Collagraph Printing

- Collagraph Printing was the first print we made in the print room.

We started the process by sketching designs onto A5 pieces of board. We then cut a layer off the areas of the design we wanted to be darker using a scalpel as when a layer was removed the surface was rougher, allowing the ink to adhere more to the removed areas.

For the design I struggled to come up with anything particularly special and wanted the design to be simple as it was my first time printing a collagraph so I wasn't sure what the outcome would look like. Because of this, I chose to use a geometric design, using mostly triangles inspired by tribal pattern.

When it came to cutting the board I learned that you have to be careful not to go to deep as well as being consistent with the depth you cut if an even coverage is desired. This I struggled with at first but gradually got used to cutting and peeling the board.

- Once the design was finished we applied water based ink using cardboard; once the boards were evenly covered in ink we removed the excess using rags. This step ensured that there wasn't too much ink so when the collagraph was printed you could differentiate between the light and dark areas.

I think when I printed my collagraph there was still a bit too much ink on the board but after printing a couple of times the ink was enough. This taught me to take time with printing and not worry if it's not perfect first time.

- We then washed our hands to remove the ink to keep the paper we were going to use. The paper we were going to use had to be wet. This is because the paper had to be malleable to go through the starwheel etching press without breaking or cracking. This was done by soaking the paper, then holding it corner to corner till it single dripped from the corner. We then blotted the excess water with blotting paper ready for the press.

- With the print placed on the etching press table, we placed the damp paper on top, being careful to keep the design straight and centered on the paper. We then covered the design with cloth and rolled it through the press using the wheel. on the other side, the print was finished and needed time to dry.

I thought my print turned out okay for my first time. As previously mentioned, I think I had too much ink on the plate so it didn't turn out exactly how I imagined first time, but I have learned from this.

- Overall I think collagraph printing is interesting and I like way you can use other images with your plate and the weight of the roller compresses the materials together. The end result however is not typically the aesthetic I'm personally drawn to as I prefer a more minimal appearance and I felt the collographs different shades and textures it gave a more complex image. This could just be down to human error and inexperience so my opinions may change with more practice.