[Baren] Daily Digest

Today's postings

[Baren 34147] Re: Lighting (CFLs) and Qs About Working Large (Annie Bissett)
[Baren 34148] Re: Qs About Working Large (Lynita Shimizu)
[Baren 34149] Re: Qs About Working Large (Dave Bull)
[Baren 34150] test post (Charles Morgan)
[Baren 34151] Re: Lighting (CFLs) and Qs About Working Large (ArtfulCarol # aol.com)
[Baren 34152] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification (Blog Manager)

Message 1
From: Annie Bissett
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007 15:56:48 -0400
Subject: [Baren 34147] Re: Lighting (CFLs) and Qs About Working Large
Send Message: To this poster

Thanks again for the lighting input. I tried the so-called equivalent
of 100 watt compact fluorescent bulb and, like Patti and Barbara,
found it dimmer than I expected. Am on the hunt now for a CFL with
more lumens. Patti, glad to hear that you've found 200W equivalents.
I'll keep looking. Meanwhile, I'm making do with the light I've got
and I haven't cut myself yet. I'm not as gutsy as Julio, though,
working in the dark! Amazing!

My next round of questions has to do with working large. I'm planning
a series of prints that will be 13" x 30" (approx 33 x 76 cm), which
is the largest I've attempted. I'm perplexed about two things, (1)
the hanshita and (2) getting the paper on the block.

(1) Large hanshita:

I know I could just draw on the block, carve a key block, and then
print off some hanshita for the rest of the blocks. That won't work
too well for the print I'm making, though, because it's a print based
on a map and there's no "key block." I need to trace topography. One
thought I have is to output the map on my black and white laser
printer, which prints maximum 11" x 17", in four parts (called
"tiling") and somehow paste the tiles together and then paste the
whole thing on the block(s). The other idea is to output on my laser
printer and then have my local copy shop blow it up for me on
oversized paper. They charge $1 per square foot for that. More
elaborate ideas that I've had and rejected include using a projector
to transfer an enlarged drawing or outputting a tiled version and
then tracing it onto the block with transfer paper / carbon paper.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

(2) Delivering large damp sheets of paper to a large block:

I don't know if I can scissor-grip a damp 13" x 30" sheet of paper
and get it onto the block without dragging it through the wet ink. Of
course, I'll try that first. But I'm skeptical, and I know that I'm
only going to want to work even larger as time goes by. I've seen
Mike's garage-door-opener-based contraption for delivering huge
pieces of paper to his blocks but, although I admire it, it's a
little beyond the scope of my abilities. But I'm wondering about
constructing some kind of slightly-sloped raised shelf out of plywood
with the idea that the inked printing block could slip partially
under the shelf. Then I could pull the paper onto the kento and,
holding the paper in position, gently slide both paper and block out
from under the shelf until the paper falls onto the block. Anybody
tried such a thing?

Thanks as always for pondering these mysteries with me.

Best,
Annie

[Back to message index]

Message 2
From: Lynita Shimizu
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007 16:34:30 -0400
Subject: [Baren 34148] Re: Qs About Working Large
Send Message: To this poster

Annie,

Those will be BIG prints! I'm eager to hear the suggestions that
come back for your two questions about large hanshita and paper
delivery.

The largest length I've worked with is about 22" so I have my doubts
as to whether I could manage 30" the same way. Since I print with a
piece of mylar over my paper, I find that if I transfer the dampened
paper to the block with the mylar at the same time, the mylar
provides support for the paper. Basically I cut the plastic sheet
slightly larger than the dampened paper and place it on top of the
dampened paper in the stack. I try to get the kento sides of the
paper and the mylar aligned and then align them both along the kento.
Depending on the dimension of the print, the paper/mylar is kind of
rolled as I'm delivering them so it unrolls and doesn't pick up ink
as I lay them on the plate. The paper seems to stick to the mylar
and so far, has held up for up to 20 impressions. (Gee, this stuff
is hard to explain. Maybe that's why I don't write much.)

As for transferring the image, if I don't have a key block, I simply
draw on a large sheet of tracing paper and then trace the images onto
the blocks with carbon paper. I keep telling myself I should try
something more accurate, but old habits die hard and I'm always a bit
impatient to get onto the fun of carving ... and then to the real fun
of printing.

Good luck!
Lynita

[Back to message index]

Message 3
From: Dave Bull
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 08:03:47 +0900
Subject: [Baren 34149] Re: Qs About Working Large
Send Message: To this poster

Annie Bissett wrote:
> (1) Large hanshita:
> ... One thought I have is to output the map on my black
> and white laser printer, which prints maximum 11" x 17",
> in four parts (called "tiling") and somehow paste the tiles
> together and then paste the whole thing on the block(s).

Got a Kinko's anywhere nearby? Get some of the _huge_ 'hanshita' paper
from the [Baren] Mall (more than large enough for your image), do the
image in your computer, then take a burned disc to Kinko's. They can
print your image out onto a large sheet, which you can then carry over
to their over-size copy machine to use to make copies on the hanshita
paper ...
http://woodblock.com/scroll/progress/05_04.html

> (2) Delivering large damp sheets of paper to a large block:
> I don't know if I can scissor-grip a damp 13" x 30" sheet of paper
> and get it onto the block without dragging it through the wet ink.

Should be possible, if you keep it tightly held in a curve ...
http://woodblock.com/scroll/progress/10_10.html

Another option, as mentioned by Lynita, is to carry it held together
with a stiffer sheet (the options that most traditional printers here
use ...). Mylar works fine, although an undampened sheet of the same
printing paper usually works too ...

Dave

[Back to message index]

Message 4
From: Charles Morgan
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007 18:48:14 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 34150] test post
Send Message: To this poster

Seems to be some problem with my photo for the digest. So this post is just to test to see if it shows up.

Cheers ...... Charles

Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail at http://mrd.mail.yahoo.com/try_beta?.intl=ca

[Back to message index]

Message 5
From: ArtfulCarol # aol.com
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007 23:46:56 EDT
Subject: [Baren 34151] Re: Lighting (CFLs) and Qs About Working Large
Send Message: To this poster

My suggestion for working large:
Two !3 "by 15" right next to each other.
That's what' they" do. No problem and makes it so much easier.
Does that sound acceptable to you?

Carol
(Less work for Mother)

[Back to message index]

Message 6
From: Blog Manager
Date: 30 Sep 2007 03:55:02 -0000
Subject: [Baren 34152] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification
Send Message: To this poster

[Back to message index]

End of [Baren] Digest

Subscribe/Unsubscribe to [Baren] here
Switch your Digest subscription between 'Plain Text' and HTML here
Upload your image to be used in these Digests here
Most recent statistics on our website are here
Contact the group managers here

--- Go to the Opening Page of the [Baren] web site ---

Baren Archives

[Baren] - the International Forum for Woodblock Printmaking

Volume: 40 / Number: 4060

Sunday, 30th of September, 2007

Today's postings

End of [Baren] Digest