Paper Lithography Printing
PAPER LITHOGRAPHY
Paper lithography is an inexpensive and versatile printmaking technique which lends itself well to mixed media work. As a method for adding images in brightly coloured inks on top of
existing artwork this technique also works well for sketchbooks and experimenting with layering.
MATERIALS LIST:
Oil based printing ink (traditional etching ink (not water miscible inks), litho or letterpress work best. I’ve used hawthorn stay open letterpress inks and etching ink for these examples
linseed oil or copperplate oil to reduce ink viscosity
Gum arabic liquid
Roller/brayer
Plastic or glass inking slab - I use cheap smooth chopping boards
Plastic or glass sheet to support your photocopy
At least two sponges
Water spray
Plastic carrier bag
Rags for wiping up excess ink
palette knife or spatula for mixing ink and cleaning up
Photocopies with black & white simplified designs on - printed in reverse (mirror image) if you want your design to appear right way round - only crucial for text based images.
Before I begin I’ll run through my take on some of the pros and cons of the process.
PROS
Low tech approach using cheap material to print from
Can be printed by hand although a press will give you a cleaner transfer
You can work from first & second hand imagery as long as they’re simplified
Good for layering over different types of surface e.g. paper, fabric, collage, wood
Allows for the use of photographic images or hand drawn which suits a wide range of creatives
CONS
Messy! Apron and ideally barrier cream or gloves for your hands are a must .
You do need a few different materials for this to work
You have to use oil based inks for this technique to work
Clean up requires some kind of solvent although there are lots of environmentally friendly versions e.g. citrasolv or low odour thinners - vegetable oil also works for a solvent free approach
Unpredictable results -you’ll get a slightly different print every time. Sue Brown’s technique cuts down the variables but you’ll still need to pray to the printing gods
Using a photocopy for your printing matrix means edition sizes are inevitably small - you may be lucky and get 3-4 prints from each copy
Over the years I’ve tried different versions of photocopy litho printing with varying degrees of success. I’ve also watched and read a lot of different tutorials and experimented with the amount of gum arabic and consistency of the ink and type of photocopy which seem to be the most important determining factors in the success of the print.
The principal behind the technique is this:
Black carbon photocopy on paper
Sensitise with gum arabic which causes the white paper areas to swell and repel ink
Roll over image with oil based ink which sticks to the black areas of the photocopy
Wipe or spray away excess with water which should float off white paper areas but remain stuck to the black areas
Place inked paper copy in contact with clean paper, rub the back to transfer the ink
Peel apart to reveal a copy of your image transferred in coloured ink onto your chosen paper/substrate
I’ve also tried both wiping away ink with a wet sponge as well as a water sprayer. Having now bought a copy of Sue Brown’s new paper lithography book by Crowood press I can confirm that her technique for spraying away the ink from the paper (non image) areas does result in a cleaner transfer than wiping.
In short the technique is as follows – Sue has also covered this process in greater depth in her book and her blog.
TECHNIQUE
SIMPLIFY YOUR DESIGN & PHOTOCOPY IN BLACK & WHITE
Simplify your design to black & white – on Photoshop you can use various filters e.g. stamp filter, threshold, graphic pen all work well.
Use a toner based photocopy image set to black & white only – older laser printers or photo copiers work better as they lay down more toner but I’ve used a new model on a darker setting and it’s worked fine.
2. COAT WITH GUM ARABIC
Lay your photocopy face down onto a plastic sheet or tray. Using a sponge or your hands coat both sides with a good layer of gum arabic so it causes the paper fibres to swell and repel the ink. Wipe away excess gum arabic from around the edges with the sponge or a rag. I would also start small to practice the technique first, smaller images in combination with other backgrounds/images often have greater impact.
3. MIX & ROLL OUT INK
Make sure you’re using oil based printing ink – this can be oil based etching ink, relief ink or litho ink – I’d probably say hawthorn letterpress inks were my favourite but you can buy a tube of cranfield oil based printing ink for around £10 from Jacksons art supplies online which is good value.
Loosen up your chosen ink with linseed oil or hawthorn makes a linseed reducing jelly which does the same. Blend well with a palette knife until it drops off the knife but isn’t too runny or it will be difficult to roll. Roll out a thin layer of ink so that it makes a quiet shhhhhing sound rather than a ripping or sucking sound (in which case the ink is too thick)
4. ROLL INK ONTO PHOTOCOPY
Roll a thin layer of ink over the photocopy in a few directions, use light pressure to avoid laying down too much ink. Go in a few directions to get good coverage and if it’s working you’ll see the black photocopied image replaced by your chosen colour.
When you’ve got a good layer of ink down, carefully lift the inked photocopy on the plastic sheet to a sink or tray. Line the tray with a plastic bag to capture the excess ink, you can drain off the water later when you’re cleaning up.
5. WASH OFF EXCESS INK BY SPRAYING
Start spraying the photocopy with water and watch the water lift the ink from the white paper areas of the photocopy. Keep going until the ink has washed off all the non image areas. You may want to blot the paper very gently with newspaper or newsprint but don’t add pressure as this will begin to lift off the ink.
6. BLOT & TRANSFER TO PRINTING PAPER
Now lift the photocopy and place it face down onto your printing paper – smooth, absorbent art papers e.g. cartridge work well. Not too thin or the paper will cockle (go wavy) when drying.
7. RUB OR BURNISH TO TRANSFER IMAGE
If you’re lucky enough to have access to a printing press* you can transfer the inked photocopy onto your printing paper by running it through a press. Alternatively print by hand by placing a piece of greaseproof paper or baking parchment over the back to protect the photocopy as you rub is all over with a wooden or metal spoon or the heal of your hand applying firm pressure. Gently lift up at the corner every so often to check progress and if necessary add more pressure.
*If you have access to an etching press you can also use it to make quick work of the transfer, just remember to add newsprint/tissue etc to the back of the photocopy so that ink doesn’t accidentally transfer to your blankets.
Once complete gently lift up the photopy to check the finished print underneath. You can make prints on different types of paper and add more images over the top to make a collage composition. Alternatively wait for it to dry and embellish with inks, paint & pencil etc. It’s best to have several photocopies to work from as not every image will work well for you.
As you will have made the paper wet in the transfer process it’s a good idea to flatten your prints between heavy books or boards (protected by newsprint, blotting paper or tissue) for a day or so as they dry.