Once the paper is in place on top of the linoleum,
carefully burnish it up to all the edges of the plate.
The paper will be lightly held in place by the ink.
You can use a printmaker’s baren, a spoon, or even
just your hand for burnishing. You just need something that will slide smoothly and evenly across the
surface of the paper without catching, tearing, or
denting your paper. If you’re having problems getting the spoon or baren to slide properly, use a thin
sheet of Mylar or acetate on top of the paper.
7.CH ECK THE PRINT
Once you’ve finished burnishing, carefully
peel back the paper from the plate. At this point you
can evaluate your image and decide if it needs more
carving. If this is the case, simply clean off the ink,
cut the areas that need work, and repeat the printing
process to get another proof.
If you are happy with the outcome, you can continue to pull prints by re-inking the plate for each
new print. You don’t need to clean the plate off in
between prints. Lay out the prints to dry on clean
newsprint, being careful not to let them overlap. If
you’re using the oil-based ink, it could take 2 days
or more for the print to dry completely. If you don’t
have room to leave them sitting out, let them dry
for an hour or so and then stack them with sheets
of plain newsprint in between each print for the
remainder of the drying time. You’re done!
FINISH X
Thanks to the inspiration and DNA of crafty
parents, Donna Barger can’t remember a time
when she wasn’t in the middle of an art project.
Freelance graphic designer and illustrator by
day, she and her sister Robin run their quirky
art and accessories business Four Idle Hands
( fouridlehands.com) by night. She happily
avoids snow living in Los Angeles with her rocket
scientist husband and is also an organizer of the
Bazaar Bizarre craft fair.
