Printing onto wood veneer?
I am just wondering if it is possible to letterpress very thin (1/16”) sheets of balsa wood…? It gives a little bit, which makes me think that it might get a nice deep impression, but I just don’t know if there would be any problems when doing this. Has anyone tried it?
Should I just go ahead and try it on my press? I have a C&P 8x12 New Style.
Thanks!
Allie
I’ve printed on Basswood with my C&P. Looks really cool.
By the way, I was using an mag die mounted on solid aluminum. Might not work as well with photopolymer or mag mounted on wood.
By the way, I was using an mag die mounted on solid aluminum. Might not work as well with photopolymer or mag mounted on wood.
Years ago i was in a shop and spotted a 10x15 Golding that was die-cutting those wooden airplanes (balsa wood i think) i asked the printer how they were printed, he said on the golding. I’ve used a rubber stamp to print on wood before, polymer should work also. Good Luck Dick G.
yep. just did it not too long ago.
http://briarpress.org/22504
1st pic of the framed piece is on 1/8 inch plywood.
I also did one on a sheet of super thin veneer that came out just as good. the 2nd and 3rd pics are the veneer print.
i used rubber based ink and linocuts as you can see.
if i was using poly plate or metal type I probably could have got a nice impression on the veneer as it is pretty soft if that’s what I was after but wouldn’t have tried it on the plywood. too hard.
I’ve been printing on red cedar veneer for over twenty years on a Golding No 11 for a cedar shoe tree company. Not on solid wood though. There is a company in Michigan called Cards of Wood that glues two layers of wood veneer together for business cards. I use magnesium cuts mounted on wood. But, I’m going for old school kiss printing, not a deep impression.
Good Luck
I did a invite not too long ago on Mahogony Wood veneer. I used a mag line cut with rubber base ink and it worked great. Can’t get much impression or you’ll split the wood. Not sure how a Balsa wood will work but can’t see why it wouldn’t.
Printertim
Yeah…. i’ve got to concur that printing on wood is not a big deal. I printed about a zillion “wooden nickles” and wooden Mardi-Gras throw a few decades back, using a C&P press and PP plates. All you really need to do is adjust the platen to accomodate the thicker material….. and perfect your hand -feeding technique.
You can even run paper-backed veneer through a cylinder if you’re so inclined. I’ve found that the veneer without the paper backing tends to split at the ends when you try that, though.