Process
Preparation and printing of a photopolymer solar plate
Most of my current work is photopolymer etching, using solar plates. Here’s some of the process, as I learned from the course I attended at East London Printmakers, taught by Rebecca Holmes.
Original photograph, converted to Black and White and adjustments made using photoshop to bring out the mid-tones and textures. Then sent to be printed as a film positive.
The Solar Plate is a thin sheet of steel coated in a photo-sensitive material which etches in water. The plate is put in a UV unit, covered in an aquatint screen which is held in place by a vacuum and exposed to uv light. The screen consists of tiny dots, creating a texture in the polymer that will eventually hold the ink. For the second exposure the plate is covered in the film positive.
Washing the plate: the plate is immersed in water and wiped with a sponge. The polymer that wasn’t sufficiently hardened by the uv light softens and is wiped away as the etched image appears. The plate is then dried and cured, either in sunlight or a third, longer exposure in the uv unit.
Once cured, the plate is ready for printing. The plate is inked up with etching ink, then worked into the surface using scrim, then wiped using scrim and then tissue (not forgetting the edges!). The areas that were most etched hold the ink while those most exposed are smoother and wipe almost clean.
Paper is soaked and blotted then the plate and paper positioned on the bed of the press. Run through the press. The extremely high pressure forces the ink onto the paper. The best bit - peel and reveal! However precise the previous steps, and even with a photographic image, you never quite know how the end result will look…
Depending on the result, I’ll make proofs, sometimes experimenting with different inks, papers, consistency etc. then make a numbered edition of the combination I’m happiest with.
Credits and resources:
Rebecca Holmes (website: Original Fine Art Printmaking | Rebecca Holmes Instagram: Instagram)
Prints made using Toyobo KM73 Solar Plate
Plates and materials purchased from:
Intaglio Printmakers - Intaglio Printmaker
Jacksons Art Supplies Jackson's Art Supplies - Finest Art Materials - Best Prices | Jackson's Art
Printed at:
East London Printmakers East London Printmakers
Hausprint studios HAUSPRINT South London print studio
All photographs (c) Sharon Bolister