More Info Needed on Paper-Dampening for 2-Color Jobs
Hello Printers!
Thank you for taking the time to review my query. I have scrolled through the paper-dampening discussions and am still unclear if you can safely re-dampen cotton rag paper between colors, even without tight registration. I am using Crane’s Lettra 110#, so solid areas appear chalky if not adequately dampened. I would like to know your dampening technique and if you use that technique before printing each color. Or do you store the paper in a plastic bag or humidor between colors? How long do you wait between printing each color? THANKS!
I forgot to mention that I use a Heidelberg 10x15 windmill and both oil & rubber-based inks.
THANKS AGAIN!
VioletLetterpress
For the most part, you cannot re-dampen a letterpress printed sheet without losing impression. Once a sheet is dried down that’s it, whether you finished the job or not. This is one very good reason for using a humidor as it allows you to control and maintain the humidity of the sheet over several days of printing.
Even if losing the impression is not a concern, say you were dropping in spot colors or a solid background, it is likely the paper would not have dried down perfectly to its original size, so yes, your registration could be thrown off by this.
I don’t know how you would be able to manage the dampen paper with any kind of consistency on a Heidelberg, though I have read the claim, either here or some other discussion list. Basically, “I’ve done it and it worked out fine,” with no explanation as to how it was managed or what “fine” actually means.
Gerald
http://BielerPress.blogspot.com
Gerald,
Thank you for that clear explanation. I have seen your posts recommending the humidor in the Lewis Allen book. I’m going to try to look for one of those books. Can you comment on whether this humidor is difficult or expensive to construct? Unfortunately, I am limited in funds, as well as carpentry talent.
Thank You,
Nicolette
Nicolette
You can pick up the Allen book on Amazon as a used item. You can easily build a humidor yourself for very little money without carpentry talent. I have. It was a piece of crap but it did the job. Then I bought some that a talented fellow had constructed and I have certainly not regretted that purchase.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bielerpress/2055526642/
Gerald
http://BielerPress.blogspot.com
In all my 50 years of on-the-job experience of operating printing machines in a commercial environment never have I dampened paper.
What is the reason for doing so?
If you cannot get a solid covering then adjustment of the ink, double rolling, or transfer to a cylinder machine is the answer.
Bern, in most commercial shops dampening is not practiced nowadays, so it’s not surprising that you’ve not done it. It’s not a technique that lends itself to machines with automatic feeding.
It’s mostly used to achieve very strong images with flatbed or hand-operated presses. Printmakers and more artistic printers tend to love the technique. Dampening softens the paper so that it takes less pressure to get a solid impression. Using soft papers like Lettra, it’s generally not required. For harder papers, it can really mean the difference between a superb job and a mediocre one.
Originally, dampening was neccessary to make handmade or mouldmade cotton papers printable on a handpress, and it is still done in fine press printing, whatever machine is used. Less ink is needed, less makeready too, and there is less wear to the form, a consideration when setting foundry type that can’t be replaced.
In this forum, dampening is often suggested when people attempt more than their press was designed for (especially with what were once called toy presses). And the technique works. But both situations are pretty far removed from commercial practice of the 20th century.
Rather than build a plywood humidor a la Allen, some folks use a big plastic bag (heavy plastic sealed up with tape). Not sure if they include any sort of sponge lining.
In any case, perhaps it’s a direction to explore for inexpensive experiments.
Preston
These are great responses. Since I have an automatic feeding machine (Heidelberg windmill), I have noticed that it can be a little tricky getting the dampened paper evenly stacked. Does anyone else have any experience with using dampened paper on this type of machine?
Thanks!
Nicolette
In reply to Bern’s suggestions, “adjustment of the ink, double rolling, or transfer to a cylinder machine”…
Thank you, Bern. But I have attempted the 1st two suggestions. While we had the perfect amount of ink for coated stock, the result was chalky solid area coverage with the uncoated Lettra. Adding more ink to the rollers, increased bleeding, particularly with small text. As with double-rolling, this darkens the ink color considerably. When I first tried the dampened paper, the solid coverage was perfect and there was no bleeding or color change. This extra step seems to make a big difference with this kind of paper.
If you are trying to run a solid along with fine type, you’d be better off running them in separate passes so you can carry the appropriate amount of ink for each element. You can also modify the ink for the solid pass with ink conditioner or other additives.
Hello Violet,
I use Allen’s method for dampening, but I haven’t yet brought myself up to the level of creating his beautiful wooden boxes. Here’s my latest experiment:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lunadabayletterpress/sets/72157622824375262...
These work quite well. They have kept paper consistently damp for over a week with no mold. They’re big enough for over 200 sheets of 0.02” paper. Plus, they’re only $20 each at Target, and you can use them for beer when you’re not using them for paper.
Barbara
Parallel, thank you for those tips!
Barbara, your humidor is awesome. It never occurred to me to use a cooler. Great Idea.
Nicolette