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PRINT BY
HANDDOCUMENTATION BOOK
A special thank you to: David, Kumkum Nadig & Roger Manners
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction to Print By Hand
2.0 Research 2.1 What is print making?
2.2 The different printing techniques
2.3 Timeline of printing techniques
2.4 Introduction to hand printing techniques
2.4.1 Letterpress
2.4.2 Monotype
2.4.3 Drypoint
2.4.4 Linoleum Cut
2.5 Material research
2.6 Questionnaire
3.0 Sketches 3.1 Hand sketches
3.2 Prototype
3.3 Sketch-Up Model
4.0 Promotions
5.0 The workshop 5.1 The Inventory
5.2 Work in Progress
6.0 The Machines
7.0 The Prints
8.0 Reflection
INTRODUCTION1.0
Invented by Johannes Gutenberg in Mid 15th century, the
letterpress was one of the first printing techniques introduced.
It uses a relief print, which not only makes it look good, but also
makes it tactile. W ith new printing techniques and improving
technology the letterpress is now almost obsolete. The letterpress
has undergone revival in countries like the USA, and the UK, under
the “small press movement“. New letterpresses known as the “digital
letterpress“ have also taken form. Though in India letterpress still
remains highly unrecognized or unavailable. This project is an
outcome of my undying passion for letterpress, though after much
research and tête-à-tête, I figured why just letterpress? Why not
an integration of many hand printing techniques? This not only
makes my product versatile, it opens doors for great amounts
of experimentation amongst young artists and designers. And
thus, here is Print By Hand. An initiative to revive hand printing
techniques by making a table top, easy to use print maker.
RESEARCH2.0
WHAT IS PRINT MAKING?
Print making is the process of making artworks by printing,
normally on paper. Print making normally covers only the
process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather
than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting.
2.1
2.2PRINTING PROCESSES
RELIEF (Woodcut, Linoleum Cut, Letterpress, Collograph)
any process in which the printing surface is cut away so that
the image area alone remains raised on the surface. ink is rolled
across the surface of the matrix and the raised areas receive ink
while the areas that have been cut away do not.
INTAGLIO (Drypoint, Etching, Aquatint, Engraving,
Mezzotint, Photogravure, Photo-Etching)
intaglio is the general term used for any process in which ink
is held beneath the surface of the material in incised or etched
lines or marks. plates are printed by working ink into the entire
surface, which is then wiped clean. dampened paper is pressed
into the plate with a press forcing the ink onto the paper, while
embossing the mark of the plate and its surface. intaglio comes
from the Italian word intagliare meaning “to incise“
MONOTYPE / MONOPRINT
A monotype is essentially a printed painting. ink is applied to a
plate, which is typically plexiglas, by painting or by using rollers,
and then printed to a sheet of paper. the image is unique, hence
“mono“ meaning “one“, although a faint “ghost“ impression can be
printed the second time through the press. A monoprint may
incorporate monotype techniques, but also employs an image
printed from a matrix such as a lithograph, woodcut, etching.
200Woodblock Printing
Movable type1040
1454Printing Press
Etching1500
1640Monotype
Mezzotint1642
1768Aquatint
1796
1843Rotary press
Linoleum Cut1860
Drypoint1460
Lithography
2.3TIMELINE OF PRINTING TECHNIQUES
Offset Printing1875
1886Hot Metal & Stamping
Typesetting
Screen printing1907
1960Phototypesetting
Dot Matrix Printing1964
1969Lazer Printing
Inkjet Printing1976
19863D printing
Digital Press1993
2.4INTRODUCTION TO HAND PRINTING TECHNIQUES
2.4.1 LETTERPRESS• Letterpress is a relief printing technique.
• Individual letters and punctuations are placed carefully in a stick,
which is then transferred on the chase, fit and then locked on the
chase bed in the letterpress machine.
• The ink is then spread on the letters by the ink roller, the machine
then works in a back and forth manner making an impression on
the paper which is placed parallel to the chase.
• Letterpress was the first form of mass production of print
• Extremely important technological innovation, print now
became available to the masses
• The print makes an impression on the paper like no other printing
technique. The print is tactile.
• Letterpress gives a greater visual definition to the type compared
to other prints.
• Letterpress excels at fine typography
• Classic feel and finish of the letterpress paper takes us back to an
era of quality and craftsmenship.
2.4.2 MONOPRINT• Monotype is the truly “painterly“ print medium.
• Invented by Giovanni Castiglione, an Italian painter and Etcher.
• It is one of the only print techniques which requires no special tools
to allow you to expand your imagination to unlimited possibilities.
• Monotype is print making made by drawing or painting on a
smooth, nonabsorbent surface.
• Monotypes can also be created by inking an entire surface and then,
using brushes or rags, removing ink to create a subtractive image.
• After printing, the images can be an art work in their own right,
or can be reworked to completion using various types of media.
2.4.3 LINOLEUM CUT• Linocut is a print making technique, a variant of woodcut in
which a sheet of linoleum is used for the relief surface.
• This technique was used first by the artists of Die Br“cke in
Germany between 1905–13
• A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife!
V-shaped chisel or gouge, with the raised (uncarved) areas
representing a reversal (mirror image) of the parts to show printed.
• The linoleum sheet is inked with a roller (called a brayer), and then
impressed onto paper or fabric.
2.4.4 DRYPOINT• Drypoint is a print making technique of the intaglio family.
• Invented in Germany in the 1460s.
• In this technique you scratch out your design on to the petg plastic
sheet using either needles or scalps. This scratch creates a burr.
• Once you scratch out your design you apply ink to the entire
plastic sheet, then with a tartalan cloth you wipe the extra ink of
leaving ink only the burr, although you have to be very careful
while applying pressure so the burrs don“t flatten.
• The drypoint point technique was abandoned soon after its
invention, though the 20th century has seen a lot of artists using this.
MATERIAL RESEARCH
ACRYLIC SHEETS
Properties:
Impact resistant
Light Weight
Weather resistant
Chemical resistant
Easy to Clean
Shatter resistant
PLYWOOD
Properties:
Weather resistant
Chemical resistant
Easy to cut
Hard to remove stains
METAL
Properties:
Weather resistant
Heavy weight
Chemical resistant
Easy to clean
Difficult to cut
2.5
PETG PLASTIC
Properties:
High impact strength
Easy to cut
Weather resistant
Highly durable
Easy to clean
LINOLEUM
Properties:
Weather resistant
Extremely durable
Easy to cut
Easy to clean
Unavailable
VINYL
Properties:
Weather resistant
Anti-microbial
Inexpensive
Easy to clean
Easily available
LETT
ERPR
ESS
MON
OTYP
E
DRYP
OINT
LINO
CUT
0
5
10
15
20
25
Have you heard of the following print making techniques?
Would you print by hand if it was easy and accessible?
Would you buy a machine that will let you experiment
with different hand printing techniques?
Have you ever used a letterpress?
1
3
4
2
QUESTIONNAIRE2.6
40%
64%
18%
32%
60%
36%
40%
Would you buy a machine that will let you experiment
with different hand printing techniques?
4
"Yes. When printing by hand invariably more thought and focus
is given to the design before as compared to digital prints, which
as a designer tests our skills"“ - Amrita Mohanty
"I haven“t ever used a letterpress and probably wouldn“t ever buy
one, but as a textile design student I“d like to experiment and see
how these techniques figure out on cloth and other materials"“ -
Gauree Malhotra
"Yes, because hand printing techniques always have this sense
of originality which I feel lacks in a lot of our work"“ - Aisha
Chabbra
"“Hand printing techniques require concentration and great
amount of discipline, which we usually forego while working on
our computers“" - Aditi Dash
"“I would love to leave my laptop aside and just design using my
hands"“ - Shruti Gupta
"“I would, but only once in a blue moon, it requires way too time
consuming, you can almost give prints any look now a days"“ -
Harshvardhan Gantha
yes maybe no
“"W ith the types of prints and the expanse at which they are
available, the revival of the letterpress and other printing
techniques will be more as an art form, where artists and
designers can really experiment."“ - Kavya Singh
“"I love letterpress, I love the way it looks, the way it feels, it
really makes your design speak. It is more time consuming, but I
would definitely use it more as a printing technique"“ - Surasti KP
“"Not many students know off these techniques as such, so I
guess it will come back as more of an art form or a ground for
experimenting more than a hard core printing technique.“" - Cara
Tejpal
“"Both actually, if you look at it they go hand-in-hand, its what
you make of it, I might use is to mass produce an absolutely
experimental piece of work. Its definitely time consuming to
print regularly with these techniques, but with limited editions
for things, they work well!"“ - Aditi Dash
Letterpress, Linocut, Drypoint, Monoprint as printing
techniques v/s artforms?
5
“• There is high interest amongst design students to work with
their hands.
• However not many have got the opportunity to do so.
“• Experimentation is an essential aspects of printing by hand.
“• It helps breaking away from softwares and brings originality
to work.
“• Printing by hand encourages practical learning of layout and
typography.
““• The print-maker should be affordable and available in India.
CONCLUSION2.7
SKETCHES3.0
3.1HANDMADE SKETCHES
HINGES
3.2PROTOTYPE
INK PLATE
3.3SKETCH-UP MODEL
Chase
L-angle
Wooden Body Handle
Place for Paper
Ink Plate
Roller
Initially the chase was removable and replacable, though due
to technical difficulties that wasn't possible and an alternative
solution was then used.
Side and Back View
PROMOTIONS4.0
THE WORKSHOP5.0
INVENTORY
RUBBER ROLLER
ACRYLIC WHEELS
RUBBER SHEET
1/2 INCHMETAL L-ANGLES
5.1
WOOD
METAL STRIP
HANDLE
HINGES
SCREWS
SEQUENCE OF OPERATIONS
2 pieces of wood were cut, one
10"X12" and the other 8"X12".
5.2
Due to the non-
availibility of 1/2"
L-angles. The Rolling
path had to be created
with a 1/2" square pipe.
A screen printing rubber
roller was used to
create the roller for the
machine.
Roller was detached
from the metal holder.
The edges were refined.
Then the acrylic wheels
were attached to either end.
The L-angles were drilled and
then screwed on to the larger
piece of wood.
The rollers were held in place using
metal strips screwed on lighly.
Hence, allowing the rollers to move.
The 2 pieces of wood were
attached with the help of hinges.
The chase
The first attempt at making this machine
was a fail. The top flap didn't shut and
touch the chase was too high. The roller also
didn't move beyond a point as it didn't have
enought time to roll on a flat surface.
The process was then repeated, this time the
lenght of the wood was 15". And the chase
was made shorter.
THE MACHINE6.0
PRINTS7.0
REFLECTION8.0
I saw this project as a challenge, and it sure did turn out to
be one. I saw many failures during my process, but I stayed
determined to achieve what I set out to. Product design is not
my forte, so I didn't see or approach this project as a product
designer. I saw it as a person who loves print, specially one
that has an unique character. Throughout my journey, I kept
in mind how graphic designers think, what they do, and what
they are used to. Being so caught up in our computers, has
somewhere made our lives easy. Thus, this machine had to be
as uncomplicated as possible. I made sure any extra elements
were excluded.
The first time when the machine was ready, it didn't shut. I
was extremely disappointed, but quick to figure where it went
wrong and start over. This time the machine shut, the roller
rolled, everything seemed perfect. I was ready to print, 100%
sure nothing could go wrong now. The paper was in place, the
roller inked the type, all that was left was to shut the machine.
So I went ahead, shut the machine, re-opened it and... not a
letter got printed. At this point, I definitely gave up a little.
Mr. David, Ravi anna from the wet lab and Insiyah really
pushed me at this point. They believed in what I could achieve
so much, that I had never felt so confident in myself before. I
then disintegrated the machine and checked each part to see
where the problem lied. It was found that the rubber back
was too hard, and wasn't allowing the paper to sink into the
type. The back was then changed, from rubber to foam and the
machine finally started printing.
At first the prints weren't great, but they did keep improving
with minor changes. Finally, the prints that I got were
satisfying. Though not the best! I can proudly say I did achieve
what I wanted, and with some more effort and refinement this
machine could certainly turn out be something worth owning
by every designer.
This project has definitely thought me a lot. For one, to push
myself beyond what I believe I'm capable of. As a person
who could never imagine themselves in the workshop, the
workshop doesn't feel like such a scary place anymore. I
feel confident working with tools, drills, cutting machines.
Product design makes you pay a great amount of attention to
detail, think quick and act fast. The decisions you make while
you're working can really make or break your end product.
And once you've done something there is no COMMAND + Z
to go back. So you have think things through thoroughly.
W ith the product skills this project has given me, and with
the immense love I have for type and with the want to create
something new. I would love to take this forward, and turn
what is good into the best.
© Kavya Bagga & Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology