Direct to Plate Photopolymer Gravure Workshops

What is Photopolymer Gravure? For a while now, artist who produce etchings have been looking for a less toxic way of making plates that don’t required acids or dichromates. Some of these are thin polymer films that can be put onto plastic or different types of metals. There are also readymade plates coated with polymer films. Toyobo KM73 plates and the Jet LSL-73-SP are two of the most popular ones for photogravure. The main advantage to the photopolymer process is that you only need room temperature water to process them instead of Ferric Chloride. The process is much safer and less toxic. The direct to plate process refers to printing the image directly onto the plate rather than making two exposures, one with a positive image and a one with a screen.

The plates are then inked and run through an etching press the same way as traditional copperplate photogravures are. The results have even better tonality than traditional Photogravure. The prints are considered one of the most archival (Platinum/Palladium and Carbon being the other two archival processes) and one of the strengths of Photopolymer Gravure is the ability to use any type of paper you want and use any color you can mix.

I will teach you how to make smooth prints with tonality that rivals platinum prints and wipe them in a way to get the most consistent prints. How to linearize your plates to match your vision in a few different ways. You will learn what materials you will need in order to get started. How to set up the press and blankets. We will experiment with different types of paper and ink as well as how to prepare the paper.

The class takes place in my studio with the option to reserve a room to stay in while here with me and my wife in Brooklyn, NY. The workshops can be set up at any time and take place over Friday through Sunday and are one to one.

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