is called "Priport Master". As with Gestetner, there are different units of measurement that all work equally well, they must be tailored to the required format!!!
And on your way throug the "bay", you shurly have seen the cheap Themofax-machines used as Tattoo-tools.
This are the both things I use for my thermofax-printing.
The Gestetner Copy-Master-Film is often seen for USD 15.–/ 100m x 0.23m. Now (2022), the Ricoh-Priport has about the double prize (or more), when bought from eBay. Prize in the office-shops are much higher. But still it is a quick & very cheap printing-technic.
The Tattoo-Thermofax-machine you can get for about USD 135.– (or equivalent, in Europe).

Now you' ve to calculate: 100m x 0.23m are about 300 Screens in A4! !!!I've just bought 2 rolls of Priport-Masters 320 mm, for about 50.- (incl. shipping to Switzerland). With this I'm able to print 1440 different motives in the size of a postcard, or about 650 different motives in the size of A4 (T-Shirts for exsample)!!!
I use this technic mainly for A5 / A6 = Postcards, that means 600 or more Screens for USD 15.-

The Thermofax-Machine is... made in China. The nice LEDs are only fake, but ist works in its simple way, and that is, what we wont for this little money.
There is a similar Machine with USB-Connectiv, but I've not used is up to now. It is only for Windows. I'm Mac-user.

Handling Thermofax quick and dirty:

1. Draw your image, or print it out in the size 1:1, only black and white.
You can use Photoshop to raster an imagine, you can use also 4C-Prints.
2. Prepare the color. For printing on paper, I use Acrylic CMYC-Colors + Black / and Lascaux-Retarter.
For printing on fabric (T-Shirts), use the colours you have.
3. Prepare the print-base. I use a glass/acryl-glass with marker for the right position of the paper.
Then I'm attaching the Riso/Copy-Master -Film directly on the glass.
4. Mount the Film on a carrier of A4-paper, as seen in the pic.
5. Copy the imagine with the Thermofax-machine on the Film.
6. Print and enjoy your art.
6a. For printing, I use a window squeegee, cutten to the right size.

Gestetners "Riso-Master-Film"

The Tattoo-Thermofax-Machine from China

The colours I use for the printing on paper.

Thermofaxing: the "CopyMaster-Film" mounted on an A4-Paper-Carrier obove, the original below (upside down).

Printing. Often I protect the very thin "CopyMaster-Film" with cover-tape.

Printing the 2nd color of a two-color-print.

Size A6: 2-color-Thermofax-Print. Screened with Photoshop.

(the same like above)

Size A6: 4-color-Thermofax-Screenprint.

The different angels of the screen-dots. Traditional Yellow = 0°, Cyan = 15°, Black = 45°, Magenta = 75°.

Now I'm curious about your work. Would be nice, if you mail it to me: info@ekk-art.ch

Happy printing
-ekk-

PS.: if you are from St.Gallen/Switzerland look here > Kurse in St.Gallen

The last secret of Thermofax screen-printing.

Lucky inhabitants of St.Gallen/Switzerland.
They can book a course "Thermofax-Printing".
Next more about the latest news of this simple print-tech.
More about the course: www.kurse-sg.ch

The simple printing with a Thermofax-Screen

The 2.nd color is printed

From a 3D-Print to a 2D-Print

I know, it sounds crazy, 

but on the other side it offers a lot of possibilities to people who works with letter-press.

Here the both printing machines:

left: a Replicator-Clone, right: an ADANA 8x5

Yes, I know, I had to flip the "cliché" horizontal ;-)

The design is made by "Blender" (my first trial),

printed with the 3D-Printer (+ grid)

high = 1.7 mm, mount on a plate of wood.

The Print.

After sanding the cliché (above) the print comes better...

My alternative is etching copper. That is more exactly, but needs more time.

So it can be an option to print the cliché with a 3D-Printer...

(You are invited to write here about your ideas, experiences.)

Sunday, Mai 18th: int. MuseumsDay

"Networking" is the theme of the international museums-day 2014.
Our network begins in the "Museum Point Jaune", St.Gallen, Switzerland.
Whats will happen then:
For our visitors we have the unique "Klappbügel-Presse" prepared + some cliches.
Now they can print (letterpress) their graphic by choosing the pattern (cliches), the colors (CMYK) in the size of 8 cicero on paper 5 x 5 cm.
After, they will frame one print, take it to their home and take a photo of this inside their flat (or at an other famous location).
The pic will be send to the blog and published there together with a scan of the grafic.
The blog is open for discussion, suggestions,...

So, if you in St.Gallen at the int. Museums-Day, feel free to visit the Point Jaune - Museum, Linsebühlstr.77.

CU? ...would be nice
-ekk-

Testprinting for the "International MuseumsDay" in the PostPost, St.Gallen/Switzerland

Martin Amstutz, PostPost-owner and printer/editor of the "Wochenblatt", this time at the Mini-Gutenberg-Press.

Julia, enjoying her new prints.

Hermann Reinfrank, printing, searching for new impressions.

The workspace: Mini-Gutenberg-Press, cliches, drying-stand.

The results of printing.