Solar Plate Relief Printing

The plates are developed by washing in water and can be printed as intaglio or relief prints.

Solar plate relief printing.

Step six print plate. Solarplate process etching using dan weldon s method. Unlike traditional etching techniques no. Once exposed solar plates are simply developed in water without the need of additional harmful chemicals.

Solar plate printmaking or polymer etch is a relatively new print process that enables images to be established onto metal plates by exposure to light using sunlight or an ultra violet light source. Before inking eliminate the sharp corners of the plate with a file and remove the burr from the steel backing. Bright sunlight or a uv bulb. Plate thickness is less than standard zinc or copper and presses should be adjusted accordingly.

Unlike traditional printmaking methods that require dangerous chemicals or sharp tools and years of technical practice a solar plate uses the sun some water and a tooth brush to develop. Printmaking with solarplate is a simple approach and safer alternative to traditional etching and relief printing. Plates can be polished with abrasives to give lighter areas drypointed dremel drills are good engraved or have carborundum etc added. Printing may be done in either relief or intaglio.

In the image above you will see that one shows the text in black which would work for an intaglio print and the one above shows the text clear which is how genna created the relief print. Solarplate is a prepared light sensitive polymer surface on a steel backing for artists to produce fine prints. The resulting plates reproduce fine. Solar plates are a simple safe and fast approach to etching and relief printing that does not use grounds acids or solvents.

Solar plates are easy to use with little experience of traditional printmaking processes. Post harden plate in sun till emulsion completely hard. Images can be transferred from clear film such as acetate or true grain to the plate using a source of ultra violet light i e. This article will explain how to make fine art relief print cards using only the power of the sun.

It is exposed with uv light and de. Step five filing the plate. The great thing about solar plates is that the plate can be exposed in a professional exposure unit or outside in the sun.