7 Steps To Preparing Printmaking Paper for Printing

Welcome to my blog about printmaking.

I thought I would share my knowledge and experience about preparing paper for printing, either proofing or editioning, as I have just finished preparing paper for tomorrow.

I prepare my paper for printing the night before. This allows enough time for the paper to absorb the moisture fully. I use a plastic sheet which is larger than the paper by 10 cm on three sides, this ensures when folded and sealed the is no air able to get in and dry the dampened paper.

Step 1. Decide the dimensions and how many sheets of  printmaking paper are required for either proofing or the edition.
Step 2. Start by filling a clean water tray up with enough water to dip and roll a sheet of printmaking paper with one motion from top to bottom or left to right then drip off the excess water until there are very few drips falling from one corner. Take the paper and lay it face down, chop facing up, on one side of the open sheet of plastic.
Step 3. Take the next sheet of printmaking paper and lay it face down on top of the dampened paper. This sheet acts as a blotter in between the wet sheets to absorb the excess water.
Step 4. Take the third sheet and roll it through the water and drip off the excess water as you did for the 1st sheet of printmaking paper and stack it face down.
Step 5. Repeat steps 2-4 ending with a dampened sheet of paper.
Step 6. Fold the plastic sheet over the paper with a neat fold along the edge of the paper. Fold the edges in and the long fold last. You may need to use a tape th seal the edges but if you plastic is heavy enough just flip the plastic over so the folds are underneath. This will prevent air getting in over night.
Step 7. Make sure after removing a sheet of paper for printing that you reseal the plastic between prints to make sure the paper does not dry out during the day.

P.S Please leave a comment or send me an email if you have found this information to be useful, jo.lankester@gmail.com

Warmly
Jo Lankester


If you believe in what you are doing, then let nothing hold you up in your work. Much of the best work of the world has been done against seeming impossibilities.
Dale Carnegie


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