Troubles with printing on thin paper

Paper sticks to the form because of tacky ink (tackiness is resistance to splitting of the ink film). If more gripper fingers, rubber bands, strings or friskets don’t overcome the problem, you can add reducer to the ink or mix it with a lower-tack ink (or use oilbase—you are using rubber base, right?)

I only use oil-based ink, but I’ll try another rubber band at the bottom of the sheet. It’s a little challenging when there isn’t much space between the form and the paper edge.
I was unfamiliar with friskets and searched it on google and came up with one image for one that was on a platen press, but it was unclear how it was attached. Do you know of a good resource that explains this better and has pictures (I understand things more when I can see it.)

Thanks.

A simple frisket can be made by taping a strong piece of paper across the grippers on the platen press. You can tape it directly on the grioppers, but I generally cut the sheet longer than needed and fold it around the gripper and tape the end to the top of the stretched sheet (a picture would be good at this point).

Take an impression on the frisket and use a knife or razor blade to cut away the image areas just beyond the image. This frisket, when used in printing, will pull the sheet fairly evenly on all four sides from the form. I think you will find it helps considerably.

If the frisket isn’t enough, you can use a little light varnish to reduce the tackiness of the ink, causing the sheet to remove more easily from the form.

Rebecca, Here are pictures of friskets I used in printing the red/green for this year’s Christmas cards. I wrap the paper around the gripper bars and over the top, tape the paper, so I’ve made a sleave on either side of the frisket that can slide on and off the grippers. That way, I can remove the frisket, cut the appropriate openings and replace the frisket keeping the alignment. (I did find it necessary to put some cellophane tape over the printing areas to keep the frisket paper from getting saturated and eventually bleeding ink onto the card stock).

- Denis

IMG_8538_Copy2.JPG

IMG_8566 - Copy2.JPG

You are all wonderful! Thanks so much. This will make things so much easier for me. The pictures really make what you both wrote much clearer to me.

Thanks!
-R

Denis:

Thanks for the pictures. It really makes the concept visible.