Melt-like spots in my Plate
I just processed my polymer plate of a line-art design. It was looking good at a first look; after I did an impression and examined closer I noticed a handful of spots where the lines look like they melted a way somewhat, yet few others look like crystallization spots. Is my exposure too high/too low? Most of the plate, I say 99%+ looks fine but jut a few spots ruin it.
How are you processing? Are you using a machine? If so, which? and what are your settings? or, are you hand processing?
What kind of plate?
If you want information, you have to provide something to work with.
Gerald
Gerald is correct in that the results can be combination of many factors. It is probable that a longer exposure would give you better shoulders on fine lines (which seems to be what you describe is lacking).
Check your film for variations in the line width or cloudy areas which could obscure some exposure. Also check to see if there might be a lamp not lighting or something else physically (uneven vacuum) or electrically wrong with your setup which could cause variations in exposure. I have seen exposure units with “hot spots” under the bulbs which can give unpredicable results with difficult designs.
This is a regular boxcar polymer, size 4.7”x7”, I use exposure unit from Daniel Smith with several UV bulbs in it, fairly new one, there’s no vacuum here, just a box w. bulbs inside. A little test piece I did earlier worked fine. The film is done on pro imagesetter.
Wonder if my hardening exposure was too high?