Adventures in Photopolymer Printing

As I finish the White Deer - Rites of Passage graphic novel, mainly using digital tools and processes, my high touch art making talents (drawing, painting with traditional materials) are usually waiting impatiently in the background for an opportunity to jump into the fray. My brain and heart keep screaming to get off the damn computer!

I love to fuse high tech with high touch art processes to meld the modern with the ancient, to create new alchemical visions. Learning about the various traditional printing options such as, relief printing, intaglio, planography, collagraphy, viscosity printing, and stencil printing (there are many subsets within these categories) gave me a lot of choices to explore. The photopolymer technique falls under the intaglio process and resonated with me.

Fortunately, I was able to work with master printmaker, Jennifer Lynch here in Santa Fe to explore this technique with an amazing etching press at her studio. The video above showcases some highlights.

Creating a photopolymer print with involves a delicate dance between chemistry and craftsmanship. First, the image is transferred to a transparency, then onto a light-sensitive photopolymer plate, which is then exposed to UV light (by the sun or a UV exposure unit), which hardens the areas that will hold ink (all very technical and not my favorite part of this process). After washing away the unexposed, soft polymer, the plate is dried, then ink is applied, pressed into the textured surface. The plate is placed on an etching press with paper or other material, and pushes the ink into it.

This meticulous process allows for intricate detail and subtle tonal variations. The tactile qualities of the ink impressed into the paper give it a hand made feel, which I really like. Variations can be explored by adding other colored inks to the plate, scratching it, drawing on it, layering different plates, or working over the print itself with paints, etc. My next session with Jennifer will include making larger plates and making grids of the imagery to create larger, more epic pieces on canvas.

Photopolymer printmaking makes it ideal for limited editions, however the initial setup and purchasing of supplies can be costly. Ultimately what I like about this technique is that it echoes the contemplative spirit of traditional printmaking while embracing contemporary innovation. A perfect high tech / high touch combination.