NEED CONTACT PAPER

Once I got the template for registration made, I realized I didn't have any plastic contact paper to cover it with.  If you don't cover it with something that is wipable it will eventually get covered in ink, which will transfer onto your paper.  Not good.

I needed to make a trip to Target.

It's shelf liner with peelable paper so you can stick it down to whatever.  It works perfectly for my need, covering my mat board with the registration lines with clear plastic.  It will last a long time now.

TEMPLATE FOR PRINTING

I need to make a template to hold the acrylic plate when printing.  It will have marks to use to line up the paper.

I use mat board, cut a hold in the center the size of the plate, and then draw lines around the opening in various widths.

THIRD COLOR EXCHANGE 43

Here it is Sunday, supposed to be a day my husband and I go play, and I'm working on my print! But, I want to get it done, and the paper is damp, I've heard horror stories about mold from keeping the paper damp for too long.

This is the third color applied. I cut down the block I was using yesterday. So, you could call it a reduction cut. This color is a medium value blue-violet for the background.

Putting a different value on really helps the image to start to come together.

After all the papers were inked with the new color, then I cut away more of the block for the final color. I've got myself kind of messed up, so I'll be going back to the first plate (the one I used for the yellow) and printing over the letters again because I don't think they show up well enough. This is not the block I used to print the letters in the first place. But, since I cut away the lettered area on the 'blue' block I have to go back to the 'yellow' block where they haven't been cut away. I'm really worried about registration for that because you can't miss at all to get the letters printed over the same area again. So, I will try it on a few and if it doesn't seem to be lining up I will give up and live with the way they look now. How did I get myself into this pickle?!

I got an Ott-light with a magnifying lens built in several years ago. I don't think I could carve without it now. It really makes it easier. I highly recommend them. I got mine at Office Depot on sale, but I've seen them online, too.

SECOND COLOR FOR 43

Oh, I was so nervous about doing this second color. I've always had problems with registration. It makes multi-plate printing so frustrating for me. I should stay in kindergarten until I get it right, but I love multi-colors and always want to do more than my skills. But, then again, if one doesn't go beyond their skill level they will never grow.

I was pleasantly surprised when the registration worked out the first time! Yeah!

I used the kento system this time, for the first time. It's the traditional way to do it, and it works great. Should trust tradition, I guess!

The photo below shows the corner and side kento projections that I cut into the board. It will give the same border to each print also.

I also used another traditional way of transferring the image which apparently worked very well. For those two things are what makes it register or not. I'm thrilled it all worked out. It makes things so much more pleasant.