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Thursday, February 10, 2011

Over inked

Got a bit carried away on the amount of ink I placed on my press. Not sure what I was thinking but put WAY too much on...
I tried taking it off by blotting with paper, but basically had to wipe the ink plate clean and just use what was left on the rollers and even that was a little much.
Wasted ink and heaps of time.

Anyway, if you see tiny peaks in the ink or an orange peel effect - its too much. There should only be a thin flat film.
One reference says to put as much ink as you would honey on a slice of bread t start with (I opted for Vegemite on 2 slices for a larger job) and always add to the bottom left side (depending on which way your plate turns)
I have also seen one example that instead of daubing onto the plate, draws a cross with a wide (4-5cm) spatula, applying a thin film, and that's also a good measure.

Oh and also, Am going to have to get into the habit of tightening everything up regularly. My fly wheel nearly wiggled off. Could have been a bit of a bother...