Some good news...

So after my last attempt at printing with my photopolymer plate, I was a bit down. Not only was I not getting any impression, but the ink coverage was not good, and things were not going well. So, I fired off an email with my photos to my letterpress instructor (Jim Rimmer) to see what he could tell me. So far, I have learned the following:

• My design has some larger solid areas. This is not something I was thinking about when I designed it, but I should have. For my first ever run on my press, I should have kept to line art or text perhaps, for better results.
• The paper I purchased was a bit too textured, causing some uneven coverage.
• A printer has to ink specifically for light type and heavy illustrations, depending on the job at hand.

So, Jim suggested that I cut up my plate into sections - one for the bird, one for the berries, and one for the text. Last night I did just that and...

EUREKA! Ok, so I didn't do a full run with ink, but all of the sudden I've got a definite impression with the text, a slight impression for the bird, and a better impression for the berries. This weekend I will have a go at it with some ink.

The design I'm working on is for a New Year's card for my design studio clients. I'm hoping to get myself sorted out in time to send it before January :)

I also ordered some 120 lb cover Eames (Furniture finish) paper from Neenah, which I saw someone use in the letterpress workshop I attended with good results. I will post photos of this next trial run when complete.


THANKS...

A quick word of thanks to Kathleen at Cake & Pie Creative for mentioning my blog on her site. I've already received lots of feedback from visitors, and it looks like there are many letterpress beginners (or soon-to-be beginners) in the same boat as me. Be sure to check out Kathleen's cool cards and craft projects!

Happy letterpressing!